Rye’s 11-8 victory over Mamaroneck on April 11 was the Garnet Girls’ “most important win of the season so far,” said Coach Dennis Hurlie.

By Melanie Cane

Rye’s 11-8 victory over Mamaroneck on April 11 was the Garnet Girls’ “most important win of the season so far,” said Coach Dennis Hurlie. It was also their fourth and they are now 4-1.

Last year, the Garnets struggled to keep up with Mamaroneck and won by one goal at the last minute. This year, Rye set out to control the game and they did. 

The Garnets scored the first of four consecutive goals less than two minutes into the game. After their fourth goal, which Amanda Hartzell scored with 14:08 left in the half, Mamaroneck turned the tables, going on a three-goal run in 25 seconds. The Garnets answered the Tiger’s run with a two-goal run a minute later. The Tigers scored the last goal of the half four minutes later. At halftime, Rye had a 6-4 lead. 

In the second half, the teams picked up where they left off, answering each other’s runs and competing at a very high level. The Garnets’ defense, led by goalie Micheline DiNardo, was outstanding. Coach Hurlie said, “They played their best game of the year against a really tough guard. Micheline made some huge and timely saves and was terrific running our clears and transitions.” She had 12 saves in all. 

Caroline Franchella marked Mamaroneck’s best player, Olivia Jensen, and helped hold her to two goals. “Charlotte Tucci, Abby Abate, and Caroline Neave were so effective on the draw and really helped us win the possession game.” 

Rye outscored Mamaroneck 5-4 in the second half with Tucci scoring three times. She was the top scorer with four. Sophomores Neave and Hartzell each added two. 

Tucci, one of the team’s three captains, summed up the Garnets’ secret sauce: “We kept our composure until the very end. Our defense played really well, our transition in the midfield was quick, and our attack did a good job of finishing.” 

Coach Hurlie added, “When you play a team like Mamaroneck, you have to expect they are going to make plays and runs. I really enjoyed how we answered those runs and how we competed all night.” 

The Garnets’ next big home game is April 18 against North Rockland.