The Garnets’ girls lacrosse team is knocking at the door of the highest-ranked high school teams in the country as it approaches the end of its regular season and prepares for the postseason.
The Rye High School squad won four of five games recently, improving its record at that point to 11-3. And the team was ranked 21st in the country among public high schools in the May 2 edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Rye’s five-game run began April 25, when the team traveled to Bronxville High. To slow down the speedy Garnets, the Broncos employed a zone defense throughout the game; the strategy ultimately proved unsuccessful, as Rye won 13-9. Senior captain Lilly Whaling achieved a major career milestone, scoring her 200th goal, and finished the day with a game total of five. Junior Mary Sack added four goals and junior goalie Katherine Ebeling had six saves in the win.
Two days later, Rye traveled to New Rochelle to play the Ursuline School. The Koalas led 6-5 early in the third quarter and were per-haps thinking an upset might be in the making, but Rye finished the game with a 10-2 run to win, 15-8. Sack scored four goals, while Whaling and senior captain Della Goodman each scored three.
The ultimate test of how far this year’s girls team has come arrived April 29, when it played New Canaan (Conn.) High School, the No. 1 girls squad in the country among public high schools in the same May 2 rankings of USA Lacrosse Magazine. The Garnets came out energized and matched their opponent’s effort and intensity step for step in the first quarter, but still found them-selves down 2-1. At halftime New Canaan had increased its lead to 6-3. Ultimately, the Rams went on to win 10-4, handing Rye only its third loss of the season.
For perspective: When the two teams played last year, Rye lost by 10 goals, so it was abundantly clear that Rye is narrowing the gap between its program and the nation’s very best teams.
And while much has been said this season about the talent, speed and skill of the Rye girls’ offensive abilities, a key component of their success has been the strength of their defense and goalkeeping. The team’s core defenders — junior Cami Brooks, seniors Taylor Bainbridge and Paige Vanneck, and sophomore Paige Tepedino — and its two superb, colle-giate-level goalies — senior Kareena Chader (attending Trinity College in the fall) and Ebeling (planning to attend Columbia in a year) – have consistently limited the offensive production of many of the best players and teams in the country.
May 1 was Senior Night, acknowledging the team’s soon-to-graduate players — Whaling, Goodman, Bainbridge, Vanneck, Chader, Mali White, and Meredith Kenney — in a pre-game ceremony that included more than 100 third- to eighth-grade girls from Rye Youth Lacrosse. On the field, the Garnets handily defeated the Pelham Pelicans, 17-10, in a game that was not nearly as close as the score indicated. Goodman achieved a major milestone by scoring the 100th goal of her high school career. White scored two goals, Sack added two and Whaling scored six in the decisive win.
Last Saturday, Rye played Horace Greely High School under the lights at home in Nugent Stadium. Greely had defeated Rye last season and was determined to do so again this year, playing with energy and intensity in a flawless first half that resulted in a Greely lead of 7-4 at halftime. Rye intensified its efforts in the second half, particularly on defense, and eventually tied the game 8-8. With two minutes remaining, Rye controlled the draw, held for one shot and Whaling delivered what would prove to be the game-winning goal with 4.2 seconds to play. In a game where the Garnets were not at their best, they still found a way to win, 9-8.
“What makes this team so special is its positive attitude both as individuals and in the collective” Coach Michelle Mason said. “They recognize that one play or one game does not define who they are.” Sack scored four goals and junior Caroline Doyle contributed three goals in the dramatic, come-from-behind win.
The next opportunity to watch the Garnets will be on Tuesday, May 14, when they open the postseason at home.