Rye High School’s girls soccer squad, coming off a state championship title last fall, continued their winning ways to start the 2024 regular season with a pair of shutouts wins last weekend.
The Garnets won their first game Sept. 7, upstate at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, near Syracuse, by a score of 3-0. Junior Parker Calhoun scored the first goal on an assist from senior captain Bowyn Brown to give Rye the lead by the end of the first half. In the second, Garnet sophomores Shira Rand and Jill DeSanto (a first-year player) each put the ball in the net — each time with an assist from sophomore Charlotte Keenan.
In her first varsity game, Rye’s sophomore goalkeeper Blake Sasse had four saves to preserve the shutout against F-M High.
The next day, the Garnets won again, 2-0, in another away game, this time against Monroe-Woodbury High, across the Hudson River in Orange County. Junior Clare Nemsick was first on the board with a goal off a corner kick from Brown. DeSanto scored Rye’s second goal off a cross from senior Lyla Keenan.
Rye Coach Rich Savage gave shout-outs to both Nemsick and senior captain Mary Sack for their defensive play during the second half, which helped the Garnets start the regular season with two clean sheets.
The back-to-back victories followed three preseason-scrimmage wins against North Babylon (3-1), Massapequa (2-0) and Scarsdale (1-0) the previous week. Next up for the Garnets: They play at home Saturday, Sept. 14, against Tappan Zee before heading on Monday to Cross River to play John Jay.
“Walking away with two wins was a great way to start the season,” Savage said. “All players contributed to both wins. However, we cannot rest at all.”