“It was only a non-league victory,” observed a Panther fan leaving the Rye Neck-Keio game October 20.
By Mitch Silver
“It was only a non-league victory,” observed a Panther fan leaving the Rye Neck-Keio game October 20. Little did he know — it’s playoff time, and every win counts. The victory, thanks to two goals from striker Luis Galeano on assists from Reed Peterson and Pierre Klur, pushed Rye Neck’s record to 9-5-2. Which ought to give the locals the fourth seed in Class B (pairings were announced post-press time).
The win against Class A Keio climaxed a two-week push by the Bryan Iacovelli/Frank Gizzo-coached squad to shake off injuries and climb in the rankings. First came a 1-0 OT win over 12-4 Hastings at the end of September, thanks to a Will Galeano penalty kick 5:43 into the first overtime. That was followed by another 1-0 victory on another Galeano goal (Luis this time) over 10-5-1 Edgemont October 8. A scoreless draw with Pleasantville preceded a 3-0 league win over Solomon Schechter October 13.
A 1-0 Homecoming loss to Irvington was actually a boost in the rankings. The undefeated Bulldogs are sure to be the top Class B seed with 15 wins and a tie. Just facing them on the soccer field adds bonus points in the eyes of the playoff committee due to their high winning percentage. Ditto Edgemont and Hastings.
Coach Iacovelli was still enjoying the Keio afterglow. “It’s always beneficial to win your last game of the season before heading into the sectionals. We played well and the win has given the team even more confidence. We’re looking forward to the first round Friday.”
So are we.
