With the regular season over for Rye High School boys soccer, the team is looking to regain its midseason form and make a deep postseason push.
As recently as Oct. 7, the team had an impressive, 10-2 record after a hard-fought victory against Eastchester High. But the Garnets then dropped two of their final three matches. They still finished with an overall record of 11 wins and four losses (including five wins and three losses in their local league), but the rough patch at season’s end has made Rye’s path through the playoffs a bit more precarious.
The first of those last three matches, on Oct. 9, was away against Byram Hills, the top team in league standings. While the Garnets played a physical game, the Bobcats’ stifling defense allowed them to control the game and win by a score of 2-1.
Rye rebounded on Oct. 15 against Pelham Memorial High School. The game coincided with the team’s “Senior Night,” honoring the squad’s senior athletes, including captain and striker Kaden Zion, goalies Ayden Breen and Martin Fields, and midfielders Alex Van der Voort and Charlie Cosenza. Despite falling behind 0-2 in the first half, the team roared back in the second to win its final home game of the season, 4-2.
But the team still had to close out the season with an Oct. 19 road game against neighboring Harrison, a formidable league opponent. The Garnets had won their first meeting of the season, 1-0, but the Huskies played a much better game this time, outplaying Rye in every respect en route to a 3-0 victory.
The game was consequential for both teams, as Harrison leapfrogged Rye in the league standings with the win, dropping the Garnets to fourth place with the regional Section 1 Class A tournament looming.