NYACK — On a bright and breezy Sunday afternoon, the Rye girls soccer team cemented its legacy as one of the most dominant in Section 1 history. With a convincing 2-0 victory over previously undefeated Pleasantville, the Garnets won their third consecutive Section 1 Class A title.
“This win today is so special for these kids, for this team,” said Rye coach Rich Savage. “Pulling this off is a lot harder to do than people might think. You can have great teams full of great players, but sometimes, for some reason, things just don’t click. This year, we’ve had great leadership from our captains, tremendous support from families and our school. Yes, we’ve come this far before, but today’s win is no less significant than any other.”
All season long, game after game, these undefeated Garnets (17-0-3) have made good teams look mediocre. Albertus Magnus, Tappan Zee, and now Pleasantville (16-1) all entered matchups against Rye with nearly unblemished records. All suffered the same fate: a soul-searching loss to the mighty Garnets.
In Sunday’s championship, the story wasn’t so much that Pleasantville struggled offensively, but that Rye denied the Panthers any opportunity to establish any kind of offensive rhythm for 80 minutes. Rye fought through its own challenges on the offensive end until junior Jillian DeSanto gave Rye the lead 12 minutes before halftime.
Rye’s elusive, but ultimately game-deciding, second goal was scored by senior Clare Nemsick off of a corner kick by freshman Harkin Brown (her second assist) with five minutes left in the game. It was a goal Nemsick will not forget.
“The first section championship I was a part of, we beat Albertus Magnus on this same field, three years ago wearing these same white uniforms,” Nemsick said. “That one was pretty cool. But this is a different team, it’s our team, and it’s extra special.”
Rye carries a 13-game win streak into the New York state Class A tournament. The Garnets have a quick turnaround, facing Section 9 champion Our Lady of Lourdes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wallkill High School.
With a win, Rye will advance to the state quarterfinals, with hopes of winning a second state championship in three years.
“It’s our camaraderie, how much we really care about each other. That’s what sets us apart,” said senior Sam Yeh, who’s also been a part of Rye’s previous section title teams. “We knew Pleasantville was going to be tough – they were undefeated. But we’re never complacent and we work hard for and with each other.”
