After losing three straight against top teams from Connecticut and Florida, Rye girls lacrosse was able to right the ship against a team just a few miles down the street.
The Garnets led by one at halftime before pulling away for a 16-7 win at Mamaroneck.
“It’s always a battle against Mamaroneck as a league opponent and a team right down the Post Road,” said Rye coach Michelle Mason.
At 3-3, Rye’s record may not be gleaming, but that’s largely due to the strenuous early-season scheduling against Connecticut powerhouses Wilton and Darien, and Florida’s American Heritage. With the win against Mamaroneck, the Garnets improved to a perfect 3-0 in league play.
“We love playing top-notch competition as it challenges us, and we are really close to turning these tight losses into victories,” Mason said. “It prepares us for play in the section as these ranked teams bring different styles and strategies that push us to be coachable and adaptable. We have to compete each and every play.”
The Garnets’ next tough test is against Horace Greeley at 3 p.m. Saturday. Last year, the Quakers and Garnets both lost in Section 1 championship games, Greeley in Class B and Rye by a single goal in Class C.
“We want to put together a complete game from the first whistle to the last,” Mason said. “Consistent quarters … get firing on all cylinders throughout the field.”
Against Mamaroneck, Rye was playing for an early deficit, after the Tigers opened the game with a turnover and a score in the first minute. It ended up being their only first-quarter goal, and Rye battled back with scores by seniors Mia Howson and Annie Toulouse, and junior Mary Ebeling.
Rye racked up another two goals in the second quarter, but Mamaroneck remained in striking distance, with the score 5-4 at halftime. The Garnets seized control with a 7-1 advantage in the third quarter, thanks largely to a series of draw wins.
Freshman Rose Denvir, junior Blake Sasse, and Ebeling each won four draws, and senior Clare Nemsick won three.
“Our draw team got rolling, which changed the momentum in the second half,” Mason said.
Defensively, Rye grew more cohesive as the game progressed, finishing with 14 ground balls and seven forced turnovers.
The offense found its rhythm as well. Toulouse led the way with five goals and one assist. Ebeling added three goals and two assists, junior Paloma Pepper scored three goals, and senior Beau Whaling contributed two goals and one assist. Howson added two goals, while Sasse chipped in one goal and one assist.
