Winning the section tournament requires four consecutive victories. After a really-never-in-doubt 3-0 defeat of No. 11 seed Eastchester on Tuesday at Nugent Stadium, the Rye girls soccer team is halfway there.
The still-unbeaten Garnets (15-0-3) travel to face No. 2 seed Tappan Zee (15-1-2) in the section semifinals Thursday. The winner advances to Sunday’s section championship game at Nyack.
It took most of the first half for Rye to break through the Eagles’ stingy defense, but senior Clare Nemsick’s header off of a beautiful corner kick from junior Shira Rand was out of a “How to Soccer” textbook.
A corner kick on a direct line was timed perfectly by Nemsick, who took the ball out of the air and deposited an authoritative header past a frozen Eastchester goalie directly into the back of the net.
There were 16 minutes to go in the first half, and the Garnets were on their way.
“Today was a really good test for us,” said Rye coach Rich Savage. “It took us a few minutes to settle in, but once we started connecting passes and finding our rhythm, we started to play the kind of soccer we’re capable of.”
Fourteen minutes later, sophomore Hannah Jachman scored Rye’s second goal from another Rand corner kick delivery. Electric freshman Harkin Brown finished off the scoring for Rye in the middle of the second half.
Eastchester could mount few legitimate offensive chances in this contest due to the unwavering strength and discipline of Rye’s defensive back row.
Player of the Match
It could easily have been center back Nemsick for her unflappable calming effect on Rye’s defense against Eastchester – and in every single Rye girls game over the past three years. But Rand’s presence was felt in every facet of this quarterfinal victory. Like Nemsick, Rand is one of those players who was born unafraid of big moments.
“Shira has an incredible work rate,” Savage said. “She just doesn’t stop moving … ever. She somehow manages to cover the entire field and can convert a defensive stop into a scoring chance in a matter of seconds. What really sets Shira apart is her ability to consistently deliver under pressure.”
