In the final stages of the regular season, Rye hockey has firmly established itself as one of the top Division 2 high school teams in New York. After a 7-1 takedown of Pawling on Wednesday at a chilly Playland Ice Casino, Rye (10-2-3) is playing with the kind of confidence that should make any opponent nervous.
“We’re playing some good team hockey of late,” said long-time Rye coach Peter Thomas. “Things are starting to come together for us and the guys are really starting to gel nicely. A few weeks ago, we were waiting to get started in a few games. That’s not the case anymore. We’re getting after the puck early now. It’s fun to watch.”
What’s even more satisfying for Thomas is that the offensive production of late is coming from all corners of the roster. Junior defenseman Jack McGill got on the board with Rye’s first goal just over a minute into the game. Then the floodgates opened.
Sophomore Will Niejadlik added two more for Rye. Mac Kelly, another sophomore, carded another.
But senior Jamie Morris had a night – and a goal – to remember. His third and final score came with 13:09 to go in the second period. Penetrating the Pawling zone, fellow senior Ryan Draddy found Morris wide open, and the left-hander let fly a shot that went supersonic the second it left his stick. It was a big boy goal. The kind of shot that makes you turn to the person sitting next to you and ask, “What the heck was THAT!?”
“This is the time of year we train for,” Thomas said. “We had a really good road trip up to Saratoga Springs last weekend. The tie against Shenendehowa last Friday was a hard-fought game. But depending on how things work out in the next few weeks, there’s a chance we’ll get to skate against Queensbury (a team Rye tied 4-4 on Saturday) again in the postseason. They’re a good team. We’d love another shot at them.”
Four regular-season games remain for the Garnets, with the next coming at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Mamaroneck.
