It wasn’t the smoothest sailing of the season, but Rye hockey came out on top, 7-5, against Mamaroneck on Wednesday at Playland.
It’s been an up-and-down season for legendary coach Chap Chiapparelli’s Tigers (8-11), but his boys played with tremendous heart against a Garnet team (13-2-3) that’s now the No. 1 team in New York’s Division 2 hockey rankings. Mamaroneck pulled even at 4-4 in the final period before falling to Rye for the second time in two weeks.
The Garnets got early goals from sophomore Colin Nigro and senior Jamie Morris, but trailed 3-2 after the first period.
In the second period, it was junior defenseman Jack McGill who drew Rye even – with a little help from sophomore Finn Draddy – with just over eight minutes remaining. A minute later, Nigro struck again, this time with a big-boy-whipper-snapper from distance, to make it 4-3 Rye.
After Mamaroneck tied the score early in the third, sophomore Max Niejadlik put Rye back ahead, Nigro completed the hat trick, and Morris scored again for a two-goal margin of victory.
With one more regular-season game to play Friday at Suffern, plus a make-up game next Thursday against Rye Country Day at Playland, Rye coach Peter Thomas is feeling pretty good about where his team stands heading toward the playoffs.
“We’ve been playing good hockey for the last month or so,” he said. “When we play our game and do the things that make us successful, we’re a tough team to skate with. At times, I think we need to play with a little more urgency than we showed early in tonight’s game. Truth is, we’re a little banged up right now, but we should get most of our guys back after the winter break.”
