Rye Country Day Boys’ Soccer
By Mitch Silver
A year ago, Head Coach Cristiano Pereira’s boys finished on the wrong side of a .500 season at 5-7-3. This year, despite losing standouts Felipe Gomez and keeper Noah Swan, they’re playing as if 2016 was just a bad dream.
The Wildcats opened on the road September 6 and beat Brooklyn’s Poly Prep 3-2 on two late goals by senior co-captain Cole Price, the winner coming with only five minutes left. The team wouldn’t play again for nine days, but when they did, they made two more Price goals, both sparkling breakaways, stand up against Fieldston. The game gave junior goalkeeper Mick Bronsky his first shutout.
Three days later they were at it again, disposing of the French-American School by a 3-1 score. Out-possessed by the visitors, the Wildcats were the beneficiaries of a Cole Price free kick lofted 36 yards until it nestled just inside the far post. When Coach Pereira asked if it was a pass or a shot, Price replied, “You’ll never know.” Juniors Lucca Piccinini and Brett Robinson joined Price on the score sheet as Bronsky stopped ten shots on goal.
The next day, a banged-up group of Wildcats, who were missing senior defender and co-captain Matt Molinelli, hosted a squad from Columbia Grammar. The visitors were nursing a 2-1 advantage when Price struck again, tying the score with ten minutes to preserve the team’s unbeaten record.
“They’re resilient,” Coach Pereira said. “They get down, but they don’t give up. You can go far in this game with that kind of attitude.” The Wildcats will only have to go as far as Dobbs Ferry to play The Masters School tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Defender Nishan Shehadeh works the ball out of the back as teammate James Leake (#11) looks on.
Speedy Cole Price will score one of his two goals against Fieldston as soon as the ball comes down.
