By Melanie Cane

 

In a twist of fate, Holy Child opened and closed its field hockey season playing crosstown rival Rye Country Day School, concluding Monday with the NYAISSA playoff final at Columbia University.

 

In both match-ups, Rye Country Day triumphed. The finals practically mirrored the season opener as the Wildcats defeated Holy Child, 7-1, in the State playoff final. (They bested Holy Child, 6-1, in the regular season opener.)

 

RCDS entered the championship game with some big advantages. Namely, they started tournament play in the semis, where they beat Hackley, 5-0, on Sunday. Holy Child, meanwhile, played a tough quarterfinal game on Saturday and an even rougher semi-final game on Sunday. On top of that, the Wildcats were forced to practice inside because of five inches of snow on the field after winter storm Athena. Coach Georgette Summers said that indoor practice prepared the Wildcats for the speed of the artificial turf at Columbia.

 

In Monday’s final, the Wildcats played aggressively from the start, which paid off as Emily Duarte scored first, within the first two minutes of the game. The Gryphons answered quickly: Maddy Fitzwilliam scored off a corner kick by Liz McCooey to Molly Cacase, tying the game 1-1. 

 

Enjoying the best games of their Wildcat career were senior Captain Clare McClintock and Yana Lee, who scored three goals. Duarte also scored her team’s final three goals. Coach Summers praised everyone, saying, “Every member of the field hockey team had a role and they all rose above it. . . and the outcome was spectacular.”

 

Holy Child Coach Barbara Lorys called Rye Country Day “merciless. They just kept scoring. We weren’t much of a threat once the score was 5-1.’’

 

Lorys said she’s proud of the Gryphons: “They played their best, they played with heart, and they never gave up. . . . We went into this game the underdog and had nothing to lose. Hey, second place isn’t too shabby!”

 

It was the fifth State title for the Wildcats, who won in 2004, 2007, 2009, and last fall. Post-deadline, RCDS continued playoff competition against top-ranked St. Marks in the opening round of the New England Tournament at Kingswood-Oxford.