Who Else? Zion Lifts Boys Soccer with Late Goal
Kaden Zion’s 15th goal of the 2024 season could not have come at a better time for the Rye Boys Varsity Soccer Team. Their star player delivered a signature moment with his late goal against Pelham in round one of the Class A Sectional Tournament, propelling Rye to the second round. Zion’s strike deflected off the Pelicans’ goalie and into the net with just 4:12 remaining in regulation time, and it stood as the only goal, as Rye won 1-0.
“[It was] a fantastic game winner from Kaden – exactly what we needed from our top striker with the match hanging in the balance,” Head Coach Jared Small told MyRye.com in his postgame report. “Aydan [Breen] put some great range on the punt, and then Kaden took over from there.”
Breen, who picked up the shutout, can tell friends and family about his deep punt that turned into an assist in his first senior year playoff game, although official scorekeepers may be more hesitant to give him credit. Regardless, he booted a well-placed punt, which Zion collected off a defender before working his magic on an incredible individual effort.
Offense was hard to come by for either team in the game – at the end of 80 minutes, the two schools combined for just six shots. Fouls were aplenty, with Small estimating the total number of calls was about double an average game. It was chippy and choppy, and the playoff intensity was out in full force.
“On a day in which we struggled to develop a rhythm, it was rewarding to see the guys will themselves to a win,” Small said. “That was a hard fought clean sheet and we look forward to a challenging match with Lakeland on Tuesday evening.”
#4 Rye, now 12-4, advances to the second round of their bracket. Their round two match against #5 Lakeland is on Tuesday, October 29, at Nugent Stadium – start time is still TBD. The Hornets are coming off a 2-0 victory over #12 Eastchester.
Watch the round one win vs Pelham here (Zion’s goal comes at about 1:36:45). View the Section 1 Class A Tournament bracket here.
