Rye Boys Varsity Soccer MVP: Goalkeeper Aydan Breen
On a team with several key contributors, Rye Boys Varsity Head Coach Jared Small chose senior keeper Aydan Breen as his 2024 MVP. Here’s what Small had to say about his steady starting goalie:
“Aydan put together a strong senior season and saved some of his best play for when it mattered the most. He posted consecutive clean sheets in the round of 16 and the [sectional] quarterfinals to lead us to 1-0 wins over Pelham and Lakeland, respectively. He then put together a winning performance in our 2-1 semifinal win at Byram Hills, displaying strength in the air to deal with a number of potentially dangerous corner kicks and long throw-ins. He then helped lead us to just our second sectional championship since 1979 and second in the past 5 seasons… Aydan’s vocal leadership in training was also critical to our team’s continued focus and improvement over the course of the season.
“Among Aydan’s many strengths is his shot stopping ability. His distribution improved significantly over the course of the season, and in those moments when we chose to not build out of the back, we were able to rely on Aydan to punt the ball 10-15 yards past midfield, a really solid distance for a high school goalkeeper.”
Rye was exceptional in close games this fall, and Breen was a big reason why. As Small noted, he saved his best for the playoffs, where he allowed four goals in five games – three of which came against a high-powered Ardsley offense in the sectional championship, an 8-3 win for Rye.
Small continued to sing praises for Breen, especially in regards to his future: “Aydan has a few pending offers from D3 college programs, and I think he has barely begun to scratch the surface of his potential. With continued training and input from great college-level coaches, he should be in line to become the 5th Rye High School boys goalkeeper in the past 7 years to play at the D3 or D1 level.”
