The #1 Rye Boys Lacrosse team once again rode a hot offense to a Class C semifinal victory over #4 Tappan Zee on Friday, May 30, winning 18-5 on home soil. Rye’s utter domination has them within one win of their sixth consecutive sectional championship.
Tyler McDermott (four goals, two assists), Will Niejadlik (four goals, one assist), and Charlie Brady (three goals, one assist) all scored hat tricks to lead Rye’s prolific attack. Colton Strazzini and Carson Miller both potted two to round out the multi-goal cohort, while Tucker Hess (goal, four assists) shined with his playmaking. Matt Giannetti and Chris Iuliano also scored a point apiece.
Rye trailed for several sretches in the first quarter, but ended the frame with a 5-3 lead and stretched that to 11-3 before halftime and 17-3 after 36 minutes. They were once again able to empty the bench in the fourth quarter. Normal teams don’t have that luxury in many, if any, regular season games, let alone the postseason, but Rye Boys Lacrosse is not normal.
The Garnets’ biggest challenge awaits, however, as Steve Lennon and his group clash with #2 Somers in a highly anticipated championship game on Tuesday, June 3. The matchup between two undefeated teams (in Section 1 play) begins at 6:30pm at Yorktown High School. The Tuskers are coming off two blowout wins of their own, including a 20-8 score over #3 Pearl River in the other semifinal matchup from Friday. It will be cinema.
Watch the win over Tappan Zee here. Watch the championship game here (note: a SportsEngine account is required to view).
