The #1 Rye Boys Soccer team advanced to their third consecutive Section 1 Class A championship game on Wednesday, October 29, as they knocked off Walter Panas 3-1 in the semifinals. Rye held serve at home in their final match of the year at Nugent Stadium thanks to two second half goals to send the Panthers packing.
“The crowd was awesome again tonight, and I think we played a really entertaining brand of soccer,” Head Coach Jared Small told MyRye.com after the game. “We generated a number of scoring opportunities, and the goals we ultimately did score were fantastic. We finished very strong this evening, and our grit and resolve have improved leaps and bounds over these last two weeks.”
The Garnets and Panthers were deadlocked after Panas tied the game at 1-1 in the early stages of the second half, neutralizing Kasen Scarperi’s icebreaker from just five minutes into the match. Not wanting to suffer their first loss when scoring first this season, Rye upped the ante after ceding the equalizer, and Peter Wilmot delivered a perfectly placed strike for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning tally to rewards the team’s efforts. Alec Dodge Terra added an aesthetic insurance marker in the 72nd minute from 20 yards out to put the game out of reach.
“Dodge Terra was electric on the ball and committed on the back press, putting in his finest performance of the season,” Small said of his impressive junior.
Lex Cox earned primary assists on both Scarperi’s and Wilmot’s goals as his offense came alive, and goalkeeper Will Alexander made it stand up with only one goal against and several important saves, gathers, and clears.
#1 Rye is back in the sectional championship game for the third consecutive fall and fourth time overall since 2019. They will have to try to beat #2 Pleasantville for the first time in 2025 after drawing them 1-1 on October 16. The championship match is set for Saturday night (exact time TBD) at Lakeland High School. Replay the semifinal win over Panas here.
