The top-ranked Rye Boys Soccer team took care of business against #16 Ardsley on Friday, October 23, as they trounced the visiting Panthers 8-0. The Garnets’ sectional title defense got off to a blistering start in their first postseason game in front of a large and very pleased crowd at Nugent Stadium.
“We came out buzzing and had terrific energy from the start,” head coach Jared Small told MyRye.com. “It started up front with some relentless work from the front line, and it carried all the way through our defenders and goalkeeper. Total team effort tonight, and pretty awesome to have 27 players into a playoff match.”
Small emptied his bench to start the second half after the Garnets leapt to a 6-0 lead at the break. Connor Dehmer opened his postseason account with an early natural hat trick thanks to a breakaway goal, a header off a set piece from Kasen Scarperi, and a header via a Peter Wilmot corner kick.
Dehmer later set up Felix Wismer for the fourth goal of the half after a beautiful sequence of passing created the chance. Sam Collins, Wismer again, James Hayashi, and Keegan O’Brien all scored as well to complete the upright infinity symbol. Even with the Garnets substituting out all of their starters for the second half, they continued to hog possession and lock down the defensive side of the game.
“We picked up our level in training and had some important team workshops in the buildup to tonight’s match,” Small said postgame. “I think everyone on the squad knows that tonight’s performance is directly correlated to the effort we applied to our preparation.”
#1 Rye (16-0-1, 1-0 postseason) hosts either #8 Pearl River or #9 Byram Hills in the second round of the sectional tournament. The Garnets have not yet played the Pirates this season and own a 2-0 record against the Bobcats after a pair of regular season shutout wins.
