The No. 7 Rye Field Hockey team fell short to #2 John Jay-Cross River in the sectional quarterfinals on Tuesday, October 27, ending their hopes at a tournament championship. The Garnets lost 4-1 to the host Wolves and will finish the campaign with an 8-7-1 record and 1-1 mark in postseason play.
“Tessa Zicari had some incredible saves today,” head coach Valerie Montano told MyRye.com. “Cate Puzzuoli also did a great job on defense. In the fourth quarter, she had a great defensive save which helped us keep some momentum.”
Despite the strong efforts from the defensive players, including the senior captain Puzzuoli, the Garnets could not keep up with the relentless JJCR offense. Zicari ended the night with 16 saves in one of her busiest performances of the fall. Kaitlyn Coyne scored Rye’s only tally, assisted by captain Liv Prata.
Rye finishes the 2026 season 8-7-1 with a league championship to their name. They won a playoff game over Brewster and had a five-game winning streak in the middle of their season, which included a victory over Ursuline to clinch the league title on their Play for Pink game. The Garnets can now look ahead to 2027, where they will enter Montano’s third season at the helm hoping to return to the sectional championship game for a second time since 2025.
