RHS Girls Soccer Injuries Plague Valiant Effort

RHS Girls Soccer
Injuries Plague Valiant Effort

– By Melanie Cane –

Despite having lost eight of its nine starters to graduation, the Garnets began their first fall season on a tear. The attack was spearheaded by the unstoppable scoring power of sophomore Alex Rimmer and senior Co-Captain Caitlin McGowan.

“We trained extremely hard over the summer to learn to work together, and it showed,” said Head Coach Rich Savage of the team’s early success.

With their early success, (Rye started 3-0) came great expectations. Unfortunately, however, Caitlin McGowan suffered a tear in a knee ligament in game six against Pelham, sidelining her for the rest of the season. This devastating injury was only the beginning of a long string of maladies that beset the team, as Rimmer and seniors Molly Lyons, Ariana Bedoya, Aileen Lonergan, Jennifer McHugh and Kimberly Thevenet all were bit by the injury bug. This left only three healthy starters by the end of the season – Co-Captain Margaret Watson, Samantha Felder, and goalie Kelsey Hanley.

But the battered and bandaged team with heart forged ahead behind the leadership of Watson, who according to Coach Savage, “Did an excellent job of controlling the ball on the field,” and Samantha Felder, “Who did a very good job and worked extremely hard.”

Injured players aside, the hardest loss came in the last game of the regular season against Eastchester, losing 1-0 to a team in a game that was downright dirty by anyone’s standards.

Despite injuries, they made it to Sectionals and approached their first Sectional game (against Valhalla) optimistic and enthusiastic. They had a strong first half defensively and went into halftime with a 1-0 lead on a Rimmer goal.

“Unfortunately,” said Savage, “we started the second half slowly with a defensive let down,” as Valhalla scored two goals in the first five minutes. Rye then turned up the pressure; Patricia Brunner tied the game with an assist from Rimmer, but it wasn’t enough as Valhalla snuck one more by them to make it a 3-2 loss for Rye.

After the game, Savage had nothing but praise for his players whom he said “Overall worked very hard and did well.” He added that, “All the returning players are already excited about next season.”

Perhaps departing senior Jennifer McHugh summed it up best; “I’m sad the season’s over, but we mixed and played well together, and it was a great way to start the school year.”