John Jay advances with big win over Tappan Zee

We came out fired up.”

Maye Viders

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Tuesday, May 26, John Jay jumped out to an 8-1 lead against Tappan Zee and appeared headed for an easy afternoon. But after the Dutchmen scored three straight goals, Fin Degl knew exactly who could shift the momentum back.

“Maye is just so gritty — especially when the other team has momentum,” said the junior.

Maye Viders responded by leading a fast break that ended the run, scoring to open the third quarter and then controlling a draw that led to a goal by Coco Inglis.

With the game back under control, the Wolves still needed some time to get rolling offensively. The spark began with Viders racing the ball the length of the field before Amelia Inglis took over. She fed Dillon Hill, who drew a penalty and converted to give John Jay a 1-0 lead.

At 6:42, Viders corralled the draw and wasted no time attacking again. On a free-position attempt, the freshman waited for the whistle and found Coco Inglis streaking toward the goal for a 2-0 advantage at 5:03.

Tappan Zee answered by winning the ensuing draw, but the John Jay defense stepped up. Riley McCaffrey handled a one-hopper at 4:44, and Marcela Maurice scooped up a loose ball to send Viders sprinting the other way again.

Viders raced to the goal line before the Wolves settled into their offense. The ball eventually found Coco Inglis, whose pass to the right gave Hill room to accelerate. The midfielder turned on the speed and beat Allison Waitkus to extend the lead to 3-0.

With 1:28 left in the quarter, John Jay struck again. Kaitlyn Condon pushed the ball ahead to Degl off the draw, and Degl dished left to Coco Inglis, who cut across the crease and easily beat Waitkus.

Tappan Zee answered quickly, scoring just 10 seconds later to make it 4-1 with 15.9 seconds remaining. But Condon and Degl immediately responded. Condon controlled the draw and found Degl in nearly the same spot, and the midfielder converted a free-position chance as time expired.

In the second quarter, Viders stayed aggressive. The freshman tracked down a loose ball and started another scoring sequence involving the Brennan family. Working the ball behind the cage, Cait Brennan spotted a cutting Coco Inglis for a goal and a 6-1 lead at 11:35.

Waitkus continued to battle in net for Tappan Zee, stopping close-range attempts from both Viders and Coco Inglis. But Viders eventually broke through, using a pick to score at 7:52 for a 7-1 advantage. Just 27 seconds later, she fed Erin Brennan on the goal line, and the freshman cut to the cage and scored high.

Still, Emily Butler helped keep Tappan Zee alive. Two goals and an assist trimmed the deficit, prompting a timeout as John Jay looked to regroup.

“We came out fired up,” said Viders.

The Wolves responded again, with Viders helping spark another surge while Amelia Inglis and Hill extended the lead to 13-4. The running clock didn’t arrive until the fourth quarter, though.

“This has always been my dream, to play with the older girls,” said Clara Bazaar after scoring to give John Jay a 17-7 lead.

The freshman added another goal off an assist from Erin Brennan and said she appreciated the confidence her teammates have shown in her.

“It’s just an amazing feeling,” Bazaar said.

And the rookie isn’t ready for the season to end anytime soon.

“I feel like we’re going to make it,” Bazaar concluded.