CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Saturday, Oct. 4, the 8-1 John Jay Wolves hosted 8-1 Rye on Contest Field, and after a fierce back-and-forth, the matchup ended in a crushing 3-2 overtime loss for the home team.
It looked as though John Jay had pulled ahead late when Fin Degl’s shot from above the circle slipped past a scrum of sticks and trickled toward the goal. The Rye keeper stepped up to clear it but swung and missed — sending the Wolves into celebration. But the referees quickly waved it off, ruling that the shot came in too directly. Moments later, Rye capitalized, scoring the game-winner with just 59.9 seconds left in overtime.
“Whenever we play Rye, we expect a dogfight, and this game didn’t disappoint,” said Coach Debbi Walsh.
John Jay struck first — and fast. Just 64 seconds in, Callan Keeley took a pass inside from Finja Degl and drove it into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Rye responded with sustained pressure in the first quarter, keeping the ball deep in John Jay’s end. Still, the Wolves’ defense held strong. Laney Daly turned away three attacks, while Kaitlyn Condon and Keeley each broke up key rushes.
Goalie McKenzie Ryder also came up big, stopping a dangerous give-and-go between Issy Mann and Olivia Prata midway through the period.
John Jay capitalized on its limited chances. As the first quarter expired, a penalty corner gave the Wolves one more look. Degl found Condon, who fired home another goal for a 2-0 advantage.
But Rye didn’t flinch. Prata cut the lead in half with a sidewinder at 12:25, and moments later, Beau Whalen converted a backhand shot in traffic to tie the game.
The Garnets nearly took the lead soon after when Robyn Woolsey sent a pass across the crease to Mann, but defender Ciat Brennan came up with a critical stop to preserve the tie.
Ryder stayed sharp, making three of her 14 saves in the second period to keep things even heading into halftime.
Through the third, the same names kept standing tall — Ryder, Brennan, Daly, and Condon — as the Wolves fended off wave after wave of Garnet attacks.
Rye finally broke through in the fourth when Prata struck again, swiping a loose ball in front and finding the back of the cage to even it at 2-2.
John Jay nearly reclaimed the lead with 7:30 left when Catherine Natko sent a cross from the left to an open Degl on the right, but the Rye defense collapsed quickly to deny the chance.
Minutes later, Keeley’s sharp stickwork set up Brennan for a clean look, but her shot sailed just wide.
Then came the heartbreak. A misplayed Rye clearance seemed to gift the Wolves a late goal, but the officials ruled it off. Rye regrouped and took control in overtime, eventually netting the winner.
Despite the loss, Walsh praised her team’s effort. “I’m super proud of how our players showed up and competed,” she said. “But playing hard is not enough in these big games — competing means having the mental toughness to never let down.”
She added, “We’ll keep growing and hopefully compete in the remaining games.”
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