John Jay field hockey players split a pair with Yorktown, Rye

The John Jay field hockey team celebrates a hard-fought overtime victory against Rye on Thursday, Sept. 10. JIM MACLEAN PHOTO

By JIM MACLEAN 

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A tale of two teams on two different days is the best way to describe what happened to the John Jay field hockey team last week. The Wolves hosted Yorktown on Tuesday and two days later, Rye.

Against Yorktown, John Jay was embarrassed as the Huskers dominated, handing the Wolves a 4-0 defeat. Two days later, the Wolves had to host Rye, the same team that eliminated John Jay in the playoff semifinals last year. One day off to bounce back against one of the top teams in the section, and the Wolves responded.

Just like in the playoffs last year, the two teams would take it into overtime. Last year Rye celebrated and advanced to the finals. This time it would be John  Jay celebrating as the Wolves pounced on a corner opportunity in the seven-versus-seven first overtime period. Callan Keeley took the corner from Finja Degl and fired a long shot toward the cage, where Caitlin Brennan was waiting by the Rye goalie, and Brennan got her stick on it to deflect it in for the goal to give the Wolves a 2-1 victory.

“By far the biggest goal of my career, I’ve never played on pads before, I’m usually up top taking the shot, but when I saw the ball coming in I just touched it and it went in the cage,” admitted Brennan. “This was so important. The Yorktown game we were so frantic and not playing together. We knew what we had to do coming in against Rye. Today, it was like we were tied together on a string, moving as a team. The best game we’ve played so far this season.”

Degl had scored during regulation for the Wolves as the two teams battled back and forth all game long. Rye was able to score, but this time the Wolves did not panic and rallied together to force the game into overtime.

With the faster pace of seven-on-seven on a wide-open field, both teams had their chances. John Jay had the first corner but was unable to capitalize. Rye answered with a corner, but John Jay goalie Mckenzie Ryder and the Wolves defense held strong.

That set the stage for Brennan to score the winning goal down the other end to wrap up the victory for John Jay.

“Two different teams showed up,” admitted John Jay coach Debbi Walsh, regarding the difference between the two games for the Wolves. “Overtime, no surprise there against Rye. Today, we played calm. We talked a lot yesterday about the Yorktown game and they realized what they did. The focus on this game was play quarter by quarter. They said at halftime it was the calmest they’ve felt out there. The defense was completely different this game. In a playoff game like this on a corner you have to make it work and they did. That seven-on-seven, they showed up.”

John Jay would have to cut the celebration short after the overtime win as the Wolves were scheduled for another tough test against perennial powerhouse Lakeland on the road on Wednesday. The Wolves then travel to Pelham on Saturday, Sept. 19, before returning home on Wednesday, Sept. 23 to host John Jay of East Fishkill.