John Jay Falls in Section Finals

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Rye Slideshow

On Wednesday May 29, top seeded John Jay faced Rye in the Section One Finals. At Yorktown, the Wolves took a quick 2-0 lead, and a game of runs continued. But unfortunately, John Jay did not cross the finish line first.

The Garnets scored seven of the next eight goals, and despite a three goal spurt that followed for the boys, Rye took the title by a score of 11-7.

The game began with a disappearing act of sorts. After Rye got hit with a penalty, Luca Duva shot from the left and up went the middie’s hands. But the ball wasn’t in the back of the net. Ty Ramachandran’s deflection wasn’t located until the goalie found the ball tucked in his jersey.

Back the other way, Blake O’Callaghan was more straightforward when Henry Shoemaker swung a sidearm. The John Jay goalie got low, blocked with his body and snatched the loose ball with his catcher.

Moments later O’Callaghan stopped another lowball, and a near miss was next. Andrew Kiefer forced his way forward and slammed one off the post at 7:12.

Two more great saves followed for O’Callaghan, and for the moment, Ramachandran did not measure up. After the Garnet picked up Brendan Corelli’s loose ball in the crease, his little flip forward was deflected, and Duva had the scoop. Right out front, he easily found the net for a 1-0 game.

At 6:08, Rye took the face-off. But Chris Iuliano’s shot was deflected by Callaghan, and John Jay was closest to the ball. Possession granted, Kiefer muscled his way left through a double team, hit Duva on the side, and his shot gave the Wolves a 2-0 lead at 5:02.

Ramachandran didn’t let the game get away, though. He made a big point blank save on Luke Bueti and then took the ball to midfield. Passing off, the favor was returned by O’Callaghan, and now matching up, Ramachandran remained in denial.

Duva took a long pass downfield, and the subsequent stop turned defense into offense. This time Ramachandran finally gave the ball up past midfield, and Shoemaker took it from there. Set up from behind, the attacker forced his way forward and underhanded the ball past O’Callaghan at 10:02.

A 2-1 game, Ramachandran would preempt the tie. A kick save on Bueti, the misdirection cued up the offense, and Paddy Harrigan scored from the left at 8:05.

Not relenting yet, John Jay got the ball on a crease penalty, and Kiefer made the most of the mistake. He circumnavigated to the left and landed an over the shoulder burner at 4:05.

The final lead for John Jay, and it didn’t last long. The Wolves were called for a moving screen, and on the turnover, Iuliano received at midfield for his jaunt. Charging hard and making the cuts, he went straight on for a 3-3 score at 3:25.

Three more on the way, two turnovers and a face off win paved the way. Strips by Matt Gianetti and Iuliano led to goals by Henry Gilroy and Tucker Hess, and Wilson Redd’s win in the middle had him cruise right in.

Thirty-three seconds in all, the Wolves hoped the intermission would alter fate. But the ball bounced the other way. In the opening minute, O’Callaghan stopped Shoemaker's windmill from the side and up went the ball.

Unfortunately, O’Callaghan lost sight, and Carson Miller batted the ball in. Five straight goals, Dom Savastano dug down and answered with resolve. “I looked up at the scoreboard,” he said. “It was 7-3, and I knew I needed something.”

He won the draw and barreled down the middle. No stopping, he fired away and brought John Jay within three.

At 10:10, Savastano rode his own momentum and fired away after a second straight win. Wide this time, his teammates took it from there, and it was Kiefer shouldering the motherlode. The middie swung left and got leveled as his shot beat Ramachandran at 9:14.

Two penalties were called, and John Jay set up again. A work around that had Justin Shapiro hit Bueti at the point, and he fired in for a 7-6 game.

8:53 left in the third, Savastano remained on the stick, and Kiefer would pick up his teammate’s play back. But unfortunately, Ramachandran was still in goal. Duva was lined up on the left, and the Rye goalie made easy work of the ten yard projectile.

No surprise, the offense took the cue, and this time Tyler McDermott received the lumps. Doubled teamed on the goal line, he muscled his way from the sideline and came front and center with O’Callahan.

The one on one went to McDermott, and the deciding run for Rye began. A Jay turnover resulted in Shoemaker’s goal at 4:30, and Ryan Slomsky’s goal was preempted by yet another Ramachandran save.

The goalie also closed the quarter on Kiefer’s swing left, but the senior was undeterred. He opened the fourth with a spin move to make it 10-7, and Altneu’s scoop on the draw made another run seem possible.

Not to be, another turnover sent the ball back the other way, and Rye made the top seed pay. From the right, Will Niejadlik hit Harrigan cutting from the other side, and his overhand made it 11-7.

9:14 remaining, Ramachandran continued to frustrate, and Coach Mike Bocklet could only provide summation. “I’m super proud of what they did and how they practiced day in and day out,” he said. “Obviously we would have liked to have won the last one.”

Dom Savastano felt the same. “I wish we could have finished with a W,” said the senior who finished with over 700 draw victories.

On the other hand, his experience as a Wolf has been a total winner. “It really meant a lot to come out here for four years and dedicate blood, sweat and tears,” he concluded.