John Jay Reaches Regional Finals with Victories over Rye and Schuylerville

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After defeating Somers pretty handily last Tuesday, John Jay arrived in Nyack on Friday May 26 for the Section One finals, and the game began on script. JoJo Degl got the ball up in the air, Mia Puccio chased it down and Degl was soon on a b-line for the goal. Unfortunately, the middie shot high, and before anyone could really gather the anomaly, third seeded Rye had a 3-0 lead. So Annabelle Brennan put the early outburst in perspective, and the blueprint was laid out for the Wolves fifth straight Sectional Championship.

“Alright, that was their turn, now this is ours,” the senior expressed the team's mindset, and victory came home in a 10-8 thriller.

The early lead and fierce back and forth wasn’t simply a matter of offense, and Degl was the first to find out after missing the first shot. She weaved in front, and Kareena Chader made the first of many great saves.

Rye scooped up the ball, set up, and after Jane Brennan was whistled, MacKenzie Chimento scored.

No reason to panic at 21:16, midfield awaited the mandatory reset. Rye won the ball, though, and when Della Goodman juked her way out front, she was still able to shoot through four defenders for a 2-0 lead at 20:53.

A draw win now seemed a necessity, but Lillian Whaling wasn't obliging. She ran down her own tussle, and then scored on the penalty shot with 19:39 left in the half.

Nonetheless, the girls calmly walked up the field, and Coach Jess McDonough had history to justify reaction. “They never get rattled. They are always so composed,” she said. “So yeah, they were down, but they’re never really down.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you have Mia Puccio darting about. She got the first stick on Degl’s draw, and at the end of a 30 yard scrum, the Dartmouth commit explained why she was the last again. “If you don’t have the hustle, you’re not going to have possession, and that’s how you’re going to lose,” Puccio clarified.

That doesn’t mean Chader suddenly became a pushover. First she denied Puccio on penalty shot, and turned away a perfect pass play to Brennan from even closer.

The defense stayed on point anyway, and a turnover allowed Puccio to finish the job. She swung right and her overhead from the crease got the Wolves on the board at 16:21.

A 3-1 game, Brennan did the honors on Degl’s draw this time. She picked up the ball, and scored on a penalty shot to get within one.

Under 15 minutes left, Rye took their turn, and Goodman put a double take on the Wolves. She again danced to the forefront, and beat Molly Gallagher to make it 4-2 at 14:18.

So another crucial draw ahead, Amelia Inglis went all Mia Puccio on the next loose ball. She refused to be denied with black jerseys all about, and after setting up, Puccio stepped in to play herself. Puccio received Brennan’s pass on the penalty shot and went under the crossbar to pull within one.

Then Gallagher took her turn. After Whaling won the draw, her shot caught the goalie’s stick and the high bounce put Degl on the run. Pulling up, Puccio did the rest, and a swing left made enough space for her to tie.

The run showed no immediate signs of stopping either. Shannon Nolan dumped a perfect pass into Brennan, and if the crowd was ready to celebrate, they forgot about Chader.

The Garnet got a stick on and Mckenzie turned defense into offense. Recapturing the lead on the penalty shot, Rye fell back on their goalie again.

Another Rye penalty, Chader denied Degl from the 12 and a possession change later, Puccio was the Wolf sent away wagging. The middie worked into space above the crease, and Chader masterfully employed her catcher.

No surprise, the offense responded, and Caroline Doyle scored to increase the lead to two. Only 1:39 left in the half, the momentum looked like it would follow Rye into intermission.

Sorry, Puccio still had a say. First she grabbed the draw out of the air, and her calm meander behind the goal engaged a long tested clairvoyance. “It’s kind of like telepathy. We can read each other,” said Puccio, and on alert, Brennan received the assist for a 6-5 game.

Fifty-three seconds to go, Puccio was on the receiving end of the draw again. But the All-American let Degl circumvent the goal, and she found Nicole DiNapoli to close the half in a tie.

Even so, Doyle scored first, and a switch in goal still gave John Jay fits. Degl’s rush downfield left her point blank, but Katherine Ebeling ate it up just the same.

Unfazed on the other end, Gallagher made lunch meat of a penalty shot by Lillian Whalen, and from there, John Jay didn’t look back. Brennan tied the game at seven on the penalty at 19:14, and then showed she’s not exclusive with Puccio.

Nolan lofted a perfect pass over the defender stick and into Brennan netting. Ebeling had no chance, and the go ahead goal had the senior boasting that John Jay is no two woman show. “Everyone one this team is doing it for everyone,” assured Brennan. “I can look to my left, I can look to my right, and I have confidence.”

As for Rye, they needed to look up. Ella Buckley’s pass was picked off by a leaping Puccio, and Brennan knocked the Garnets off their feet. On the set up, she swung right, and her overhead made it 9-7 with 15:02 remaining.

A long way to go, Doyle made it seem even longer when she scored at 7:36. The game obviously up in the air, Puccio brought the gravity by securing yet another draw. So Rye attempted to elevate by pulling their goalie. In response, Puccio simply ran through the double team, and there was 5:41 to kill.

There was no quit in the Garnets, though, and Whaling ran down another draw. But trying to spin away from the defender, Doyle lost the ball.

Jane Brennan picked it up and the Wolves smelled victory. Not so fast, Inglis could not handle a short hop from Brennan and breathing easy still had to wait another 3:35.

Fortunately, Meghan Condon sped up the process. The defender had the read on a pass into the crease and intercepted at 2:30.

In chase, Rye forced one last turnover with a minute to go. But pressure forced a long pass, and Jane Brennan’s easy pickup wasn’t as notable as the presence to look for the open player. She found her sister, and the ending exemplified the composure that always lets McDonough rest easy. “I have all my faith and trust in these girls,” she said. “I knew they were going to do it.”

A win left John Jay hoping to avenge last year’s regional loss to Schuylerville and 90 Fahrenheit definitely didn’t cool the May 31 matchup in Queensbury. Neither did Meredith Montgomery’s goal at 23:50, and there was also no solace in quickly seeing another tough goalie.

On the second draw, Brennan set up Puccio right in front, and Bayley Duffy made no bother of the save. A turnover would get John Jay going, though, and Puccio provided the spark. Drawing a penalty, she dished left Degl, and the sophomore beat Duffy at 19:10.

The face to Jay, the possession had Puccio pass up an empty net, Nolan missing a pretty large opening too and Brennan hitting the post. No problem, Finja Degl forced a loose ball, and back the other way, Condon got the Wolves on their horse.

Nolan would take her typical pole position on the right and waited for her favorite front runner. Brennan cut, Nolan lofted and the senior was a sure thing again.

A 2-1 game at 15:13, Puccio didn’t try to blend in on the draw. Clashing against all the white jerseys, she took one on chin and secured a power play.

Even so, Nolan went solo. The attacker paused on the right and unleashed for a two goal lead.

The next two draws went to Schuylerville, though, and so did the goals. All tied, another draw went the other way, and Gallagher needed to be on her game. On the wrap-around, Kendra Ballard’s underhand was stopped, and then Kady Duffy got the same treatment with 11:12 remaining.

Two the limit, the defense forced a turnover, and the tie fell prey to patience and perfect timing. Brennan inconspicuously held the ball at the 20, and set the defense on standby. Locked in, Nolan suddenly cut across the crease and Brennan let fly. Easy pickings, Nolan went overhand for a 4-3 game.

A draw later, the passing game engaged again. Puccio caught Brennan in stride to the goal, and a two goal lead seemed certain. Not quite, Duffy got the deflection so John Jay changed it up. This time, Nolan waited from the 15, flipped into Kayla Shapiro, and she made it 5-3 at 8:27.

Nonetheless, Duffy’s play didn’t allow the game to get away, and the waning seconds put John Jay on edge. On the penalty, Kaitlyn Barton wound up and beat Gallagher for a 5-4 game.

Schuylerville took the draw after intermission, and Gallagher got more of the same. Ballard had another wrap around denied, and Kady Duffy’s underhand did no better. A rising shot, Gallagher took the ball off her body, and Degl broke out her treasure map. X marking the spot, she found Brennan in front, and the lead was two again.

21:15 left, Schuylerville kept pace, and the fourth time was the charm. Ballard came around from the back, and sidearmed the goal.

The Wolf was poked, though. Nolan to Brennan at 16:08, and Brennan to Nolan to Puccio opened an 8-5 lead with 15:43 remaining.

All business, the girls confidently walked up field, but Schuylerville wasn’t done. After losing the draw, the Black Horses forced a turnover, and Ballard went sidearm to keep the game in reach at 14:23.

Kaitlyn Barton then won the draw, and the margin got even narrower. But a blind pass by Kady Duffy went high, and Finja Degl got the scoop.

Gathering themselves, Jane Brennan, Puccio and Nolan played long distance. Brennan hit Puccio ahead in stride, she immediately connected with Nolan, and trailing the play, Puccio stepped into Nolan’s pass back for a 9-6 lead.

Done playing around, Brennan and Puccio put on the finishing touch. Brennan did a two step at the 20 and set the trap. Puccio had the read, she received and pulled the trigger for a 10-6 lead. 10:30 to go, John Jay played ball control and won a berth in the next round at Goshen on Saturday.