Avalanche Keeps Rolling with 2-1 Victory over Rye Country Day School

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Rye Slideshow

On Tuesday January 28, the Avalanche girls hockey team took to the Brewster Ice Arena and faced Rye Country Day School. They skated to a 2-1 third period lead, and while the outcome was in doubt, the bottom line wasn’t for Abigail Lehr of North Salem. “I would have been happy with a win or a loss, just as long as I’m with the girls I love,” Lehr assured. Just the same, the game still required a decision, and the Avalanche definitely had to sweat it out.

“I was very nervous,” said Kathryn Becker of John Jay, but the girls held on, and had no problem settling for a one goal victory.

A minute in, putting the puck on net for eighth grader Marcela Maurice wasn’t a case of giving in either. “It’s really exhilarating, because even if the puck doesn’t go in, it can always lead to a goal,” said the John Jay Middle School student.

This time, the puck lingered for a tip in, but the visitors got their first. Of course, the offense was not deterred. Francesca Brucato twice crashed the net and kept Rye on notice.

Their goalie Freya Collins especially, she turned away shots by Maurice and Lehr, and the girls were far from done. First Aisling Stathos of Haldane put a great centering pass on Katheryn Lonergan’s stick, Brucato refused to let the puck out of the zone until Lonergan got another hack, and Piper Ackner’s push to the net resulted in a perilous scrum out front for Collins.

Coming away unscathed all three times, the inevitable was only a matter of time. On a dish from Melody Dalmer, Brucato didn’t see a pass to make, so the junior got on the stick. “I decided to shoot, and it went in,” Brucato revealed.

At 6:29, the goal didn’t stand alone for long, and Lehr got it going. “I aimed for the far post, because I knew that was the most likely place that the rebound would pop out front,” said the North Salem student.

There it sat, and Lindsay Smith refused to recline. “She was there just like I thought,” said Lehr of the goal at 4:59

Up 2-0, Rye responded by finally giving Erin Samuelson something to do. Clare Keating and Summer Sisitsky made rushes, and Rye fans rose up in anticipation. But the Avalanche goalie got a glove both times and preserved the two goal lead into the second period.

No Zamboni, the girls came right back and didn’t let up. Sascha Brightman’s perfect pass from the far corner to Becker tested Collins at 14:10, and moments later, Lonergan and Anna Nitti put shots on the Rye goalie.

Among her 32 saves, Collins had Becker admitting to the fits for her team. “It’s definitely frustrating,” said the Wolf.

Backer kept coming anyway. She breeched the blue line with a big rush for one shot, and then after putting a tricky wrist shot on Collins, the John Jay skater reveled in how her fellow Cross River younger did the same. “I love Marcy,” said Becker. “We’re very grateful you have her.”

A sentiment that Maurice appreciates. “The culture here is really fun. So everybody makes me feel safe and that I can do it - even if I make a mistake,” she said.

Collins had no such latitude, but continued to stymie the Avalanche into the third. So a two goal lead the most dangerous in hockey, Samuelson was the prey. Sisitsky got a step into center ice, and with Samuelson in her sights, the net minder showed no signs of rust.

The senior took it off the body and set her offense up the other way. Becker again, the sophomore came straight on, but Collins maintained the status quo.

All the proficiency, the stop gap was soon rewarded. Rye kept the pressure, and Madison French cut the lead in half on the assist of Julie Heintz.

Collins might have watched out for what she wished for, though. The Avalanche completely poured it on over the final 9:54 and gave the goalie barely a moment to gasp.

An onslaught that was business as usual, according to Lehr. “We have a never give up mentality. So no matter what the score is, we keep working until the buzzer,” said the Tiger.

The girls lived up, and as big as moving to 13-3-1 was, the Avalanche recently had a pretty memorable road game. Because of the team’s volunteer work with the New York Rangers, the girls played Rockland at Madison Square Garden. “It was magical,” beamed Becker.

Of course as a Ranger fan, stepping on ice couldn’t completely put aside 100 years of solitude. “Painful, we felt it,” she joked.

That said, the success of the Avalanche rubbing off on the Rangers might be asking a bit too much. So they’ll just have to lead by example, and Brucato laid out the prospects. “This team looks amazing, and I think we’re going to go really far,” she concluded.