John Jay Moves to Semis with 2-1 Victory over Yorktown

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On Tuesday October 28, John Jay hosted Yorktown in the quarterfinals of the sectionals. Their second meeting in ten days, Yorktown was looking for revenge after falling in an 1-0 overtime thriller. So taking an early 1-0 lead seemed like a pretty good idea but not according to Catherine Natko.

“That just made us want to fight more,” she said, and after the junior tied the score later in the period, the Wolves made good with a 2-1 victory.

Yorktown began by forcing a couple of penalty corners, and the returns were just as quick. The pass came across to Lilly Diaz, and her ground ball rolled all the way through for a 1-0 lead at 12:16.

From there, the teams battled to a stalemate until Kaitlyn Condon intercepted a pass at midfield. She passed right to Callan Keeley and the forward’s push into the crease had both teams on scramble. A free shot resulting, Keeley received the first pass and threaded a lead into Logan Bueti. She put a shot on goal, and on the rebound, Natko knocked it in at 5:31.

John Jay looked like they would take the lead before the quarter expired too. After the Wolves sent the Huskers on scramble in the crease, a penalty corner was awarded and Cait Brennan almost rang true. She took the entry pass and rocketed a projectile off the post.

Closing the quarter, the teams went back to not giving any ground. John Jay could attest first hand. Condon wound up and reached the box with her shot but was ruled outside the circle.

Of course, McKenzie Ryder and the defense still had work to do. At the end line, the John Jay goalie had the kick save on Marisa Rachiele’s shot and Ryder let her defense do the rest. “I trust my defense 100%,” she said. “I know they are going to do whatever it takes to get the ball out.”

Brennan twice making the clear on this sequence, McKenzie extended the confidence to herself on two more saves before the half ended. “If they can’t, it comes down to me and trusting my ability,” she said.

Onto the third period, McKenzie still had to shine. At 13 and ten minutes, penalty corners had the Wolf making a pair of stops, but at 9:45, a little help was accepted. A penalty shot rolled all the way through, and the post did the rest.

Then it was Jay’s chance to near miss. On the inbound, Harper Christian found Finja Degl at midfield, and a quick touch pass put the ball on the stick of Keeley. The junior stick handled through a sea of white and gave back to an open Degl on the goal line. Degl’s pass went in front at nine minutes, but the ball ended up rolling through the crease without a stick connection.

90 seconds later, the offense was back. Degl got a steal at the Yorktown 30 and slashed a backhanded chip. Going wide, Christian still didn’t relent, and her steal on Yorktown’s attempt to advance afforded more chaos. The defender got the ball to Bueti in the middle, but her push went out of bounds before Degl could redirect on the goal line at 7:05.

John Jay kept coming anyway. Starting with another Christian stop on the Yorktown side, Keeley ended up with the ball on the goal line at six minutes. Unfortunately, her pass out front didn’t find a stick

No problem, Keeley kept at it. This time Degl broke up a play at midfield, and Christian cleaned up. She got the ball ahead to Keeley, and carving up the chasing Yorktown defense had Degl in awe. “I love watching her play. She’s just insane. I wish I could tell you how she does it,” boasted the junior. “The way she moves, nobody knows.”

Keeley wasn’t done either. A little space, she got the ball to Bueti who put the pass on net and Keeley was there for the rebound.

2-1 with 1:44 to go, John Jay was 17 minutes from the semifinals. Still, Yorktown pressed on - especially Rachiele. She forced two penalties corners, but Brennan was there both times to stop her.

The third time wasn’t the charm either. This time Degl took the ball out of the air with her stick, and now the clock was down to 9:23.

Things did get a little tenuous with three minutes to go, though. Another penalty corner, Ryder made a sliding kick save, and from there, Jay kept Yorktown contained until one final charge. Condon had the clear, and the finality had the goalie puckering. “I wanted to give her a big fat kiss,” joked Ryder, and the win leaves Pleasantville on Thursday.

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