John Jay Readies for Pleasantville with 1-0 Win over Byram Hills

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On Tuesday October 28, John Jay hosted Byram Hills and Maye Viders knew one thing for sure. “Our defense is very strong. It’s one of the best in the league,” she said, and delivering on this night, one better was all it took to move on to the semis.

Mykel Papa scored ten minutes into the game, and John Jay will take the 1-0 victory to Pleasantville on Thursday.

Viders didn’t wait long to ignite the offense, though. The wing forced a penalty kick on the goal line and teed off. Addressing the ball with Myla Schneider in the fairway, the header clanked the crossbar at 36:36.

Byram got down the field nonetheless and made for the corner too. High John Jay heads having their way, Papa fought her way through the morass and the action reversed fields.

33 minutes to go, the Wolves hemmed Byram in and eventually the ball kicked to an open Lila Baker. At the 30, her loft sailed through the night and came down just wide of the crossbar.

Misplayed by the goalie, Viders was ready to golf again. “It was an insane corner by Maye,” said Papa. “A perfect curve, Audrey (Oestreicher) got her head on it, and I was able to finish.”

In at 30:25, the goal didn’t slow down the wing flight either. On the other side, Kayla Cambareri, chased another ball into the corner two minutes later, and her sheer will added praise to another shot on goal for Baker. “She’s super aggressive and determined to get the ball,” clarified Viders. “She doesn’t give up and beats everyone.”

No surprise, Byram was doing a double take at 25 minutes. More fight on the edge, Viders’ effort had Cambareri singing accolades after Oestreicher put a shot on. “She gets past everyone, never drops her standards,” said the fellow wing, “and picks everyone up.”

The John Jay border patrol didn’t win every battle, though. 21 minutes in, the Byram wing won the battle and moved her team upfield. Even so, the defense had their outsides' backs, and moments later on the clear, Cambareri was causing fits again.

She took a lead pass, barreled past her counterpart and was able to get a centering pass to Carly Mangiaracina. From there, the ball took a high bounce, but the Byram goalie narrowly won the race to the ball.

The Bobcats defense getting a chance to rest, the offense was in play when Jay got whistled for a penalty kick. 17 minutes remaining, the Wolf Pac was more a swarm and poles flipped when Brook Epstein easily played Natalie Cavada’s shot.

Up and away, Abby Mattiello controlled, kicked long and underneath ran Julia Kowalcyzk. She went wide at 12:52, and containing play in the Byram end, so did Oestreicher at 12:07.

Of course, one goal still separated, and the defense aimed to keep it that way. This especially when Oestreicher wanted no part of having a long Bobcat kick make a dent. She came flying forward, and the thud off her head had the equal and opposite directional.

Papa did her teammate one better by kicking long and letting Viders win the sideline for another corner at 4:30. In turn, Mangiaracina centered to Ava Cervantes but the shot on goal gave way to a big almost for Byram. A cross from the bench side had Epstein facing a one v one. Not so fast, the play was whistled offside, and Jay escaped to intermission.

There, the action was more of the same. The defensive swarm kept Byram from any real good chances, and with Viders and Cambareri winning the sidelines, the clock continued to dwindle.

So it was only apt that in the final minute, a high bouncing ball at midfield had Viders skying for control and killing Byram’s last hope. Onto Pleasantville on Thursday, Baker angled for less anxiety. “I feel like a 3-0 win would be good,” she concluded.

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