Lead Stories, Sports

Virus impacts field hockey playoffs

On Saturday afternoon, the Rye field hockey team had just wrapped up a stellar regular season campaign with a 1-0 victory over reigning Class B state champion Bronxville and was eyeing their chance to take part in the regional playoffs. At 10-3, the Garnets were poised to be one of the top seeds in a postseason that would include several of the top Class AA and A programs in the area.

But just a few hours later, Rye found itself on the outside of the playoff picture, as fears over exposure to the coronavirus prompted the team to shut down for the remainder of the year and forfeit its postseason berth.

Players chase down a ball during a game between Rye and Bronxville. Rye will be forced to miss the postseason after positive coronavirus tests in the district prompted the team to undergo quarantine protocol.

Rye head coach Kelly Vegliante said she was made aware of the decision to cancel the season on Saturday night when she learned from athletic director Susan Dullea that her team would not be participating in the playoffs.

“Even heading into Saturday night, the girls keep in contact and there were already rumors swirling,” Vegliante said. “We had been dodging bullets all season, so it didn’t come as a complete shock when I heard from the athletic director, but obviously it was disappointing.”

Rye previously had two starters enter quarantine protocol and would have been without those players for the remainder of the season, but Vegliante said that the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s decision were unrelated to those two players. In fact, the coach’s postgame words to her players on Saturday stressed the importance of strictly adhering to health guidelines and mitigating risk in order to safely get through the postseason.

“The thing we stressed with the girls was staying safe and we said we would see them Monday,” she said. “We knew that the season could come to an end at any time, but it’s still sad because the girls didn’t really get closure.”

The field hockey team is the second squad from Rye whose season has come to a premature end recently, as the boys’ soccer team—which boasted a 7-0-2 record—was also forced into quarantine protocol following a positive test last week.

On Nov. 4, Section I officials announced plans to scrap the annual sectional tournament, opting instead to hold smaller tournaments that would group teams by region and school size. Initially, the Garnets were slated to compete in the Lower Westchester large-school tournament, which was to feature eight area teams.

But a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the state has forced several teams across all sports to shut down their seasons. In addition to the Garnets, Harrison—whom Rye beat 9-0 on Friday— Ursuline and Brewster were also forced to cancel their postseason field hockey plans.

As of press time, the large-school Southern Westchester tournament will feature just four entrants—Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, White Plains and Pelham—and will conclude on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

The Garnets’ last opponent, Bronxville, is still scheduled to compete in the small-school division, where they earned a No. 2 seed. They will enjoy a first-round bye and move through to the semifinals on Nov. 18, when they will play the winner between Irvington and Valhalla.