Sports Wrap-Up: Rye 2010 Winter Sports

The winter sports season just ended this week and teams across at Blind Brook High School, Rye High School and Rye Country Day have worked to improve their records this season, some advancing further in the playoffs while others made it all the way to the championship.

In this winter sports season wrap-up, Rye Patch reflects on the season that was, and looks ahead to what Rye area sports teams need to do to improve next season.

Team: Blind Brook boys basketball. 2009-2010 record, 16-7 before state playoffs.

Season High: Class C and Regional Champion. After winning the gold ball in the Section One Class C Championship, the Trojans confidence sky-rocketed. This led them to a regional championship and a berth in the state final four, but the team lost to Maple Hill in the regional semi-final game on Friday 50-46.

Season Low: Loss to rival Briarcliff High School got the best of the Trojans during a regular season game against the rivals. The team has also had to make late comebacks and pull out a few wins especially in the playoffs.

Standout Player: Lance Freundlich has been a force on the boards throughout the Trojans playoff run. Freundlich has also put points on the board. He was also a defensive threat as well. He was named game MVP when the Trojans won the Class C Championsip.

Strengths: Good Offense. Guard Michael Tomasula has been a nice piece to the puzzle. It was his stellar fast-break team play during the post-season that helped the Trojans advance further in the playoffs and on the verge of winning a championship at the state level. Tomasula's ability to open it up and break away has proved worthy for the Trojans.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Team play. Blind Brook must play a more complete game of basketball next season and not ride just on luck in the final stretch of games. They have done this throughout the second half of the season and need to have more balanced and even game from start to finish, especially against tough opponents.

Team: Blind Brook girls basketball. 2009-2010 record, 9-11.

Season High: Class C semi-final. The Lady Trojans made it to the Section One semi-finals, playing tough against Danielle Fiacco and top-seeded North Salem. The Trojans lost to the North Salem Tigers 43-29, but their advancement in the playoffs this year was marked improvement from last season, when the team only won seven games.

Season Low: The Lady Trojans failed to get over the .500 mark, a goal they attempted to accomplish throughout the season. They reached the milestone several times throughout the season but would experience setbacks.

Standout Player: Jennifer Jond was a great team player for the Lady Trojans. She showed tremendous leadership as a senior. As Blind Brook's floor general, she has come through for her team in pivotal moments this season, hitting three-point shots when her team really needed them.

Strengths: Height. Allison Silfen returning from a leg injury provided
 a much needed height advantage for the Lady Trojans in their push
 towards the playoffs. Team chemistry was very apparent throughout the
 season. Players move the ball around very effectively. Senior guard
 Jennifer Jond dished out several passes and was a great leader as
 floor general. Lea Saliba, Jacqueline Lavitt, Shannon Reddy, or Rachel
 Lumish will probably be expected to pick up right where Jond left off
 next season.

 Areas of Improvement Next Season: The Lady Trojans need to strive to
 exceed the .500 mark. There were several instances where they came
 close to accomplishing this feat but were rarely ever able to break
 it. With the same teamwork and ball movement displayed this season,
 next year's team should be just fine.

Team: Rye Town Harrison Titans (5-15-1)

Season High: The Titans were competitive in many games throughout the season, thought hey lost a come-from-behind game to the Scarsdale Raiders, they shut out the Horace Greeley Quakers in a 7-0 rout.

Season Low: Rye Town had several shots on goal but few of them bounced in their favor. This kept them in games but never over the hump.

Standout Player: Captain Connor Strozza's experience proved vital for a young Titans team that struggled with injuries. There was one point in the season where roughly 13 players were able to play.

Strengths: Good work ethic. The Titans were aggressive throughout many games, going hard on the boards and practicing good defense. The team really focused on playing good hockey.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Players must continue to learn how
 to play as a team. During  season, the Titans had an uneven performance in several games. Titans would play one or two good periods of hockey but not a third. When the Titans play a more complete game with a full roster back from
 injuries, the puck should bounce in their favor.

Team: Rye High School boys basketball (10-11)

Season High: Garnet Head Coach Chris DiCintio followed through on his guarantee that his team would make the playoffs. The Garnets made a final push to lock in a berth thanks to a great work ethic and teamwork all around.

Season Low: Rye made a late push to qualify for the Section One playoffs. As comebacks of this nature, sometimes do, the Garnets came up short.

Standout Player: Center Brendan Nagle made great strides the second half of the season. After a leg injury in a home game against Horace Greeley, Nagle bounced back to lead the Garnets into the playoffs.

Strengths: Defense won games for the team this season. This allowed more points to be scored on the offensive end. Brian Pickup and Connor Smith were forces with many games in double figures.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: It will be necessary for the Garnets to again make the playoffs and make it to the Westchester County Center. The team made it past the first round but then lost in the second round. This cannot happen if the gold trophy is the ultimate goal.

Team: Rye High School Girls Basketball (12-7)

Season High: The Lady Garnets posted a 12-7 record on the season. A winning streak during the last two games of the season was a major contribution for a record over the .500 mark.

Season Low: Loss to Horace Greeley. The Quakers got the best of the Garnets in a six-point loss. Fortunately, this did not affect Rye's playoff chances because the loss was earlier in the season.

Standout Player: Lillian McCabe proved to be instrumental in the Garnets success this season. As a result, the Garnets were runners-up against defending champion Irvington in the Rye Rotary Classic and also made it to the Section One playoffs.

Strengths: Coaching staff. Garnet Head Coach Mary Henwood won her 300th career game as a coach before the Rye Rotary Classic. The Garnets are benefiting from her nearly 25 years of coaching experience.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: The Garnets need to make it to the Westchester County Center next season. Lillian McCabe will be back for her senior year, so she'll be able to contribute to the team's effort.

Team: Rye Garnet Ice Hockey (15-6-2)

Season High: The Garnets won the 2010 Section One Ice Hockey Championship. But they went down in defeat in the Regional Championship 5-3 to Queensbury.

Season Low: A low point of the season was the loss to Queensbury in the Regional Championship on March 6. Every adjustment or strategy Coach Friesen tried just did not seem to work in the Garnets' favor.

Standout Players: Seniors Paul Mundinger and Taka Katsuta led the charge for the Garnets throughout the regular season and their playoff run.

Strengths: No. 3 team in New York State. The Garnets will most likely remain a powerhouse throughout the state of New York. Paul Mundinger and Taka Katsuta are graduating, but other players, like sophomore Ryan Rogers, can potentially fill the void.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: The Garnets will need to come together more as a team. New and existing players will need to step up in order for Friesen's squad to remain a powerhouse in the league.

Team: Rye High School Wrestling (8-10 regular season)

Season High: Sending wrestlers to Sectionals. The Garnets fought hard all season resulting in some wrestlers being selected for sectionals. Only the top four wrestlers in each weight class are eligible.

Season Low: The team's 8-10 record is not indicative of the Garnets performance as a team. Many of the matches were close and could have gone either way.

Standout Player: Will Florio. Florio remained consistent throughout the season from a Triple Meet with Mamaroneck and Harrison to the final regular match of the season against Eastchester.

Strengths: Hard Work. Rye never quit all season. Because of issues at the end of the season with injuries, weight classes had to be switched. However, this did not affect the team's overall performance.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Garnet wrestlers will need to stay off their backs on the mat next season. This was an ongoing issue for the team especially during reversals.

Team: Rye Country Day School boys basketball (17-9)

Season High: The Wildcats were crowned the 2010 New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Champions on March 7. This is the first state championship for the school and also was a good end to a great season. The team also had a 17-9 record overall record this season.

Season Low: Defeat away at Riverdale in second round of Fairchester Athletic League playoffs.

Standout Player: Jason Rogers was a vocal team leader this season. As a senior, he goes out a winner with a state championship in hand.

Strengths: The Wildcats have the ability to come together as a team. They also have an efficient and strategic leader in Coach Vin Minotti.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Now that a state championship is in their hands, the Wildcats will need to win a league title. They will be without Jason Rogers, so other players, like Darren Douglas, Alex Gendelman, and Lowes Moore, will need to step up and lead the way.

Team: Rye Country Day School girls basketball (19-5)

Season High: 2010 New York State Assocation of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Champions. The Wildcats came together as a team and cruised through the state tournament bracket en route to their 38-22 championship victory over Immaculata Academy on March 7.

Season Low: Loss in FAA tournament. The Wildcats suffered a 42-34 loss away at Hamden Hall on February 24. This put a damper on any chance of advancing to the tournaments second round and making a presence in the FAA.

Standout Player: Alexandra Osborn-Jones averaged 16.8 points on the season to go along with an average of 12.5 rebounds. The senior was an all-around team player, which allowed her team to advance further in the playoffs and eventually win a championship.

Strengths: Defense and three-point shooting. The Wildcats are a threat from beyond the arc.  The Binder sisters, Stephanie and Carolyn, are a force on the team. They have great defensive presence and can produce points off of steals.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: The Wildcats will need to develop a new strategy next season as Osborn-Jones is graduating this year, but the Binders will be back. Other players will need to step up and contribute for the defending champions to win the ultimate prize.

Team: Rye Country Day School boys Ice Hockey (10-11)

Season High: Victory over Rival, the King School. The RCDS boys Ice Hockey beat FAA conference opponent King in the second to last game of the season. This was followed by a loss to Brunswick, but the Wildcats showed tremendous poise throughout the season when other players were out with injuries.

Season Low: Consistency. The Wildcats never seemed to ride on a steady winning streak. The team would either win one game, then lose one or win two games, but lose the third. Tough opponents and players' absences may have been factors.

Standout Player: Goalie Omeed Alidadi was key to the Wildcats success this season. He had several key saves against tough opponents including Kents Hill, Brunswick, Kingswood-Oxford, and Rye High School.

Strengths: The Wildcats are a resilient team. A 4-3 overtime loss to Kents Hill shows their ability to battle right down to the wire.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: The Wildcats will need to have more team togetherness. Players were either out with injuries during games or had other prior commitments that prevented them from playing. Good teams win championships when all pieces of the puzzle are together.

Team: Rye Country Day School girls Ice Hockey (7-9)

Season High: Winning two out of three games in the Women's Ice Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic. RCDS finished the season on a high note in the WIHLMA tournament late last month. The Wildcats were also victorious multiple times over the Princeton Day School.

Season Low: The Wildcats started the season 0-3. They also lost their last game of the season and struggled in conference play. This included two losses against Portledge and eventual league champion Morristown-Beard.

Standout Player: Nicole Grosser and Hannah Loewenthal were forces behind the net for the Wildcats. They provided support when opposing offenses were too much for their defense to handle.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Wildcat Ice Hockey needs to get back on track and become a force in the league. Scoring against Morris-town Beard shows that this obstacle can be done. The team has the talent after wins against some tough opponents.

Team: Rye Country Day School wrestling (5-4)

Season High: 5-1 start. The Wildcats began the season with a 5-1 record. Weather cancellations made it difficult for the Wildcats to compete. RCDS wrestlers still performed well, however, in the postseason with three qualifying in the New York, New Jersey qualifier.

Season Low: Loss to cross-town rival Rye High School Garnets. It was a close match but in the end, the Wildcats came up short losing 40-38 overall against the Garnets.

Strengths: The 171, 189, and 285 weight classes are strong ones for the Wildcats. This is a good mixture that provides depth throughout the match. It will be important to keep this up next season especially with key players graduating.

Areas of Improvement Next Season: Nwakeze will be graduating, so other wrestlers will need to step to the plate and perform well on the mat to fill this void, especially in the 285 weight class, or the team will have to forfeit the weight at least a few times.