Top-seeded Rye shut out No. 16 Nanuet 5-0 on Saturday, Oct. 24, in the first round of the Section 1 Class A girls soccer playoffs.
Sophomore Harkin Brown led the Garnets with two goals and an assist, according to lohud.com's playoff scoreboard. Junior Hannah Jachman added a goal and two assists. Seniors Charlotte Keenan and Eleanor Pandl each scored once, and senior Shira Rand had an assist.
Goalkeepers Blake Sasse and Mae Haesslein combined for the shutout, making one and two saves respectively. Nanuet's Stella Damiani made 13 saves.
The reigning state champions improved to 15-0-2 on the season, according to the Rye Record. The Garnets used the comfortable margin to give extended playing time to their bench in the second half.
Rye now hosts No. 8 Sleepy Hollow in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Sleepy Hollow advanced with a 3-0 first-round win over Walter Panas, led by Sami Marvin's two goals and an assist.
Rye did not face Sleepy Hollow during the regular season.
Head coach Rich Savage, in his 34th season leading the program, outlined his postseason philosophy in a Rye Record season preview published in September. "One practice and one game at a time," Savage said.
The higher seed won all eight first-round games Saturday, setting up a quarterfinal round that pits the top eight Class A teams against each other. If Rye advances Tuesday, it would host No. 4 Byram Hills or No. 5 Bronxville in the semifinals on Thursday, Oct. 29. Rye beat Byram Hills twice during the regular season by a combined 12-3 margin.
