CHAPPAQUA — Many years in the past, the Yankees had a aid pitcher named Steve Hamilton.
If now not remarkable, the tall, lanky lefty used to be no less than very cast.
But there used to be remarkable factor about Hamilton. It used to be his highly-entertaining/crowd-pleasing and, somewhat frequently, extremely efficient “folly floater.”
That used to be a pitch that during many ways resembled a high-arc, slow-pitch softball — most effective overhand and with quite a bit extra arc.
Nina Byrne does not throw it.
But, somewhat accidentally, the Horace Greeley sophomore box hockey participant scored Wednesday off one thing very similar to Hamilton’s folly floater (AKA eephus pitch). That took place when her shot off a Greeley penalty nook richocheted off a Mamaroneck defender’s stick and went, alley-oop, up, up and over Tiger keeper Daniella Maresca and into the again of the web.
That unscripted, first-quarter purpose proved to be the one rating as host Greeley knocked off Mamaroneck 1-0.
What it approach
Greeley, a crew that used to be possibly a bit of afloat itself originally of the season as a perfect unknown with 3 newcomers and just one senior beginning, is now starting to carve out an surprising identification — that of dragon slayer.
Mamaroneck entered the sport ranked No. 1 through The Journal News/lohud.
Greeley, which a few weeks in the past tied then-No. 1 Scarsdale 1-1, is ranked No. 4.
But, like Byrne’s shot, the Quakers’ rating will virtually go with the flow upward.
Player of the sport
As the rating signifies, Greeley’s protection — thus far, arguably, the world’s easiest — used to be a drive Wednesday.
It recorded more than one steals and interceptions and allowed few photographs to achieve its goalie, even on Tiger penalty corners.
But it used to be Byrne, who stood out each offensively and defensively together with her high-octane, four-quarter play. That most sensible recreation honors.
By the numbers
Horace Greeley (11-1-2) — Dani Halperin had the help on Byrne’s purpose. Quaker keeper Meredith Dalrymple earned the shutout, preventing 3 photographs. Greeley had a 9-7 penalty-corner merit and at one level had 4 consecutive corners however got here away empty. Among the more than one avid gamers who stood out for Greeley on protection used to be freshman Eve Rutman, who had a couple of large stops within the circle. Included used to be a first-quarter forestall of a nook shot, adopted through select of a pass go in entrance of her web. Stephanie Novick additionally had a key defensive forestall off a fourth-quarter Tiger nook. Greeley survived two man-down scenarios of 2 mins every in that ultimate quarter.
Mamaroneck (10-2) — Tiger goalie Daniella Maresca, who had 0 likelihood of preventing Byrne’s purpose, used to be credited with two saves. Carlie Spano had some sturdy offensive moments, together with within the 3rd quarter when she went round 4 Quaker defenders, which ended in a loose hit and, due to this fact, a penalty nook. A shot off the nook used to be deflected simply extensive left.
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They stated it
“They’re excellent. They are the team to beat,” Mamaroneck trainer Trish Miller stated of Greeley. “They wanted the game. (Early in the game,) they beat us to every ball.”
But, as just right as Greeley used to be, Miller stated, whilst her crew “didn’t play horrible,” it additionally “didn’t have a great day.”
“We’re not capitalizing on the opportunities given to us. We were getting corners. We have to get better.,” she stated.
“We really have hard practices and games. I think that pays off — all the work,” Byrne stated.
Of her crew seeming in sync during the sport, Byrne defined, “All of us play together outside (the high school team). That really helps us come and play together as a singular unit.”
“I think we were up and down but after Scarsdale, they really stepped up,” Greeley trainer Sukhi Sandhu stated of his avid gamers. “They’re thinking, ‘We’re not a a low level.’ They’re stepping up more.”
Up subsequent
Both groups are scheduled to play Friday.
Greeley will play at Ossining at 4:30 p.m. and Mamaroneck is slated to go back and forth to Ursuline, additionally for a 4:30 p.m. get started.
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, observe & box, box hockey, snowboarding, ice hockey, women lacrosse and different carrying occasions for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at each @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.