To both teams, I apologize for the late post on this game.

For the second consecutive year Rye Country Day School and Holy Child played for the New York State Association of Independent Schools championship with this title going to RCDS, 1-0.

Last year, Holy Child defeated RCDS, 1-0 on a Laura Hudson goal with two seconds remaining to give Holy Child coach Barbara Lorys a second state title. Lorys guided Rye Neck to the 1998 Class D state championship.

Kim Cunningham scored on a penalty corner at the 15:32 mark of the first half. Cunningham also scored on a penalty corner, to give RCDS a 1-0 lead, in the teams’ Fairchester Athletic Association semifinal last Tuesday.

Once Cunningham gave RCDS a lead, the defense and senior goalie Jessica Ostrau went to work, especially in the second half.

RCDS controlled play in the first half, but Holy Child responded and came out charging in the second half. The Gryphons were much more aggressive and this resulted in more penalty corners.

Holy Child generated five, three of which resulted in excellent shots, only to have Ostrau stand tall. On Holy Child’s third corner of the second half, RCDS cleared the circle, but Mairead Kennelly carried back in and ripped a shot that Ostrau kicked out.

On successive corners in a 25-second span with six minutes remaining in the game, Ostrau stopped two lasers from Charlotte Tierney. The second one was targeted for the lower left-hand corner of the net, but Ostrau was ready, kicking out her right leg and having the shot bounce off.

RCDS senior and fellow tricaptain Annie Thomas said it best following the game about her fellow tricaptin, goallie and good friend, “Jess is amazing!”

The RCDS defense of Amanda Cole, Alexandra Boillot and Thomas played the majority of the second half without Zoe Parker, who injured her left hand. Rebecca Sackler stepped in and did a great job with Thomas, Cole and Boillot.

Congratulations to RCDS, which also won this title in 2004, on a great season. All soft-spoken, well-liked and underrated RCDS coach Georgette Summers does annually is produce winning teams and excellent players.

And let me not forget a congratulations to Holy Child for another outstanding season. Holy Child coach Barbara Lorys and assistant coach Cheryl (Condro) O’Shea (whose sister Tricia Miller is the Mamaroneck varsity assistant0 were Rye Neck field hockey teammates playing for coach Gail Stevenson. Lorys and O’Shea have done an outstanding job with this program. In four years, this dynamic tandem has guided a once dormant program to a state championship and state final. The best part is that Lorys and O’Shea are two of the nicest people you could ever meet.