Coach Debbi Walsh Notches 100th Win with John Jay Field Hockey

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - After losing a tough 1-0 game to Lakeland on Oct. 6, John Jay was back on Contest Field on Monday. And the Wolves took no time to sulk, according to Coach Debbi Walsh.

“It was nice to watch the girls continue to play at an elevated level against Hen Hud,” she said after the 7-0 victory. But there was more at stake for the girls than just bouncing back.

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“She is the most impressive coach I’ve ever had,” said Jojo Degl of Walsh, and reaching 100 wins on this night went a long way to backing up the boast.

The game started early with a penalty corner for John Jay. Finja Degl made the entry pass, the ball came back, and the sophomore wasn’t quite able to stuff it in.

No problem, as John Jay was back soon enough. On the inbound, Jane Brennan handled the ball in deep, and Sophia Shaw landed on the stick end at 10:11.

“I got a great pass from Logan Bueti, and I was able to tip it in for the goal,” said the sophomore.

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Three minutes later on the penalty corner, John Jay worked the triangle and the give and go. Finja Degl passed to her sister, Jojo dished right to Kaycie Keeley, and the All-State co-captain passed back to Jojo. With a step, the senior had the goalie a sitting duck, and the feathers went flying for a 2-0 lead.

In at 7:14, less than a minute passed before John Jay was again making their way to 100. Keeley penetrated to the goal line, and her work inside resulted in a scrum out front. There, Bueti had final say over the chaos and had an all alone tip in at 6:33.

3-0, the defense made sure to keep it that way, and Kayla McCarthy’s stick handle into the John Jay zone was an example Hen Hud saw all night. A little daylight was quickly met by a convergence of white jerseys and was no surprise to Brennan.

“This whole season we’ve been a really good, strong unit,” said the senior.

Back the other way, Keeley sounded off. The ball popped to her out front, and the senior took a back handed swipe that pinged the post.

She did a similar number to open the second. Keeley stick handled into some open space inside the circle and chipped just wide.

Of course, the girls were undeterred and made the most of another mess in front of the net. This time Laney Daly was the beneficiary, and not usually on the post, goals aren’t really among her goals.

More about passing, she said, “It’s all about teamwork.”

The running clock then came at the start of the fourth. On the penalty corner entry to Brennan, the middie had her antennae on its usual alert.

“I’m always looking for Jojo,” said Brennan. “She’s has a great shot on goal, so she’s usually my first look.”

Free on the left, Brennan put herself in the shoes of any goalie who must face down the John Jay standout. “That really scares me,” she assured.

Keeley and Daly adding the final goals, the milestone announced over the PA had Walsh in a state of surprise. But afterwards the coach admitted that she knew something was up.

“My husband was counting all week, and my daughters were in town coincidently,” she revealed.

Thankful for her husband’s efforts, Walsh redirected from the numbers.

“I’m not a young person who had big dreams about coaching. I just wanted to make a difference,” the coach explained.

“Small ones, build a program where the kids really love being together and are willing to work hard - I feel like that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Brennan went a step further.

“She’s not only made me into the player I am, but the person I am,” said the four-year varsity starter.

So Walsh is obviously more than a coach.

“Before every practice, she makes sure everyone is feeling ok. She knows something is off about you before you know something is wrong,” said Jojo Degl. “She really puts everyone’s emotions before anything, and that’s why we have success on the field.”

In short, Degl tags the coach as their mom first, and the commitment playing out the same way, motherhood definitely has its rewards.

“I am the luckiest person, and I have the best job,” said Walsh.

Of course, she never stops playing the part of the matriarch.

“It’s because of my players. They are an extension of my family,” Walsh concluded.

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