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06/02/2016 12:00 AMThe Valley girls’ lacrosse team is trying to build a competitive program and one of the Warriors’ building blocks is goalkeeper Rhyan Nedobity. Rhyan recently completed her junior season for Valley and was named to the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team for her prowess in net.
“It was amazing to be named to the All-Conference Team. The Shoreline Conference is very tough and has teams like Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Haddam-Killingworth that have been really good for a long time and have great goalies that I aspired to be like,” Rhyan says. “So honestly, I didn’t think I would ever get [All-Shoreline], but I am happy and honored.”
Rhyan impressed the league’s coaches with her fearless play and cat-like reflexes when attacking the shots that came her way. On the season, Rhyan faced 405 total shots for an average of 25 per game. Rhyan swatted aside 201 of them to record a save percentage just a hair under 50 percent.
“She is an outstanding player,” says Warriors’ Head Coach Cory Needleman. “I truly feel that she makes our team better, not just because she works hard and encourages the others to work just as hard, but because she stands on her head every game, which helps the rest of the team improve on their game.”
Rhyan, an Ivoryton native, was looking to get involved with a team sport in the 6th grade and so she started playing lacrosse. She moved to the goalie position as a 7th-grader and credits her dad for helping her improve as they often work together during the offseason. That extra training has proved crucial to Rhyan’s development, but what really makes Rhyan stand strong in net is her mindset. It takes great mental strength to man the cage knowing opponents will be firing 80-plus mile per hour shots at you, especially when you have to promptly bounce back after letting in one in such a high-scoring sport. Rhyan says that her relationship with her teammates gives her a boost and helps her endure any tough times.
“The physical part is instinctual, but the mental aspect of the game is that you have a job to do and you do everything possible to stop the ball from going in the net,” Rhyan says. “Being a goalie is kind of who you are as a person. I think throughout the season I would get discouraged if I had a bad game or didn’t make a save because it’s hard when you’re seeing 30 or 40 shots a game, but I’m a team person and I kind of got through it because of my teammates and our focus and bond.”
Rhyan is also a middle hitter for the Warriors’ volleyball squad, which won 15 matches and made both the Shoreline Conference and state tournaments last fall. In the classroom, Rhyan hits the books just as hard as she works on the field and has garnered high honors every semester at Valley Regional. Rhyan is additionally a member of the school’s yearbook committee and the Future Business Leaders of America. The leadership qualities that Rhyan shows on the field make Needleman glad that she’s her coach.
“I just feel safe having her on our team and not having to play against her. She always comes with a positive attitude and is willing to learn and challenge herself and her teammates,” Coach Needleman says. “It’s super hard being a goalie. It takes a special person to be able to be in net and not get down on yourself if you let one go by. I certainly could not do what she does. She has a lot of guts and not enough glory.”
Ultimately, Rhyan did receive a little glory with the All-Shoreline nod this spring, yet happy as she feels to receive that honor, Rhyan is even more excited about the future of Valley girls’ lacrosse.
“We had a lot of improvement this season and have a group of talented players returning,” says Rhyan. “This was definitely a growing year as we adjusted to a new coach and new techniques and players, but the team was really close and that is something we can build upon. We really want to strengthen that mentality and bond and have fun playing a sport we love and we want others to come play and love it, too.”