On Dec. 28, Rye Town/Harrison turned a fast start against Somers/North Salem into a solid finish to the calendar year. With an 8-2 win over the Sabers at the Rye Playland Ice Rink on Monday, the Titans head into January as the owners of a 9-1 record and seem to be picking up steam as the playoffs approach.
Max Picker scored the game’s first goal just six seconds into the contest, taking the opening faceoff down the length of the ice and beating Sabers’ netminder Ben Winter to put the Titans on the board. Picker finished with a hat trick on the night, while Doug Harrison added two goals and junior Jackson Schultz tallied a goal and four assists to
lead the Titans to a one-sided win.
The Sabers found the net twice late in the game, but tallied only 11 shots to RTH’s 25 as the Titans’ depth propelled them to a late game surge.
give the Titans a 4-0 lead. Photo/Mike Smith
“I noticed their bench was short and that certainly plays to the end of the game,” Titans’ coach Jason Head said. “But we wanted to start strong, which we did with that goal by Max, and finish strong.”
The Titans have currently won four games in a row, and after victories over Mamaroneck Black and Byram Hills, Head is beginning to like what he sees.
“This was the most complete game I think we played all year,” he said. “From start to finish, there was nothing for me to pick apart after this game.”
In fact, the Titans have seemed like a whole new team after suffering their first loss of the season on Dec. 12 against Mount Pleasant. According to senior Doug Harrison, overconfidence may have played a role in the Titans’ 8-2 loss to the Ice Cats that day.
“Losing that game, it changed the way we looked at everything, changed the way we prepared,” he said. “Everyone was too jolly before that game, now we’re quiet in the locker room, getting focused, and we’re a better team that way.”
Head concurred with Harrison’s assessment.
“I think it taught them some humility,” he said. “They learned that they’re not unbeatable.”
Of course, having reeled off four straight wins, the Titans are not lacking any confidence at the moment. Despite having more victories than all but one other in-section team, undefeated Mamaroneck, several RTH players believe the team is still being overlooked. They aim to use that as motivation when they return from break to a game against Rivertown on Jan. 4.
The Titans will have a grueling stretch to start 2016, including games against the ETBE Eagles and the reigning Division I champion Scarsdale Raiders. On Jan. 18, they will get another shot at Mount Pleasant.
“We still feel like we’re underrated based on the teams we’ve played,” Harrison said. “Each game, we love to come out and win and get higher up in the rankings.”
