Titans hockey team wins two in a row

After losing four games in a row, the Rye Town/Harrison Titans hockey team came back with two hard-fought wins against Pearl River and Carmel and are hoping to continue that momentum in a tournament against multiple schools on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Brewster Ice Rink and on Tuesday, Jan. 10 against Pearl River. Their record is now 4-4.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, the Titans played against the Pearl River Pirates at Sport-O-Rama Ice Rinks in Monsey. They knew going into the game that it was going to be a fight, but they knew they were more than capable. The game started off with two goals from the Titans and the first period ended 2-1. The Titans did a good job keeping the puck in the offensive zone for most of the first period.

When the second period started, the Titans weren’t on their game as much and Pearl River tied it up at 2-2 and then scored again and made it 3-2. As the period went on, they fought harder in the defensive zone and the offensive zone and were able to score two more goals and make the end of the second period score 4-3.

Going into the third period, the Titans were confident they would end the game strongly and win. They continued fighting throughout the period and got two more goals in before the end of the game. They ended the game as they had hoped, winning 6-4. Goals were scored by Max Tse (Harrison junior), Sean Mohr, Nic Lovallo (Port Chester senior), Issac Schultz (Harrison sophomore) and Jack Mazzella (Harrison freshman). Schultz ended the game with a powerful empty netter.

On Tuesday, Dec. 20, the Titans were up against the Carmel Rams at Playland Ice Casino in Rye. They had loads of confidence and determination because of their performance in their last game and they were more than ready for the battle to come. As soon as the puck dropped and up until the last buzzer, the Titans fought as hard as they could.

In the first period, they battled hard, cleared the puck out of the defensive zone quickly, and had many shots on net, but were unlucky. The score at the end of the first period was 0-0.

Going into the second period, the Titans were ready to make things happen. With 9:03 left in the period, Mazzella scored a great goal. The Titans kept the puck in the offensive zone and Billy Villanova (Port Chester freshman) scored with 6:15 left in the period. The Titans continued to outshoot Carmel and most of the faceoffs were held in the offensive zone. They ended the second period ahead 2-0.

In the third period Carmel stepped up their game and the Titans were forced to play even harder. Julian Gahr (Harrison freshman) began the third period with a goal (13:48 left). As the game got down to seven minutes left, Carmel scored three goals in just over two minutes and tied it up 3-3 with just four minutes left in the game. There were a lot of penalties occurring and a lot of tension formed on the ice. With just 2:27 left, Mazella pulled through and scored an empty netter to make the score 4-3 Titans. Carmel then pulled their goalie, but the Titans were strong enough on defense to finish the game with a 4-3 victory.

Villanova is feeling positive about the Titans and his hockey experience thus far. “I have been playing hockey for nine years, and I’ve never been more excited about this sport than I am right now,” he said. “Rye Town/Harrison Titans hockey represents the very best athletes from four school districts. I am honored to be on the team alongside these caliber players.”

While he scored a goal in the Carmel game, Villanova clarified that “as a defenseman, my top priority is to keep the puck out of our zone and stop any shots from reaching our goalie. However, when the chance arises for a shot from the blue line, I give 100%. Even though in games I am not focused on scoring, in practice I prepare for these split second, game changing moments. My dedication to this sport has truly paid off and has allowed me to excel in more recent years.”