The first time Rye Town/Harrison met Somers/North Salem on the ice this year, the result was a lopsided one; the Titans came away with a 10-1 win as they outskated—and outshot—the Sabres from start to finish. On Jan. 16, the two teams squared off again, and although Somers showed a marked improvement, the Titans pulled out another victory, edging Somers 5-4 at Rye Playland.
According to Titans coach Jason Head, Somers’ defensive efforts paid off in the second go-around as the Sabres were able to cut the Titans’ previous goal total in half.
“First of all, their goalie was playing better, and I think as a whole, they just adjusted to our style,” Head said. “They trapped us better in the defensive zone, and that was effective against some of the systems we were running out there.”
Jackson Schultz led the way offensively for the Titans, netting a hat trick and adding to his section-leading point total. Coming into the week, Schultz had 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) and has been adept at both finding the net and creating scoring chances for his teammates.
“[Schultz] has stepped up huge and he’s seeing the ice really well this year,” Head said. “When you have a hot player like that, one who is a team player; he makes everybody around him better.”
At 8-3, the Titans have won five games by at least four goals this year, but Head believes that contests like Monday’s game against Somers will ultimately be more beneficial to the team as the playoffs approach.
“You find out a lot more about your team in a game like this,” he said. “I wasn’t happy with the way we played in the first two periods, but I was very happy with the way we played in the third; I think games like this prove very valuable.”
The Titans have a full week ahead, with four games in six days starting with a Jan. 20 showdown with Brewster. On Saturday, the Titans will host White Plains in the inaugural Mayor’s Cup Hockey Fundraiser on a twin bill that will also feature a contest between the New York Rangers Sled Hockey Team and the Connecticut Wolfpack. Proceeds from the games will go to the Wheelchair Sports Foundation, which provides opportunity for people with physical disabilities to compete in adaptive sports.
“This is a huge week coming up with some really big games,” Head said. “We are going to have to see how we make in-game adjustments because we’re not going to have a lot of practice time, so if we can do that, just see what’s in front of us, we will be successful.”
