River Dell/Westwood head coach Brian Sharkey was optimistic despite his squad falling to Tenafly, 8-2, in the team's final game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon.
"We start hard and we play hard," said Sharkey.
Dylan Marshall scored both goals for the Golden Hawks. Goalie Connor O'Reilly came up with some big saves early on, keeping the game tight until Tenafly's offense settled in. He faced a total 50 shots in the contest.
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Meanwhile, the Tigers (14-4) controlled the play with effective forechecking, and creating opportunities in the offensive zone.
Jordan Lang notched a hat trick and Brendon Bernstein notched a pair of goals in the win.
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It was a tired River Dell/Westwood team that entered Saturday's game, having played a very physical game in losing to Bayonne, 6-3, on Friday night. Several players were out of the lineup.
"RiverDell/Westwood played a pretty good game and at one point it was 1-1," Tenafly coach Andy Escala said. "They worked hard in our zone. They are having a tough year, but their coach comes out and gets them to work hard every game. They are going to be good in a few years."
The Golden Hawks face the challenge of replacing eight graduating seniors, a point that was driven home on Saturday.
"We have to get with a feeder program. All season, the same thing, we fight hard to the end," Sharkey said. "Tenafly, Ridgewood and Pascack Valley, those are the 3 top teams in our league. I'm proud of my kids. These kids have not quit. They were a little feisty in the locker room, they want to do well, they want to play well. We came out in the thirrd and played tough and didn't quit."
