Mamaroneck Loses Big in Rivalry Game

Maybe it was the long bus ride or the rowdy crowd, maybe it was the unfamiliar ice, but the Mamaroneck Tigers didn't look like a team that deserved a top five state ranking Friday night, losing to Suffern 10-0  at Sport-O-Rama in Monsey.

Suffern, on the other hand, did.  The Mounties, who are third in the state rankings, made crisp passes, fought for loose pucks and peppered the back of the net with shots.

"We pounced on them early and just didn't give them a chance to come back," said Suffern goalie Tyler Stark.  "I think we played great the whole game."

Despite the lopsided final, the game was very evenly matched for the first ten minutes.  When a deflected slap shot by Steve Scholer put Suffern ahead 1-0, few could have imagined it would be the first of ten goals for the Mounties on the night.

But, according to Mamaroneck Head Coach Mike Chiapparelli, a freak play in the following minutes changed the game.  After making a save, Mamaroneck goalie Alex Harwood noticed a hole in his glove.  After consulting an official, Harwood elected to switch to another glove.

"That changed the whole game," said Chiapparelli.  "It's a game of confidence and they got the big break when that happened, I have never seen that happen in my 31 years."

Whether or not the equipment played a part, Suffern dominated the game from that point forward.  The Mounties added a goal late in the first period and four more in the second period to put the game away. 

"We capitalized on our chances and we got the lead and then we were able to play the defense we wanted to play," said Suffern Head Coach Rob Schelling. 

The Suffern defensive effort included a great effort from Stark who made several great saves late in the game to preserve the shutout.

"He's been incredible for us all year," said Schelling.  "He's been a big part of our success."

With the final outcome in hand, Suffern added four goals in the final period, humiliating a Tiger team that played in the state championship game less than a year ago.

"Mamaroneck is one heck of a team," said Schelling.  "I'm sure next time we play them it will be an excellent game."

Chiapparelli was much less cordial.

"We'll be back and we will leave them crying on the ice next time we see them," he said.  "We're going to come back and we are going to beat that team."