Ithaca High School boys ready for full season

The Ithaca boys ice hockey season is underway with a roster of 24 players that has reloaded after 10 players graduated from last year’s team and two more went to prep school. This is an important year for the Little Red program to get back on track after they were limited to just two games in the spring. In fact, due to the roster turnover and shortened season, only three players on the current team have a varsity goal to their name.

It will be a challenge for head coach Paul Zarach and his staff to get his young roster up to speed quickly. He discussed how he plans on getting the most out of his team this season.

“We’re going to have to rely heavily on our upperclassmen to set the example on and off the ice,” Zarach said. “We’ve got some guys on the team that have been with us since ninth grade that are seniors now, so I’m looking for those guys to really help. Last year was pretty much a lost season, in my opinion, as far as the true high school experience. The guys that were with us the year before last year, they know what it’s like to be on a real four-month grind.”

In response to the unsatisfying shortened season, Zarach has loaded up the schedule with 22 games before the Little Red take their automatic spot as Section IV’s representative in the state tournament.

“I think it’s really critical that we are able to play as much as we possibly can this year,” Zarach said. “Fingers crossed that we don’t have any games canceled or postponed. If we do have them canceled, hopefully, we can find other games or reschedule games. It’s just important for the growth of the program to keep going in the right direction. We’ve got a young group coming up, and it’s important to get those guys out there to see what it looks like to be on a varsity team for four months.”

Keeping the flow of talent coming to Ithaca is crucial for the Little Red. Zarach puts effort into making appearances at the youth hockey programs in Ithaca, planting the idea of playing for the Little Red in the young athletes’ minds.

“My youngest is involved in the mite program for the IYHA [Ithaca Youth Hockey Association], and I keep in contact with the bantam travel coaches and also the peewee travel coach for IYHA,” he said. “I have kind of an idea of what’s coming up. I try my best to get out to a couple practices, just to see the kids throughout the season. I try to get out there and introduce myself to the parents and introduce myself to the kids.”

In the past, he’s also brought some of his players to youth hockey practices in full Little Red gear as inspiration for the young players. Those efforts have led to five freshmen joining the varsity roster this year and 10 additional players who will be getting their first taste of varsity hockey.

As far as older players go, seniors Eli Simons and Aidan Cornell will be the captains of this year’s team. Simons is moving up from defense to offense this season, and Cornell is a three-sport athlete for IHS who just wrapped up an all-star season as a wide receiver for the football team.

One senior who has been waiting for an opportunity for a bigger role is goalie Derek Jordan. He was a backup in his freshman and sophomore years and was primed for the starting job in his junior year, only to have most of the season scrapped. He’ll be paired up with sophomore Tano Maroni as the team’s netminders this season.

“Derek’s been with us since ninth grade,” Zarach said. “He’s waited his turn to get this opportunity to be considered one of the starting goalies on the team. He’s going to have an opportunity to play up to the level that he’s capable of in games. I’m excited to see what he can do with a full high school season. He’s been playing with our travel association, so he’s getting game experience there. As a senior, he is going to have the opportunity to perform well in games and get more opportunities.”

The Little Red had two hard-fought preseason scrimmages on the road that resulted in a close 2-1 loss to Christian Brothers Academy and a 0-0 tie against New Hartford. The season began on Tuesday against Cicero North Syracuse and continues Friday against Auburn at Cass Park.

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