The SAR JV boys hockey team appeared to be a team of destiny from the opening puck drop in the fall. The Sting finished the regular season with a wildly successful 9-0-1 record, including a 3-0 victory over DRS, the team they would ultimately play in the league championship. Behind superstar captain Jack Linhart and other extraordinary talents like forward Nate Zitter, defenseman Jonah Nayowitz, goalie Michael Goldmann and so many others, the SAR boys were primed for the spotlight in the postseason. A heart palpitating 1-0 victory over Frisch in the semifinal, behind a Linhart goal with under two minutes to play, set the stage for the title matchup, with DRS having defeated HAFTR 3-2 in overtime in the other semifinal bracket.
The first period of the SAR-DRS championship, held at Yeshivat Frisch, featured bookended goals that energized the SAR base and swung momentum in the Sting’s favor for the duration of the game. Twenty-eight seconds into the championship, sophomore Zitter scored his first goal before the fans even fully filled the bleachers! Nearly 11 and a half minutes later, Zitter did it again, scoring a second goal on the power play with under two seconds left in the period. SAR entered the locker room very confident that a victory was in sight.
In the second, goalie Michael Goldmann stood tall, thwarting any threats that came his way. And with 5:14 to go in the period, Linhart found Zitter on a beautiful pass and shoot opportunity, giving Zitter the rarefied championship game hat trick, cementing his eventual MVP trophy. Though no hats were thrown on the court, the fans tipped their caps to the star forward, who returned from an injury that thankfully didn’t preclude him from playing in the biggest game of his life.
In the final stanza, DRS made it interesting, scoring 75 seconds into the period and cutting the deficit to 3-1. Despite the surprising goal, it was clear that SAR was the superior team and would likely hold on. However, a few minutes later, things got chippy when DRS nearly scored again. Penalties were called on a player from each team and the game featured a wide open 3-on-3 situation. This proved to be advantageous for SAR, with its combination of speed and power. Linhart, who had a strong game up until that point, showcased his natural gifts, including on the wraparound. He swerved around the DRS goalie, was briefly stymied, rebounded and dropped the ball into the net with 5:20 to play. The game’s result was never again in doubt.
The veteran-led SAR team will send its sophomores to varsity in style, with a well-deserved championship season that they will never forget. Behind the JV girls volleyball team’s championship the prior week, and the upcoming JV boys basketball team’s championship game against Frisch, it has been an unequivocally impressive season for SAR High School sports.
