This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/20/2018 11:00 PMJack Ring is in only in his second year with the Guilford boys’ ice hockey team, but he’s already become one of the prominent goal scorers in the Southern Connecticut Conference, while helping the Indians reach the pinnacle of the state.
Jack joined Guilford as a sophomore last winter and totaled a team-best 71 points on 32 goals and 39 assists to earn All-Conference and All-State accolades for the Indians, who won the SCC/SWC Division II and Division II state titles. This year, the junior forward has 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points for Guilford, which is 14-3 as it enters the home stretch of the regular season. Jack says that great chemistry between he and his line mates plays a big part in him stockpiling points.
“I couldn’t do it without my teammates, especially my line mates in John DeLucia and Jack Dacey. Most of the time, they do something to stir up plays,” says Jack, who also plays lacrosse at Guilford. “I’ve been best friends with my line mates since we were all young. I met them through lacrosse. I played against them in hockey when I was younger, but then we came together here and have jelled.”
Jack brings a great deal of quickness to all ends of the rink. He uses that asset to the Indians’ benefit when he’s plotting various ways to push the puck past the opposing goalie.
“I like to use my feet to my advantage, so I like coming down on the penalty kill to score. I am also good at intercepting passes,” Jack says. “I also like to leave the zone early and chase down the puck as fast as possible. I try to come out of the corners with speed and use my creativeness and speed on breakaways.”
Even though he hasn’t been with the Indians for too long, Jack says that he’s seen quite a change in his game during the past two seasons. Jack has not only strengthened his skill set as a hockey player, but also the mental attributes that make him a fierce competitor.
“Last year was about letting myself get bigger, stronger, and faster, but I also learned from [Head Coach Ralph Russo] how to be a leader,” Jack says. “I learned that you have to put everything out there in 20 games in order to play for a championship. I learned to channel all of that into every game.”
Coach Russo credits Jack for doing a great job of making individual in-game adjustments based on an opponent’s tendencies. No matter the tempo, though, Russo says that Jack is restless and relentless when it comes to aiding his squad in any way possible.
“Jack Ring demonstrates a great balance of skating, puck handling, and shooting skills, which he can execute at a very high level. He also has a good sense of pace and can speed up and slow down the offense during the game based on what opponents are showing us,” says Russo. “However, his most outstanding trait is that he is a tireless competitor. He has great endurance and is as competitive every day in practice as he is against opponents in games.”
As often is the case with defending champions, Guilford’s quest to get back to the championship games at Ingalls Rink has come with a couple of brief detours this year. Still, Jack feels optimistic that the Indians can stay put in their throne if they continue to bring a team-first, business-like mentality to the ice every night.
“We started off well this year, and we hit some bumps in the road. We had some big wins recently against Watertown-Pomperaug and Hand, so we have to keep the momentum going,” says Jack. “We are staying positive and focusing our attention on hockey.”