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02/20/2019 11:00 PMWhen he entered the second half of his high school hockey career, Jake Watrous knew that he had to get some extra reps outside of the rink to give his game a boost. Jake started hitting the weight room as a junior and is now producing plenty of points for the Guilford boys’ ice hockey squad this season.
Jake is a senior who plays center on Guilford’s top line. After helping his club earn its second straight conference crown and Division II state final berth last year, Jake has 15 goals and 21 assists for the Indians, who are sporting a record of 13-5 and will soon be competing in the playoffs.
“I’ve gotten a lot stronger and quicker over the years. In my freshman and sophomore years, I never went to the weight room. But in my junior year, I started to work out and run more in the offseason, which really helped,” Jake says. “The guys around me have really helped me. They pick me up when I’m down. With Jack Dacey and John DeLucia, I couldn’t ask for two better linemates.”
As a center, Jake embraces the responsibility of taking face-offs, so he can get Guilford’s offense motoring toward the opposing goal. While he suits up as a forward, Jake does double duty by contributing to the Indians’ defensive effort, as well.
“I love taking the face-offs. I’ve worked on them for a long time, and I just try to give my team the best chance to win by gaining puck possession,” Jake says. “It can be tough taking on the guy in the corner and acting as a third defenseman and staying back on the ice.”
After Guilford took recent defeats versus New Fairfield-Immaculate and Branford, Jake netted a pair of goals to help the Indians earn a pivotal 8-6 victory over crosstown rival Hand on Feb. 9. The Indians gained a great deal of confidence by taming the Tigers, who came into the matchup having won six in a row and were riding a nine-game unbeaten streak.
“That Hand game was a huge win for us in many ways. Coming in, we had dropped two straight games that we could’ve won,” says Jake. “We wanted to beat Hand more than anything. They were on a long winning streak, so it was a great feeling to knock them off.”
Head Coach Ralph Russo says that Jake’s optimistic outlook is a huge help to the Indians. Russo also praises Jake for how much he’s grown throughout his tenure with the team.
“Jake brings a positive, can-do attitude to the rink each day. He is passionate about his team playing well and accomplishing the goals we set out to achieve,” says Russo. “It has been great to see him mature as a young man and a hockey player over his four years. From his freshman year until now, he has contributed more each year to our team’s success.”
With the postseason rapidly approaching, Jake feels confident that Guilford’s previous playoff experience will suit the team well this year. Jake believes the Indians are well-equipped for the bright lights of the big stage, where one play can prove the difference between hoisting the trophy or going home.
“Our main goal is to win both the conference and state titles,” Jake says. “We are just focusing on coming together, along with clicking and working hard in practice in order to have success in the postseason.”