12/14--Tie-ing down on early season hockey

For any Howell fan, young or old, the vision of centerman Nick Peras jumping into the glass in front of the student section was a quick reminder of what Howell Hockey means to the school and the town.
Thinking back, it was just a year ago that a Manalapan player seriously injured Peras, firing a puck at him as he laid helplessly on the ice.- Hide quoted text -
Qucikly after Peras celebration (45 seconds to be exact), Rebels captain and fan favorite Dave Ramos scored his second goal, tying the game at three, and sending the Howell crowd into a frenzy and electryifying the building.Eventually the teams would end in a 3-3 tie.TIE.What really does that mean?For Howell, it is the final result for the third consecutive game, as their current record stands at 1-0-3.Still, in this game, a tie is a great thing.Many compare a tie to 'kissing your sister', implying that it's a road that no team ever wabnts to cross -- and to a point, that is true.In the Rebels first two ties, they lost late leads against Monsignor Donovan and Marlboro, both games where they outplayed their opponent and should have won.And, true, in this Manalapan game they did outplay the Braves, out-shooting them on a nearly 3-to-1 ratio.However, in the facts of the game, with 12 minutes remaining, Howell did indeed find themselves in a 2-goal hole.Due to resilliency, and a whole lot of talent on the stick of a Mr. Dave Ramos, Howell clawed thweir way back in it to end in a tie for the third straight time.If I'm anyone affiliated with Howell, I do not look at this tie as a bad thing.In fact, it's the opposite.Despite a somewhat lifeless crowd, what happened Saturday night is a crude reminder that really anything can happen and nothing is given to any team, regardless of who wears a captain's 'C' on their jersey and regardless of last year's record.There are obvious notes from this matchup:Yes, Howell is a more talented team.Yes, Howell had a amuch larger crowd and fan base.Yes, Howell outnumbered the shots category, racking up 39.And yes, Howell is a more experienced team with much better chemistry.Still, Howell should look at this tie as a great thing, looking at how to goalis within 45 seconds electrifyed themselves and their fans.What has happened thus far this season is proof that nothing will come easy for the Ramos-led Rebels in 2009-2010.Winning teams are expected to rebound and use criticism as motivation.What this winning team needs to do it use ties like this as motivation.What the Howell Rebels needed, and got from the Braves --was a stern look in the mirror and a reminder, nothing comes easy.