Wycich leads Shaler hockey during hot streak
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Sunday, December 3, 2017 | 4:33 PM
Cameron Wycich leaves his silent persona in the locker room when he takes the ice. Something about hockey makes the Shaler left wing chatty.
“I don't know,” the senior said. “I don't say much off the ice. When it comes to this, I take it real serious on this ice because this is probably my last season playing.”
What he's accomplished so far speaks volumes. Wycich ranks third in the PIHL's Class AA with nine assists. He is tied for 11th in the PIHL in points and leads the Titans with 14 through the first nine games.
In Wycich's first full season as a junior, he finished with 15 points in 17 games.
Wycich's improved play has helped spark Shaler to a 4-0-1 stretch that has the Titans leaving a slow start in the rear-view mirror. Shaler (4-3-1) played Pine-Richland on Monday night in a game whose results were too late for this edition.
Wycich, who scored twice and had an assist in a 7-4 win over North Hills on Nov. 27, was a key to Titans coach Stephen Stayduhar's shakeup. Making sure Wycich found his way to the wall on the power play was a key ingredient.
During Shaler's 4-3 win over Montour Nov. 6, Wycich set up three power-play goals.
“Our power play was doing good, but we weren't scoring,” Stayduhar said. “We mixed things up, and he had three assists on the power play.”
Wycich started playing hockey when he was 6 years old because he liked watching Penguins star Sidney Crosby. A few of his friends were playing, too, so he started and found his sport.
When Wycich is on the ice, he wants to provide a lot of energy. That involves communication.
“I'm always talking on the ice,” Wycich said. “I'm telling people where to go and I got you covered. Someone's open over there, stuff like that. I'm trying to help my teammates as much as I can.”
Stayduhar appreciates Wycich's approach. Wycich already has a career-high five goals and is three away from equaling a career-high for assists in a season.
“He's like a spark plug,” Stayduhar said. “He gets all wound up. He's pretty quiet off the ice.”
Wycich can't give any particular reason for being a mad man in skates. When the puck drops, he's full of emotion.
“Maybe the fact you always have to be doing something out there,” Wycich said. “If you aren't, there's going to be a negative outcome in one way or another.”
Josh Rizzo is a freelance writer.
Tags: Shaler
