WESTON, Mass. — This was, to put it lightly, not where Rivers expected to be. As the Red Wings headed home from Holy Cross last Sunday after a five-point loss to Millbrook at the Scholar Roundball Classic, they were staring at an almost unfathomable record to start their season: 0-6.
The first two losses came to a pair of high-caliber opponents: Brewster’s nationally-ranked top team and Vermont Academy. But then the sudden loss of star forward Andrew Alekseyenko, who fractured his wrist in the third game, sent them into somewhat of a tailspin. Senior guard Robby Fiore had missed the first three games, too. A team that wasn’t flush with experience to begin with was suddenly forced to give more playing time to freshmen and newcomers earlier than expected. They remained competitive – losing the next four games by single digits – but lacked the details and experience to close games out.
But as they returned to the MacDowell Athletic Center on Monday, there was no panic. They took ownership of their situation. Ryan Altman, their senior captain and member of three consecutive Class B and two straight ISL championship teams, took the lead. They didn’t practice. Instead, they had a film session and then talked as a team. Without head coach Keith Zalaski in the room, Altman, alongside Alekseyenko and the other seniors, discussed what they wanted their identity to be. They empowered their new teammates. The season had not been lost, they understood there was a long way to go, and with their annual Rivers Holiday Tournament looming, they knew they had a big opportunity in their grasp to reroute their direction.
“We said all week, ‘Don’t let us get one,’” Altman said. “Once we get one, they’re all going to start falling.”
