Mamaroneck didn’t waste any time lighting up the net on Feb. 19, scoring four first-period goals en route to a decisive 8-3 Division I quarterfinal win over RyeTown/Harrison. As the No. 2-seeded Tigers continue their jaunt through the playoffs, this latest offensive outburst over the No. 7 Titans should serve as a reminder to the rest of Section I that Mamaroneck (17-2-3) is still one of the best teams around.
Harrison Fried got the scoring started just two minutes into the game, but it was Harrison Schreiber who stole the show early on, as the junior winger netted a first-period hat trick to help the Tigers head into the intermission with a 4-2 lead.
Mamaroneck—which tallied 40 shots on goal—would tack on three more goals in the second to put the game out of reach.
According to Mamaroneck head coach Mike Chiapparelli, getting off to a quick start against the Titans was especially important, given Rye Town/Harrison’s own ability to put the puck in the net.
“They’re a very good offensive team,” Chiapparelli said. “So we needed to come out strong and put them on their heels right away.”
Scoring early and often has been one of Mamaroneck’s strengths in the team’s two playoff contests thus far, as the Tigers have outscored their opponents 21-4. According to Chiapparelli, team speed has been integral to the Tigers’ success all season and it is starting to pay huge dividends in the playoffs.
“Do you see how fast we’re skating right now?” he said. “We’re playing really well, we’re a defensive team but we’re getting free [in the offensive zone].”
Though Chiapparelli did identify some areas he would like his skaters to improve upon—namely tightening up the defense and avoiding trips to the penalty box—he added that the Tigers have played clean hockey all season long and doesn’t believe that the whistles that went against his squad on Monday speak to any larger issues.
“We’ve only had 16 penalties in 20 [regular season] games, and we gave them five power plays tonight,” the coach said. “Sometimes when you’re up, the refs will make calls that go the other way.”
Next up for the Tigers is a semifinal showdown with No. 6 North Rockland (16-4) on Feb. 22, after press time. The Red Raiders steamrolled Rivertown 9-1 in their quarterfinal matchup but fell to the Tigers 5-3 in a Jan. 19 regular season matchup.
“They’re four deep, four lines, good offensive team,” Chiapparelli said. “We’ve got to take advantage of the transition game, go the other way and get as many shots on their goalie as we can.”
