Over the course of the regular season, Rye Town/Harrison has made a habit of starting slow. In their first-round playoff matchup on Feb. 21, however, they didn’t let a few bad shifts submarine their playoff push, taking control of the game late to earn a 7-2 win over Pearl River.
The Titans scored an 11-3 victory over Pearl River during the regular season, but on Sunday, it was the Pirates who struck first, getting the game’s first goal with 8:43 to play in the first period.
“I think we were a little complacent going in, but [Pearl River] is better now than when we beat them [on Dec. 24],” Titans’ coach Jason Head said. “We try to drill it into them that it’s different in the playoffs.”
The early goal served to put a charge into the Titans, who scored the next three goals and headed into the third period with a 4-2 lead. The No. 6 seed didn’t stop there, adding three more goals for good measure.
Doug Harrison and Sam Adler both finished with two goals on the night, while Max Picker and Jackson Schultz each added a goal and an assist.
According to Head, the Titans’ tough regular season schedule, combined with a deep playoff push last winter, means that Rye Town/Harrison’s veterans have been through the ringer before and know what to expect from postseason hockey.
“It definitely helps, especially in being able to manage a big spot,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of games that we’ve looked at like playoff games, like [games against] Suffern and Clarkstown, so we know how to get up and play in these big spots.”
With the win, the Titans advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will take on John Jay at the Brewster Ice Arena. The No. 2 seed topped No. 13 Pawling 5-0 in first round action, thanks in part to a 22-save effort from netminder George McMichael.
Although the Indians and Titans did not meet during the regular season, they squared off in a preseason scrimmage.
The quarterfinal game, which was initially scheduled for Feb. 23, was pushed back until Feb. 24, after press time, due to inclement weather.
“We know [John Jay] is a good team, they’ve got a very good goalie in between the pipes,” Head said. “They’re young too, we don’t know how much experience they have, but we know it’s going to be a good test.”
