Greeley and Fox Lane Looking Forward to Hockey Rematch
By Cutler Klein – In a highly anticipated rematch of neighboring rivals, the Horace Greeley hockey team will take on Fox Lane this Friday at 9 pm at Brewster Ice Arena.
The first meeting between the two teams was an epic battle back on December 21. Fox Lane took a 3-2 lead into the third period, but Greeley captain Calder Fontaine scored twice in the final frame to lift the Quakers to a 4-3 victory.
In the waning moments, Greeley captain Scott Jakubowicz was pushed into Fox Lane goaltender Abbie Ives, inciting a brawl in which three players (one from Greeley, two from Fox Lane) and Fox Lane head coach Scott Miele were ejected from the game. Just four minutes prior, Fox Lane’s Matthew Leader was ejected for contact after the whistle.
Greeley assistant coach Bruce Perlowitz was satisfied with the way his team responded to the aggressive play of Fox Lane.
“I was very happy with the way they kept their cool,” he said. “I think we showed a lot of restraint. We do a pretty good job of controlling ourselves in those situations.”
Heading into the rematch, the Foxes’ Miele said that he is preparing his team to keep cooler heads this time around.
“We are preparing them mentally,” he said. “We need to understand that, last game, our emotions got the best of us, and it can’t happen again.”
The X factor in this matchup will be Ives, the Fox Lane goaltender, who has stood on her head all season for the Foxes. She made 62 saves in the first game vs. Greeley, including 25 in the second period to keep the game close. Perlowitz said that his team will have to get the “greasy goals” to beat Ives.
“The key is getting traffic in front of the net without committing penalties,” he said. “We need to anticipate shots and rebounds and try to score on those little scrums in front.”
The Quakers have already qualified for the sectional playoffs, so they will use this rivalry game as a tune-up for a postseason run.
“It’s the last weekend before the playoffs,” said Perlowitz. “You want to be playing with the system and style that you will be carrying into the postseason.”
For Fox Lane, a few more wins are needed late in the season to make the sectional playoffs. According to Miele, his team will give the same effort it would for any game.
“We encourage our players to play every game,” he said. “We still have a chance at making the playoffs. But, we prepare for every game like it’s a playoff game. We need that type of intensity to win games.”
Miele is looking forward to the renewal of a strong rivalry.
“It’s always enjoyable to play Horace Greeley,” he said. “They’re the next town over. It’s always fun to play a rivalry game.”
There was a strong fan turnout for the first meeting, something unheard of in the past. Perlowitz, for one, is looking forward to another large turnout.
“The one thing we’ve never had before this year is fan support,” he said. “It really makes a difference. We really hope our fans will show up again because Fox Lane will bring a lot of fans, too. It’s a rivalry.”
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