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Three-Goal Third Period Sends New Rochelle to Win

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. -- New Rochelle was doing what it wanted to do, draw penalties against RyeTown/Harrison, but the Huguenots were not finishing.

The Huguenots had five power plays through the first two periods and opening minutes of the third, however, the Titans and goalie Jaime Ketchabaw were not giving in. But New Rochelle’s persistent pressure and shots would be rewarded.

Third-seeded New Rochelle scored twice in a 64-second span of the third period and went on to a 4-1 victory over the sixth seed in a Section 1 Division I Ice Hockey championship quarterfinal, Tuesday, at the Ice Hutch.

The Huguenots (16-5) will play second-seeded Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville (18-3) in a semifinal, Thursday, 6 p.m., at the Ice Hutch. The other semifinal has No. 1 Suffern playing No. 4 Mamaroneck, also Thursday, 6:30 p.m. at Sport-O-Rama. The winners play for the Division I championship, Sunday, 4 p.m., at the Holleder Center in West Point.

Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville enters the semifinal riding a 10-game winning streak. The Eagles swept the Huguenots during the regular season by 6-3 scores.

Chris Ramondelli and Brett Barry each had a goal and an assist. Ramondelli’s power-play goal at the 6:47 mark of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie. It came during a two-man advantage. Prior to Ramondelli’s goal, the Huguenots had been one of five on the power play, including a two-man advantage in the first period.

“We felt going into the third period that whoever scored the next goal would win the game so we wanted to come out hard and get that goal,” said Ramondelli. “We were getting a little frustrated not scoring on the power play, but we just calmed each other down and figured out what we needed to do.”

The score was even after two thanks to a Barry man-up goal 2:40 into the second period. Prior to this, the Huguenots had difficulty solving Ketchabaw, who finished with 41 saves.

Two Titans were whistled for minor penalties at 6:13 of the third period and 34 seconds later, the Huguenots capitalized on the two-man advantage. Kenny McLean fed Barry, adjacent to the goal and he fed a wide open Ramondelli in the opposite face-off circle. Ramondelli stopped and a quick wrist shot found the net.

“We wanted to use more quick passes and quick shots on the power play,” Ramondelli said. “We also wanted to get more shots from the point and crash the net.”

Sixty-four seconds after Ramondelli gave New Rochelle the lead, John Valente made the score 3-1 on a beautiful feed from defenseman Kenny Belvin.

The Titans took a 1-0 lead, 3:12 into the game on a Kevin Fusco goal, assisted by Dean Brancucci.

RyeTown/Harrison 1 0 0 -- 1New Rochelle 0 1 3 -- 4

Goals -- RT/H: Kevin Fusco; NR: Chris Ramondelli, John Valente, Brett Barry, Kenny McLean. Assists -- RT/H: Dean Brancucci; NR: Joey Ramondelli, Nick Sioufas, Kenny Belvin, Chris Ramondellli, Brett Barry, Kenny McLean. Saves -- RT/H: Jaime Ketchabaw 41; NR: Greg Feliu 21.

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