When the final whistle sounded, ending Thursday afternoon’s tilt between Eastchester and Harrison, it wasn’t difficult to see how much this game meant to the Eagles. A loud cheer erupted as the sidelines emptied, sticks and gloves went airborne as players mobbed the day’s heroes including Owen Blume and goalie Kyle Smith. 

But for all the emotion on display, Thursday’s contest wasn’t being played to decide a league or section title. It was just a back-and-forth thriller between two bitter rivals. 

Trailing the Huskies 6-2 more than midway though the third quarter on Thursday, the Eagles orchestrated a stunning second half comeback to beat Harrison 11-10 in a game that Eagles’ players admitted that—given some recent finishes against Harrison and some simmering tension between the two teams— meant more than just your average, regular season meeting.

“This win was huge for us, especially after last year when these guys knocked out our goalie,” said Owen Blume. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been able to beat them, so to finally get a win over Harrison, we really wanted it.”

Blume—who led the Eagles with four goals alongside Dom Sperandio—saved his best play for crunch-time, scoring Eastchester’s final three goals of the day to finally bury a tough Huskies team. Blume gave the Eagles their first lead of the second half with 9:16 left to play, broke another tie with a score five minutes later, and eventually put the game out of reach with another with just 1:32 remaining.

“I knew I had to get things going,” said the junior. “I just had to find a way to take over.”

Alex Titto rounded out Eastchester’s scoring with three goals on the afternoon, while Cole Mayclim and Brandon Alstodt recorded three goals apiece for the Huskies. 

The loss drops Harrison’s record to 3-9 on the year, while Eastchester (6-7) has now won two straight, with just two games left in the regular season. 

Blume explained that it is especially vital for the Eagles to close out on a positive note before the playoffs begin, especially given the fact the club recently went through something of a late-season slump with losses against powerhouse programs including Rye.

“I think we lost something like four in a row, so to win today and to get that win against North Salem, that’s important for us,” said Blume. 

The Eagles will finish with games against Blind Brook (7-4) and Pelham (8-6) on May 9 and 11, respectively.