The NAHL’s Robertson Cup playoffs begin this weekend with a big series between the Northeast Generals and New Jersey Junior Titans.
The Attleboro, Mass.-based Generals will travel to the Garden State to face the East Division’s top regular season team, but it has been a historic year for head coach Bryan Erikson and his team. Going 35-24-1 to clinch the fourth and final playoff berth in the seven-team division, the club set a franchise record. The Generals have come a long way since their first season in the Tier 2 junior league in 2016-17 when they won just 4 games. Though the team made the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, the Generals have yet to win a postseason round. With a balanced roster trending the right way, they are hoping to upset the top-seeded Titans, who led the division with a 41-16-3 record.
The Titans entered the NAHL in 2015-16 and won 34 games in their inaugural season. With the exception of 2019-20, when COVID canceled the playoffs for all junior leagues, the Titans have made it to the NAHL postseason every year. Head coach Craig Doremus, at the helm since 2016, has been able to recruit and build quality teams in each of his six seasons.
This will be a quality matchup between two teams that are strong at every position. Even though the Generals are seeded fourth, there is a razor-thin margin between them.
