St. Anthony’s Freshman dominated Longwood Freshman White 6-1 in Wednesday’s SCHSHL semifinal at North Rink, advancing to face eighth-seeded Middle Country in the championship series. The third-seeded Friars (17-2) controlled the game after a brief 1-1 tie early in the second period, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to pull away decisively from Longwood (13-9), whose promising season came to an end.
Jake Evans led St. Anthony’s attack with two goals, including a highlight-reel five-hole finish that showcased his speed and skill around defenders. The forward, who entered with 11 goals and 24 points in 12 games, capped his dominant performance with 10:50 remaining in the third period before adding an unassisted tally with 1:47 left to seal the victory. Logan McCauley also found the net twice for the Friars, building on his team-leading 39 points entering the contest.
Longwood briefly found hope when Carter Vernillo tied the game 1-1 with 10:20 remaining in the second period, converting a cross-ice feed from Raymond Boos for just his second goal of the season. The clutch finish gave the Lions momentum after falling behind on Logan McCauley‘s unassisted goal late in the first period, but St. Anthony’s quickly regained control when Aiden Kollmar netted the game-winner with 7:30 left in the second frame.
The Friars pulled away with a devastating third-period outburst, as their balanced attack overwhelmed Longwood’s defense. Nicholas Tizzano and Jake Evans each contributed goals during the final frame, with Tizzano finishing off a Nicholas Neuner assist and Evans adding his second of the night. The offensive explosion came despite a penalty-filled contest that saw nine total infractions, including six minutes for Francesco Mannino and Giovanni Cipriani.
St. Anthony’s goaltender Brody Morbillo delivered a stellar performance between the pipes, allowing just Vernillo‘s second-period equalizer while turning aside multiple Longwood scoring chances. The netminder, who entered with a 10-1-2 record, made several key saves to preserve the lead after the early tie. Longwood starter Riley Parrales, coming off a strong quarterfinal showing, was eventually pulled for Malcolm Sherman as the game slipped away.
The victory sets up a championship series between St. Anthony’s and Middle Country, marking the third division where the Friars will compete for a title this season. The teams will open their best-of-three series Friday at 7:10 p.m., with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and a potential deciding Game 3 on Monday. For Longwood, the loss ends a solid playoff run that included a 6-3 quarterfinal upset victory over ESM.