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HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (LISN) — Junior Anthony Cutalo scored twice in a four-point performance to power the St. Anthony’s Friars to their third SCHSHL Championship in four years with a 9-4 victory over the Smithtown/Hauppauge Bulls.

Cutalo was named the LISN Playoff MVP after finishing with a team-high 7 goals and 13 points. The junior potted two power-play markers, added four assists on the man advantage, and scored two shorthanded goals.

Senior Joe Rocca found the back of the net twice, scoring the go-ahead goal in the Friars comeback victory.

Junior Zack Sirel potted the game-winner in a two goal outing for St. Anthony’s

Junior Jordan Valcich backstopped the Friars to victory in his playoff debut.

Senior Gavin Bareham opened the scoring to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead with 11:28 remaining in the 1st period. The Bulls captain, Senior Brendan Landrigan, made a seam pass to Bareham to create a partial breakaway. Valcich made the first save, but Bareham buried the rebound.

Under a minute later, Senior Max Campo extended the Bulls lead to 2-0. Senior Shane Reidy intercepted a pass in the defensive zone, made a stretch pass to create a breakaway, and Campo came in to snipe glove side high.

The Bulls had a chance to go up 3-0 after the Friars were called for tripping, but St. Anthony’s refused to go quietly into the night. Cutalo scored a shorthanded goal with 8:57 left in the opening stanza. Junior Tommy Azzariti chipped the puck out of the zone, Cutalo galloped up ice, came in on a breakaway and sniped top cheddar to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Junior Nick Busa tied the game at 2 with a power play goal at 5:22 in the first frame. Cutalo threaded the needle on a pass through two defenders in to find a cutting Busa for a snap shot from the back door.

Senior J.P. D’Allessandro and the Bulls had a chance to retake the lead early in the 2nd period, but Valcich made a diving save to keep the game tied.

Azzariti won the ensuing face off for the Friars, carrying the puck coast-to-coast before firing a shot on net that led to a rebound goal for Rocca with 11:54 remaining n the second stanza.

The Bulls wereon their heels from that point on. Halliday made a key pad save to keep it within one, but the Friars blew the game wide open with three more 2nd period goals.

Cutalo redirected a shot from the point by Senior Michael Catizone to make it 4-2 Friars with 8:53 left in the second frame.

Sirel added a power play marker at 4:20 in the 2nd period to extend the lead to 5-2. The junior used a defender as a screen to beat Halliday on a seemingly harmless shot from the left wing dot.

Rocca cut to the net for a quick tap-in goal to make it 6-2 with 2:57 remaining in the second stanza. Rocca did an excellent job toeing the line on the zone entry, demonstrating high-end speed and edge work on the play.

58 seconds into the 3rd period, Senior James Schendorf made it a five goal game. The senior center stripped Senior Jackson Cantalupo of the puck in the slot, walked in and fired stick side high.

Reidy found Campo again, this time for a shot from the slot that beat Valcich, to cut the lead to 7-3 with 11:16 left in regulation.

Sirel responded for St. Anthony’s at 6:45 in the third frame, burying a tap-in goal off a beautiful feed from Azzariti.

Just over a minute later, Bareham netted his second of the night to make it an 8-4 hockey game. The Friars lost control of the puck in the slot, and it popped out to Bareham who beat a sliding Valcich glove side on a shot from the right wing dot.

Senior Will Bisogno capped the scoring with under a minute remaining in regulation. Bisogno out muscled Senior Ray Sherwood in a race to the puck and beat Halliday on a shot from beneath the right wing circle to seal the 9-4 victory.

The Friars will head to Binghamton for a shot at the NYSAHA State Title, before returning to Long Island to face the Bellmore-Merrick Bulldogs in the Long Island Championship on Sunday, April 6 at Northwell Health Ice Center.

Box Score

Three Stars of the Game