Bellmore-Merrick Middle School erupted for six goals in the first two periods to overwhelm Manhasset/Great Neck/Port Washington MS 6-2 in their NYIHSHL playoff opener Friday night at Long Beach Ice Arena. The victory marked the third win in three meetings between these teams this season, as Bellmore-Merrick (13-4) advanced with authority behind a balanced offensive attack that saw 11 different players record at least one point.
Derek Zummo orchestrated the offensive onslaught with three assists, setting up goals in all three periods to extend his impressive postseason debut. The playmaker found Jason Cohen at 13:44 of the first period to open the scoring, then assisted on Nathaniel Menikheim‘s strike at 11:25 before helping Carter Tiefenwerth bury what would prove to be the game-winner at 8:48. Tiefenwerth‘s early goal capped a dominant first period that saw Bellmore-Merrick outshoot their opponents 13-5 while taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
The rout continued in the second period as Bellmore-Merrick poured in three more goals within the opening 13 minutes. Ryder Blumberg, who entered the game with 19 points in 13 contests, extended the lead to 4-0 at 13:32 with assists from Zakary Giambruno and Spencer Field. Gianluca Milack and MEHMET ALI CIRAKOGLU completed the second-period scoring barrage, with Cirakoglu’s goal coming with just one second remaining to make it 6-0 heading into the final frame.
Tri-Town (9-7) finally broke through in the third period with goals from Natalya Chang and John Drouzas, but the damage was already done. Grayson Beschel faced a relentless attack all evening, making 24 saves on 30 shots while his counterpart Gabriel Dimitrakopoulos needed just 10 saves to secure the victory. The loss ended a challenging season for Tri-Town, who struggled with discipline throughout the contest as Matthew Nystrom was assessed six minutes in penalties across multiple infractions.