Blue survived a wild final minute to escape with a 5-4 win over White in a 13-16 Youth Game exhibition Sunday at Northwell Health Ice Center, part of the LI Warriors Summer Shootout. The game went back and forth from puck drop, with six different players finding the net and neither side building more than a one-goal cushion for long.
White struck first inside the opening five minutes on goals from Natalya Chang and Ryan Rutigliano, but Blue answered quickly through Michael McFadden, a Ward Melville varsity player entering the tournament as nearly a point-per-game producer at that level. The scoring continued into the second period as Liam Bodine restored White’s lead before Phillip Vecchione and Xavier Chang scored twice for Blue, the latter tying the game and showcasing the finish that keyed Blue’s push. Nicolette Anselmo answered for White in the third, setting the stage for Giovanni DeMarco’s go-ahead goal at 9:04, which stood as the game-winner. DeMarco entered the weekend with 48 points in 21 games on his developmental squad and delivered in the moment that mattered most. Rutigliano countered again for White at 7:30 to keep the pressure on, completing a multi-goal night and pulling from a stat line that included 14 points in 21 games this season.
The closing minutes turned into a survival test for Blue. White pulled its goaltender for a 6-on-5 attack, briefly upgrading to 6-on-4 after Elias Tweedy was whistled for hooking, and Chang generated multiple looks at the empty net during the frantic sequence. Blue goaltender Jake Henson made a sprawling stop on a rebound attempt to keep the lead intact, while McFadden helped bleed the clock by rimming the puck around the boards under pressure. Rutigliano won the decisive final faceoff with three seconds remaining, but White could not get a shot away before time expired.
Blue’s disciplined finish sealed the win in an exhibition that served as a follow-up showcase to the tournament’s 9-12 youth game the day before. Both sides showed the depth of talent on display at the Summer Shootout, with the tournament’s division championships continuing on LI Sports Network.
