Anthony Vitale scored the eventual game winning goal as the Bellmore-Merrick Bulldogs defeated the Syosset Braves 2-1. The Bulldogs moved to 8-3 on the year. The Braves dropped to 5-5 on the campaign. Joey Braglia made a series of show stopping saves in a winning effort for the Bulldogs. Nick Summa made twenty-two saves for the Braves.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the first frame. With 10:59 gone by in the second stanza, Nico Buglione lit the lamp on the power play to open the scoring for the Bulldogs. Anthony Vitale scored his first career NYIHSHL varsity goal to extend the lead to two for Bellmore-Merrick with 8:28 gone by in the third frame. The Braves may have been down, but they weren’t out. Jake Gagliano put the Braves on the board with a power play goal at the 11:37 mark. The Braves went with an empty net in the final minutes of the game, but the Bulldogs fended off the comeback attempt to secure a 2-1 win.
Scoring Summary
| Period | Time | Goal Scorer (Team) | Assist(s) | Goal Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 10:39 | Nico Buglione (Bellmore-Merrick) | Nicholas Drogin, Collin Roulston | Power Play Goal (PPG) |
| 3rd | 08:28 | Anthony Vitale (Bellmore-Merrick) | Chase Goldman, Jourdan Luskoff | Game Winning Goal (GWG) |
| 3rd | 11:37 | Jake Gagliano (Syosset) | Joseph Fanelli, Zach Noll | Power Play Goal (PPG) |
Three Stars of the Game
| Star | Player (Team) | Stat Line | Performance Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joey Braglia (Bellmore-Merrick) | 20 Saves, Win | Backstopped the Bulldogs to their eighth consecutive win. |
| 2nd | Nico Buglione (Bellmore-Merrick) | 1 Goal | Opened the scoring on the power play. |
| 3rd | Anthony Vitale (Bellmore-Merrick) | 1 Goal | The first goal of his career won the game for the Bulldogs. |