High School
Bulls Win Shootout To Force Game Three
Hockey is a game of mistakes, the team that makes the fewest mistakes typically wins. Neither Smithtown Hauppauge nor St. Anthony’s made many mistakes last night, but it was the Bulls that won 2-1 in a shootout over the Friars to force Game Three in the SCHSHL Varsity Finals. Senior goaltender Patrick Ryan made three stops on five attempts by the Friars as Juniors Jackson Cantalupo, Brendan Landrigan and Gavin Bareham found the back of the net in the Bulls shootout victory. Senior Netminder T.J. Ulmschneider was stellar in goal for the Friars. The Smithtown Hauppauge Bulls are set to take on the St: Anthony’s Friars on Wednesday February 21st at 9:20 PM in Game Three to decide who will win the 2023-2024 SCHSHL championship.
It was a hard fought battle from the opening draw, with both squads playing a disciplined two-hundred foot game. The Bulls and Friars each went 1/5 on the power play. The captain Bobby Trites opening the scoring in the second stanza to give the Bulls the lead, and Junior James Schendorf tied it on a 6 on 4 advantage with under a minute remaining.
Smithtown Hauppauge looked like a different team on Monday night, and one could argue that they still haven’t shown us their best in this series. Bulls bench boss Mark Dubeau put the lines in a blender in Game Two. Junior Michael Arnoni moved up to center the top line, while former JV teammates Shane Reidy and J.P. D’Allessandro were paired with one another on a new-look checking line.
Head Coach Bob Lund’s St. Anthony’s Friars played with pace in a strong showing that didn’t go their way. The “JV Gold Line” of James Aspromonti, James Schendorf and Ryan Leon continue to impress in big minutes for the Friars.
Neither team found the back of the net in the opening frame as Patrick Ryan and T.J. Ulmschneider traded saves. Both teams went 0/1 on the power play in the 1st period.
Bobby Trites scored a power play goal with 5:14 remaining in the 2nd period to put the Bulls up 1-0. Brendan Landrigan won the draw back to R.J. Pfister, who made a cross ice feed to Trites to fire a one-time clapper top shelf. Both teams had three power play opportunities in the second stanza, but only the Bulls found the back of the net.
St. Anthony’s rallied with 3:24 remaining the final frame after alternate captain Louis Cutalo IV was assessed a two-minute minor and the captain, Brady Monteleone, was assessed a ten minute misconduct. After killing off the majority of the Cutalo IV minor, the Friars drew an interference penalty with 1:56 left in the 3rd period. The Friars pulled Ulmschneider in favor of an extra attacker after Cutalo IV was released from the box. James Schendorf scored the game tying goal with 47 seconds remaining. Junior defenseman Michael Catizone fired a shot from the point that Schendorf redirected past Ryan.
The game wound up going to double overtime. The Bulls and the Friars traded scoring chances, however neither squad found the back of the net due to stellar goaltending. The game was heading to a best of five shootout.
Friars Senior Louis Cutalo IV walked in to snipe top shelf to put the Friars up 1-0. Bulls forward Jackson Cantalupo inched in before going five-hole to tie it up. Patrick Ryan made the first stop of the shootout against Brady Montelone. The Friars captain tried to go backhand-forehand, the same move he used to beat KPC’s Jayson Krauthamer for a shorthanded penalty shot goal in the semifinals, but the Bulls netminder made the pad stop. Bulls forward Brendan Landrigan beat the St. Anthony’s netminder glove side to give Smithtown Hauppauge a 2-1 lead in the shootout. Junior forward James Aspromonti went stick side high to tie the game at 2-2. Bulls forward Gavin Bareham fired a shot that went off the netminder and on to put his team back up by one. Patrick Ryan made his second stop to keep the Bulls up 3-2. James Schendorf faked before going forehand, but put it off the pipe while trying tuck it around the outstretched pad of Ryan. Friars goaltender T.J. Ulmschneider stopped Trites in his tracks for his first stop of the shutout to keep the game in reach. Ulmschneider stepped out, walked his arc nicely as he took away the angle, and the shot went wide. Ryan made his final stop against Friars Sophomore Tommy Azzariti. The St. Anthony’s forward lost the handle trying to fake to his forehand.
Scoring Summary
Goal (Team) | Assist | Period | TOI | Type |
Bobby Trites (Bulls) | R.J. Pfister, Brendan Landrigan | 2nd | 5:14 | Power Play |
James Schendorf (Friars) | Michael Catizone | 3rd | :47 | Power Play |
Shootout Results
Shootout Attempt | Shooter (Team) | Result | Score |
#1 | Louis Cutalo IV (Friars) | Goal | 1-0 |
#2 | Jackson Cantalupo (Bulls) | Goal | 1-1 |
#3 | Brady Monteleone (Friars) | Save | 1-1 |
#4 | Brendan Landrigan (Bulls) | Goal | 2-1 |
#5 | James Aspromonti (Friars) | Goal | 2-2 |
#6 | Gavin Bareham (Bulls) | Goal | 3-2 |
#7 | James Schendorf (Friars) | Save | 3-2 |
#8 | Bobby Trites (Bulls) | Save | 3-2 |
#9 | Tommy Azzariti | Save | 3-2 |
Three Stars Of The Game
Star | Player (Team) | Stat Line | Performance Summary |
1st | Patrick Ryan (Bulls) | Win, 1GA | Ryan allowed just 1GA on the power play through 55 minutes before making 3 stops in the shootout to win it for the Bulls |
2nd | Bobby Trites (Bulls) | Power Play Goal | Trites scored a power play goal in a solid two-hundred foot performance for the Captain |
3rd | Gavin Bareham | Shootout Winning Goal | Bareham scored the shootout winner to cap off the Bulls night |
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