Benjamin Caraher scored three goals, including an empty-netter late in the third period, and St. Anthony’s (VR) pulled away from Kings Park/Commack (VR) for an 8-4 win Friday night at The Rinx – North Rink. Caraher entered the night with one assist and no goals. St. Anthony’s got goals from six different players to improve to 2-0-0-0, while Kings Park/Commack fell to 0-1-1-0.
Overflowing crowds on both sides filled the rink, with the St. Anthony’s fans especially loud. Through a scoreless first period, the play stayed clean and evenly matched, and Tyler Burke and Gaetano Sacino were both sharp in net. The game broke open in the second, when three goals came between 13:43 and 12:41. Caraher opened the scoring from Dylan Schlicht, and Joseph Mezzasalma answered for Kings Park/Commack from Antonio Borzumato 18 seconds later. Caraher then restored the lead with a power-play goal set up by Nicholas Lawlor.
St. Anthony’s kept pushing. Jack Hurlbert scored unassisted with 7:26 left in the period, and Christopher Kancza, who entered with two assists, made it 4-1 from Jason Matuza 23 seconds later. Dominic Slevin got one back for Kings Park/Commack from Jake Coyle. Dominic Tartaglia answered with 4:20 remaining, scoring unassisted right off a faceoff win for the eventual game-winner and a 5-2 St. Anthony’s lead.
Kings Park/Commack came back hard in the third. Aaron Haberman scored unassisted on the power play early in the period to make it 5-3, and Slevin added his second of the night on another power play from Mezzasalma with 10:57 left to cut the deficit to one. Burke kept his team within reach as the period went on, and Kings Park/Commack called a timeout with about six minutes left to regroup for a final push. Corey Jacobs, who ran for 70 yards for the Commack football team earlier that day, was part of a physical Kings Park/Commack effort.
St. Anthony’s settled it late. Kenneth Engelhardt scored unassisted with 2:21 left for a 6-4 lead. With the net empty, Caraher finished his hat trick with 1:28 remaining, and Daniel Smith closed the scoring with 42 seconds left. Sacino allowed four goals and earned the win. Burke allowed five goals and took the loss, and Grayson Eble allowed two in relief.
St. Anthony’s will look to stay unbeaten, while Kings Park/Commack seeks its first win of the season.
