Jack Conlon scored five goals and added two assists, and Jonathan Moehringer recorded a hat trick as Middle Country (FR) beat Ward Melville (FR) 11-3 on Saturday at The Rinx – North Rink. Middle Country improved to 2-0-0-0, while Ward Melville fell to 0-2-0-0. With a Nor’Easter raging outside, the rink offered a dry refuge, and the home side gave the crowd plenty to cheer from the start.
Conlon entered the game with three goals and four points in one game, and he had another hat trick before the first intermission. He opened the scoring unassisted with 9:30 left in the first. He then converted a highlight-reel power-play goal set up by Madison Dechiaro with 3:01 remaining. Conlon completed the hat trick with 28 seconds left in the period, finishing a play from Sebastian Caliendo and Moehringer for a 3-0 lead.
Conlon made it 4-0 with a short-handed goal, assisted by Caliendo, with 11:54 left in the second period. That goal stood as the game-winner. Moehringer followed less than a minute later on a feed from Dechiaro. Ward Melville then pushed back. Michael Kappes scored on a breakaway with 9:29 left for his first goal of the season and the first of his league career. Anthony Eilenberger scored his first of the season off a Zachary Berliant assist 1:23 later, cutting the deficit to 5-2 and drawing cheers from the Ward Melville supporters.
Middle Country answered before the period ended. Moehringer scored again from Dechiaro with 3:56 left, and Ava Saenz finished a Conlon setup with 1:19 remaining to make it 7-2. Dechiaro opened the third period with an unassisted short-handed goal that matched the skill she showed setting up teammates. Conlon picked up his fifth goal with 12:22 left. Moehringer completed his hat trick on a Conlon assist with 7:31 remaining, giving Conlon a seven-point game.
Aaron Barger scored his first goal of the season with 4:29 left, assisted by Erik Bjorneby II. Caliendo closed the scoring with an unassisted backhand with 3:00 remaining for his first goal of the season. Dechiaro finished with one goal and three assists, and Caliendo had a goal and two assists. Gavin Guadagno made several sharp stops for Middle Country and allowed three goals in the win. Elijah Cicero Trested made athletic saves early for Ward Melville and was charged with the loss.
Middle Country will look to stay unbeaten, while Ward Melville continues to search for its first win of the season.
