Jack Conlon scored three goals and added an assist, and Middle Country (FR) beat East Islip Red (FR) 6-1 on Saturday night at The Rinx – North Rink in the season opener for both SCHSHL freshman squads. Madison Dechiaro matched Conlon with four points on two goals and two assists, as the pair combined for eight points.
The two set the tone in the first period. With 4:25 left, Dechiaro finished a crisp give-and-go, taking a perfectly placed backhand feed from Conlon to open the scoring. Conlon made it 2-0 on the power play with 8:29 left in the second, redirecting a shot from the point in front of the net. Lucas Reyes picked up the assist and was also a steady presence in his own end, breaking up several plays in the final two periods.
East Islip Red answered with 6:35 remaining in the second when Logan Dedominici scored unassisted on the power play to cut the deficit to 2-1. Middle Country restored its two-goal cushion with 4:53 left in the period, as Conlon scored off a Dechiaro assist to make it 3-1. Through the first half of the game, Declan Grieve kept East Islip Red within reach with sound positioning and rebound control.
Middle Country pulled away in the third. Conlon completed his hat trick with 13:40 left, again set up by Dechiaro, for a 4-1 lead. Conlon showed little reaction to any of his three goals. Dechiaro followed with 10:53 remaining, scoring unassisted on a strong individual effort, and Jonathan Moehringer finished a well-placed shot with 8:15 left to cap the scoring. Moehringer also won key faceoffs throughout the period.
Jake Hinson, who took over in goal for Middle Country in the second period, earned the win and allowed one goal. Late in the game, he made a full-split save to stop a speedy breakaway by Eli Irizarry, and the crowd responded with applause. Grieve took the loss for East Islip Red after allowing six goals.
The result was a strong start for a Middle Country program coming off a sixth-place finish last season. The team opens at 1-0-0-0, while East Islip Red, last year’s second-place finisher, starts 0-1-0-0 and will look to generate more offense outside the power play in its next outing.
