Middle Country’s freshmen delivered a statement in the opening game of the Suffolk County High School Hockey League freshman division finals, blanking top-seeded St. Anthony’s 4-0 on Friday at The Rinx – North Rink. Derek Johnson recorded a hat trick, and goaltender Dominic Graziano posted the shutout as the eighth-seeded Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series.
Johnson wasted little time setting the tone, scoring the game-winning goal at 11:20 of the first period off an assist from Sebastian Caliendo to give Middle Country an early edge. Mason Lasalla extended the lead in the second period, converting a Liam McCarthy feed just 1:37 into the frame to make it 2-0. St. Anthony’s, which entered the postseason with 12 goals scored across its first two playoff games, could not solve Graziano and found no answers on the scoreboard through 40 minutes.
Johnson put the finishing touches on his hat trick in the third period, scoring at 14:38 off a Lasalla assist before capping the night with an empty-net goal at 0:57 after St. Anthony’s pulled goaltender Leo Bonawandt for an extra attacker. McCarthy picked up his second assist of the game on the empty-netter, finishing with two helpers on the night. The game featured physical play throughout, with eight total penalties called, including a pair of roughing minors in the third period involving Nicholas Tizzano.
Graziano’s shutout came against a St. Anthony’s club that entered the game 17-2, while Middle Country arrived at 11-11 as the lowest remaining seed in the bracket. The result marked a sharp turn from the teams’ four regular-season meetings, none of which ended in a shutout. Middle Country now sits one win away from completing its run from the eighth seed to a division championship, with Game 2 looming as St. Anthony’s looks to even the series.
