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EI Clinches 1st Place In OT As WI Steals Another Point

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Ryan Anatra scored the game winner as the East Islip Chiefs  (16-1-2) clinched the first seed in the varsity division with a 6-5 overtime win over the West Islip Lions (4-11-1-3). Corey McGovern picked up his seventh win of the season for the Chiefs. Tyler Sapoff backstopped the Lions to an overtime loss in his ninth start of the season. The Lions now have the dubious distinction of leading the SCHSHL in overtime losses this season which has given them a chance to edge out the Patriots for the eighth seed in the playoffs. The West Islip Lions will need to collect two points against the Connequot Sayville BBP T-Birds in their final regular season game unless the Ward Melville Patriots lose to both the Longwood Lions and Kings Park Commack Knights to close out the season. The Chiefs were without defenseman Chris Lawlor in the overtime win. James Barbieri did not draw into the lineup for the Lions in an overtime loss.

Ciaran Pollard opened the scoring to give the Lions a 1-0 lead with 13:48 remaining in the first frame. Pollard made a pass off the wall to the point where Charlie Brandenstein gave it right back to the Lions Captain who cut from the right wing half wall to the slot and sniped glove side high. Evan LaFata evened the score with 10:20 left in the 1st period. Thomas Ivers circled the Lions zone and found Evan LaFata all alone on the back door for a tap in. Luke LaFata redirected a shot by L.J. Lena past Sapoff to put the Chiefs up 2-1 with 7:43 remaining in the frame. Luke Walther scored five-hole off a pass from beneath the goal line by Thomas Ivers to give the Chiefs a 3-1 lead with 4:51 left to go in the period. Just 22 seconds later Ciaran Pollard scored his second of the game to cut the Chiefs lead to one. Jackson Allen forced a turnover just inside the Chiefs blue line where Pollard collected the puck, cut towards the left wing wall and sniped stick side high. William Shields tied the game at 3-3 with 3:33 remaining in the frame. A shot from the point by Andrew Mervyak led to Shields burying a rebound. 

Nicholas Perpall scored with 12:51 left in the second stanza to give the Lions a 4-3 lead. Perpall won the draw, Jackson Allen sent it up the wall where the Lions center skated into it and chipped it out of the zone. Gianni Ruggiano came in 2 on 1, collected the puck beneath the goal life after his initial slot was blocked, and found Perpall right in front for a tap in to take a 4-3 lead. Ryan Anatra tied the game at 4-4 with 10:28 remaining in the period. Thomas Ivers made a pass from beneath the goal line to Anatra on the back door who fired it home. Anthony Pepe found the back of the net to put the Chiefs back up by one with 3:43 left in the frame. Ryan Anatra forced a turnover, before moving the puck to Ivers who found Pepe on the back door to complete the tic-tac-toe play.  East Islip led West Islip 5-4 after the 2nd period.  

Ciaran Polllard completed the hat-trick to tie the game with 11:19 remaining in the 3rd period to tie the game at 5-5. James Johnson forced a turnover in transition, the puck came to Pollard who escaped a diving poke check by the EI netminder before burying it in the wide open net. Both teams called timeout in the final minutes of the 3rd period, but neither team could secure a regulation victory. 

Ryan Anatra scored the game winning goal with 2:28 remaining in overtime. A shot by Anthony Pepe that was blocked left the puck in the slot where Anatra collected it, escaped pressure and let it rip on a shot from the slot to evade an upset loss. 

Scoring Summary:

PeriodTimeGoal Scorer (Team)AssistsGoal Type
1st13:48Ciaran Pollard (West Islip Lions)Jackson Allen
1st10:20Evan LaFata (East Islip Chiefs)Thomas Ivers
1st07:43Luke LaFata (East Islip Chiefs)Lawrence Lena, Kieran Freelin
1st04:51Luke Walther (East Islip Chiefs)Anthony Pepe, Jack Dolson
1st04:29Ciaran Pollard (West Islip Lions)Jackson Allen
1st03:33William Shields (West Islip Lions)Andrew Mervyak
2nd12:51Nicholas Perpall (West Islip Lions)Jackson Allen
2nd10:28Ryan Anatra (East Islip Chiefs)Thomas Ivers
2nd03:43Anthony Pepe (East Islip Chiefs)Thomas Ivers, Ryan Anatra
3rd11:19Ciaran Pollard (West Islip Lions)James Johnson
OT 102:28Ryan Anatra (East Islip Chiefs) (GWG)Anthony PepeGWG

Penalties by Period:

PeriodTimePenaltyPlayer (Team)
1st PeriodNo Penalties
2nd PeriodNo Penalties
3rd PeriodNo Penalties
OT 1No Penalties

Three Stars of the Game:

StarPlayer (Team)Stat LinePerformance Summary
1stCiaran Pollard (West Islip Lions)Hat-TrickPollard potted a hat-trick as the Lions stole a point in the standings
2ndRyan Anatra (East Islip Chiefs)2 Goals, 1 AssistAnatra scored the game winner with two goals and one assist on the night
3rdCorey McGovern (East Islip Chiefs)Overtime Win, 5GAMcGovern made several key stops down the stretch to secure an overtime win

Upcoming Schedule

The East Islip Chiefs will face off with the St. Anthony’s Friars on Monday February 5th to close out the regular season. The Chiefs won their first meeting against the Friars 8-6, but the Friars beat the Chiefs 5-2 in their second meeting with Brady Monteleone and Ryan Anatra out of the lineup for their respective clubs.

The West Islip Lions will take on the Connetquot Sayville BBP T-Birds on Friday February 9th at 10:10 PM. The Lions dropped their first two meetings against a T-Birds squad that in all likelihood will be the only thing standing between West Islip and the playoffs come next Friday.

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