High School
Harold Stauffer leads Middle Country to first varsity win in two years
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (LISN) — Senior Harold Stauffer lit the lamp five times in a six-point performance, leading the Middle Country Cougars (1-12) to a 7-4 victory over the Northport/Huntington Tigers (5-8).
It’s the Cougars’ first varsity win since defeating the West Islip Lions on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Middle Country did not field at the Varsity level during the 2023-2024 season.
Junior Declan Munkwitz added two goals, including a late insurance tally, to secure the win.
Junior Kenny Bridgeford Jr. backstopped Middle Country to victory, earning his first career win through seven starts.
Junior Bowen Rudloff was between the pipes for his 10th start of the season for the Northport/Huntington Tigers.
Junior J.T. Caruso scored a shorthanded goal with 10:20 remaining in the 1st period to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Caruso drifted left-to-right as he entered the zone and went five-hole to beat Bridgeford.
Munkwitz evened the score with 8:34 left in the opening stanza. The junior defenseman went forehand-backhand to dust the Tigers defender and beat Rudloff.
Stauffer lit the lamp at the 5:30 mark of the 1st period to give Middle Country its first lead of the night. The Cougars’ captain buried it off a faceoff win by Senior Lucas McDowell.
A minute later, Junior Joseph Buonacore made a centering pass to Senior James Corr, but Bridgeford flashed the leather and robbed the Tigers blind.
Stauffer struck again with 3:03 remaining in the 1st period to make it 3-1 after the opening frame. Stauffer danced right-to-left, leaving the defender spinning in circles behind him, before coming in all alone and sniping short-side high.
Forty-nine seconds into the 2nd period, Stauffer completed the natural hat trick with a power-play marker to extend Middle Country’s lead to 4-1. Senior Andrew Iannaconne made a lead pass to Stauffer, who went five-hole for a breakaway goal.
Corr came back with a vengeance, scoring his third of the season with 10:17 remaining. The senior redirected a shot from the point by Sophomore Kevin Sherwood past Bridgeford.
Sherwood netted his second goal of the season, his first on the power play, with 7:53 remaining in the 2nd period to make it a one-goal game. Sherwood zig-zagged his way into the slot before firing a shot that went off the bar and trickled past the goal line.
After a shorthanded chance for Stauffer was denied by Rudloff, Caruso potted his 17th goal of the season and fifth on the power play with 5:46 left in the 2nd period to tie the game at 4-4. Caruso fired a perfectly placed shot between the helmet and glove of Bridgeford.
Stauffer potted his fourth of the night, the eventual game-winning goal, at the 5:00 mark of the 3rd period to make it 5-4 Cougars. The Middle Country captain dashed toward the goal line and lifted a backhand shot past Rudloff.
Munkwitz added his second goal of the night and fifth of the season with 1:03 left to extend the lead to 6-4. Munkwitz slid the puck past two defenders with a one-handed toe drag before going five-hole to score.
Stauffer scored an empty-net goal, his fifth tally of the night and 19th of the season, with 32 seconds remaining in regulation.
Box Score
| Period | Time | Goal Scorer | Assists | Goal Type | Score After Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10:20 | #40 Joseph Caruso (16) | Unassisted | Short-Handed | NH 1-0 |
| 1st | 08:34 | #5 Declan Munkwitz (4) | #22 Ian McGee (5) | Even Strength | MC 1-1 |
| 1st | 05:30 | #86 Harold Stauffer (15) | #21 Lukas McDowell (2) | Even Strength | MC 2-1 |
| 1st | 03:03 | #86 Harold Stauffer (16) | Unassisted | Even Strength | MC 3-1 |
| 2nd | 14:11 | #86 Harold Stauffer (17) | #2 Andrew Iannaccone (3) | Power Play | MC 4-1 |
| 2nd | 10:17 | #15 James Corr (3) | #34 Kevin Sherwood (4) | Even Strength | MC 4-2 |
| 2nd | 07:53 | #34 Kevin Sherwood (2) | Unassisted | Power Play | MC 4-3 |
| 2nd | 05:46 | #40 Joseph Caruso (17) | Unassisted | Power Play | 4-4 |
| 3rd | 05:00 | #86 Harold Stauffer (18) | #26 Jason Pesci (1) | Game-Winning Goal | MC 5-4 |
| 3rd | 01:03 | #5 Declan Munkwitz (5) | Unassisted | Even Strength | MC 6-4 |
| 3rd | 00:32 | #86 Harold Stauffer (19) | Unassisted | Empty Net | MC 7-4 |
Three Stars of the Game
| ⭐ Star | Player | Stats | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ 1st Star | Harold Stauffer | 5 Goals, 1 Assist | Dominated the game with five goals, including the game-winner and one assist. |
| ⭐ 2nd Star | Declan Munkwitz | 2 Goals | Opened the scoring before adding an insurance goal late in the game. |
| ⭐ 3rd Star | Kenny Bridgeford Jr. | Win, 4GA | Earned the win with key saves to help lift Middle Country to their first win of the season |
Upcoming Schedule
The Northport/Huntington Tigers (5-8-0) will ring in the year against the East Islip Chiefs (6-7-0) on Sunday, January 5 at 7:50 PM.
The Tigers dropped their first meeting against the Chiefs 8-6 on October 20.
The Kings Park/Commack Knights (10-3-0) will take on the Middle Country Cougars (1-12-0) on Monday, December 16 at 9:40 PM.
The Cougars lost 14-2 in their first meeting of the season to the Knights on October 20.
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