Longwood and Kings Park/Commack skated to an 8-8 tie after a scoreless overtime Monday at The Rinx – North Rink. Brandon Nicotri had a hat trick and an assist for Longwood, and Connor Girard tied the game with 20 seconds left in regulation. The season opener for both SCHSHL varsity clubs produced 16 goals, eight of them in the final 14:02 of the third period.
Longwood built a 2-0 lead in the first period. Nicotri scored on the power play with 9:54 left, assisted by Michael Gaudiello and Christopher Ballaro, and Gaudiello added an even-strength goal off a Nicotri feed with 7:43 remaining. Kings Park/Commack tied it early in the second on goals 50 seconds apart from Matthew Pascale and Corey Jacobs. Longwood answered with three unassisted goals in a span of 1:19 from Girard, Nicotri and Jeremy Maresca to go up 5-2, before Dominic Slevin cut the deficit to 5-3 with 6:51 left in the period.
Joseph Mezzasalma pulled Kings Park/Commack within a goal early in the third. Nicotri completed his hat trick with 8:35 left to restore a two-goal lead at 6-4. Kings Park/Commack then scored four straight. Aaron Haberman converted on the power play with 6:15 remaining, and Matthew Defeo tied it 6-6 at 5:51. Robert Wimmer put Kings Park/Commack ahead with 5:02 left, and Pascale scored his second goal with 4:12 remaining to make it 8-6.
Longwood responded late. Nicholas Shepherd scored with 55 seconds left, assisted by Girard, and Girard tied it unassisted with 20 seconds to go. Pascale, Wimmer, Defeo, Jacobs and Kevin Schwartz each had two points for Kings Park/Commack. Kasper Sztabinski of Longwood and Tyler Burke of Kings Park/Commack each allowed eight goals.
Both teams open the season at 0-0-1-0 and will look for their first win in their next games.
