High School
Patriots Move Into Playoff Spot
HAUPPAUGE N.Y. (LISN) – Senior Michael Eilenberger netted his first career varsity hat-trick to power the Ward Melville Patriots (3-7) to a 6-2 victory to the Connetquot-Sayville T-Birds (2-8).
Senior Ethan Tam scored twice on Monday night. The senior has netted two goals in each of the Patriots last two wins.
Senior Anthony Cerulli netted one goal and added two helpers.
Senior Luke Tannenbaum allowed just two goals as he backstopped Ward Melville to victory. The former PatMed Raider has three wins through seven starts this season.
Senior Nick Masi and Senior Eathan Brdey scored for Connetquot-Sayville.
Senior Alex Clark made his sixth start for the T-Birds.
Masi opened the scoring with 9:33 remaining in the 1st period to give the T-Birds a 1-0 lead. The senior redirected a point shot by Junior Josh King past Tannenbaum.
Tam scored an unassisted goal to tie the game with 5:18 left in the opening stanza. Tam stole the puck away from a T-Birds defender in front of the net and tucked it past Clark.
The T-Birds made a late push in the final seconds of the frame, but Tannenbaum made two big saves to keep it 1-1.
Eilenberger netted his first of the night, a shorthanded goal, with 11:58 remaining in the 2nd period. The senior sniped stick side high on a shorthanded two on one opportunity.
Eilenberger buried the eventual game winning goal on the power play with 9:50 left in the second stanza to make it 3-1 Patriots. Cerulli won the draw, Senior Aidan Ayers pushed it forward, and Eilenberger deflected it home.
Brdey netted his first of the season on the power play to make it a one score game with 8:10 to go in the 3rd period. The senior buried the rebound after the puck skipped out in the slot.
Tam netted the insurance goal with 2:00 left in the final frame. Tam went top shelf to score on the breakaway.
31 seconds later Cerulli potted an empty netter.
Six seconds later Eilenberger rifled his third of the night home to complete the hat-trick.
Box Score
| Period | Time | Team | Scorer | Assist(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 09:33 | Connetquot Sayville | Nicholas Masi III (#28) | Joshua King (#2), Eathan Brdey (#22) | |
| 1st | 05:18 | Ward Melville | Ethan Tam (#24) | Unassisted | |
| 2nd | 11:58 | Ward Melville | Michael Eilenberger (#2) | Patrick Scali (#56) | SH |
| 2nd | 09:50 | Ward Melville | Michael Eilenberger (#2) | Aidan Ayers (#6), Anthony Cerulli (#16) | PP, GWG |
| 3rd | 08:10 | Connetquot Sayville | Eathan Brdey (#22) | Logan Keil (#91) | PP |
| 3rd | 02:00 | Ward Melville | Ethan Tam (#24) | Unassisted | |
| 3rd | 01:29 | Ward Melville | Anthony Cerulli (#16) | Unassisted | EN |
| 3rd | 01:23 | Ward Melville | Michael Eilenberger (#2) | Anthony Cerulli (#16) |
Three Stars Of The Game
| Star | Player | Stat Line | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐️ 1st Star | Michael Eilenberger | Hat-Trick, SHG, PPG/GWG | Had a hand in half his teams goals in a dominant performance |
| ⭐️ 2nd Star | Ethan Tam | Two Goals | Came up clutch with the game-tying goal and the insurance goal |
| ⭐️ 3rd Star | Anthony Cerulli | Empty Net Goal, Two Assists | Added an empty netter and picked up two helpers |
Upcoming Schedule
The Connetquot-Sayville T-Birds (2-8) square off against the Smithtown-Hauppauge Bulls (9-1) on Sunday, November 24 at 7:50 pm. The T-Birds lost 7-2 to the Bulls earlier this season. It bears mentioning that Connetquot-Sayville shocked the league with a win in November against Smithtown-Hauppauge last season.
The Ward Melville Patriots (3-7) are back in action against the Middle Country Cougars (0-9) on Monday, December 2 at 9:40 pm. The Patriots blanked the Cougars 5-0 in their first meeting of the campaign.
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