Luka Pisano delivered a three-point performance to lead Eastport South Manor to a commanding 6-1 victory over Ward Melville on Saturday at North, extending the Sharks’ dominance in this season series. The freshman forward, who entered the game with 21 goals and 29 points in 17 games, capped the scoring with 1:00 remaining while adding two assists in a balanced offensive attack that saw six different players find the back of the net.
Eastport South Manor (13-5) jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead behind goals from Ayden Gabrielsen and Everett Schupp, with Schupp’s even-strength tally at 4:34 proving to be the game-winner. The Sharks never looked back, extending their advantage to 4-0 through two periods on strikes by Kevin Beckman and Colton Fritzen. Beckman, the team’s leading scorer entering with 28 goals and 41 points in just 12 games, continued his torrid pace with his goal at 10:10 of the second period.
Ward Melville (5-14) briefly threatened to mount a comeback when Matthew Waldner scored early in the third period, assisted by Jordan Knuth, to cut the deficit to 4-1. However, any hopes of a rally were quickly extinguished as Brody Maniaci restored the four-goal cushion at 13:15 before Pisano added the exclamation point. The victory marked Eastport South Manor’s second decisive win over Ward Melville this season, following an 8-3 triumph in November, and kept the Sharks firmly in contention in the SCHSHL standings with their 13th win in 20 games.
