RJ and The Bulls Roll Over EI  

Junior RJ Pfister scored once in a two point performance as the #4 Seed Smithtown Hauppauge Bulls won 4-3 over #1 Seed East Islip Chiefs in the SCHSHL Semifinals. Junior Brendan Landrigan scored the shorthanded game winner in a two goal performance. Fellow Junior Jackson Cantalupo found the back of the net for the Bulls. Senior goaltender Patrick Ryan was stellar down the stretch in a winning performance for Smithtown Hauppauge. 

After falling behind 3-0 in the opening frame, EI Senior Anthony Pepe put the Chiefs on the board in the second stanza. Chiefs captain Ryan Anatra and fellow Senior Luke LaFata scored in short succession to tie the game before the Bulls went back up one in the 2nd period. Chiefs goaltender Brody Dickson made a series of show stopping saves to keep the Chiefs in it until the final horn sounded. 

Bulls forward Brendan Landrigan opened the scoring with his second of the post-season just 1:31 into the opening frame to put the Bulls up 1-0. Bulls blue liner R.J. Pfister fired a shot from the point that went off the bar, the puck dropped down in the blue paint and Landrigan tapped it home. R.J. Pfister scored his first of the post-season on the power play to extend the Bulls lead to 2-0 with 5:50 remaining. Pfister entered the zone, used the defender as a screen and sniped top shelf. Forward Jackson Cantalupo scored his second of the playoffs after the conclusion of an EI power play to put the Bulls up 3-0 with 2:01 remaining. Shane Reidy entered the zone off a pass from Bobby Trites before moving it over to Cantalupo who went forehand-backhand to beat Dickson.

Forward Anthony Pepe scored a shorthanded breakaway goal for the Chiefs just 1:58 into the second stanza. A turnover at the offensive zone blue line led to Pepe coming in 1 on 0 to beat Ryan short side. Forward Ryan Anatra scored on a 2 on 1 to make it 3-2 with 5:46 left in the second frame. Anthony Pepe entered 2 on 1 and made a pass that was blocked by R.J. Pfister. Pepe recollected the puck and made a quick feed to Anatra who went top shelf from the back door. Forward Luke LaFata scored his first of the post-season to tie the game with 3:05 remaining in the 2nd period. LaFata fired a shot from the slot that beat Ryan after Anthony Marazzito made a quick feed from the left wing half wall. It was the Chiefs second goal in a span of 2:41. Brendan Landrigan scored the shorthanded game winner with 1:22 left in the frame. Junior Gavin Bareham blocked a shot, the puck came to Landrigan, and made a lead pass to create a breakaway. Brody Dickson denied Bareham before Landrigan buried the rebound.

Brody Dickson and Patrick Ryan were at the top of their game in the 3rd period. The Bulls and Chiefs traded chances throughout the final frame, but neither team was able to find the back of the net. EI pulled Dickson in favor of an extra attacker after calling a timeout late with just over a minute remaining in the period. A minor penalty that went against Smithtown Hauppauge with 18 seconds left in regulation led to a 6 on 4 advantage for East Islip. The Bulls won the ensuing draw, iced the puck and prevented one final zone entry attempt by the Chiefs to secure the win.

Scoring Summary

Three Stars of the Game