T-Birds Win 4-1 As Playoff Picture Begins To Take Shape 

Brent Brdey scored the eventual game winner as the Connetquot Sayville BBP T-Birds (8-10) won 4-1 over the Northport Huntington Tigers (7-11). Shane Kirby picked up his fourth win of the season for the T-Birds. Boden Rudloff made his ninth start of the season for the Tigers. The T-Birds win gives them a two point lead in the standings over the Tigers. The Connetquot Sayville BBP T-Birds need to secure two points to clinch the sixth seed, unless the Northport Huntington Tigers lose one of their next two games.  

Alex DeLeon and Alex Barylski did not draw into the lineup for the Connetquot Sayville BBP T-Birds. Michael Agafonov and Ryan Collins did not draw into the lineup for the Northport Huntington Tigers. Aydan Sheer made his varsity debut for the Tigers. 

Blake Brown opened the scoring with 10:34 remaining in the first frame to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Liam Truicko forced a turnover at the blue line before head-manning the puck to Brown who went forehand-backhand to score a breakaway goal.

Ryan Fleischauer evened the score with 5:20 left in the second stanza. Jack Mercado chipped the puck into the Tigers zone for the T-Birds captain who cut in from the left wing corner to the slot and beat the netminder far side from inside the blue paint. Brent Brdey scored with 2:25 remaining in the 2nd period to put the T-Birds up 2-1. Ryan Fleischauer made a cross ice feed from above the left wing face off circle to Brdey who walked in to snipe short side. Matt Campagnola scored with just 40 seconds left in the second frame to extend the T-Birds lead to two. Joe Villani raced up ice as he cut from right to left before making a cross ice feed to Campagnola who double clutched before firing a shot from beneath the right wing dot.

Matt Campagnola potted his second of the night with 13:37 remaining in the final frame to put the T-Birds up 4-1. Chase Haggerty made a stretch pass for Campagnola to breakaway opportunity for the T-Birds assistant captain to go forehand-backhand to beat the netminder five-hole.

A melee with 3:50 remaining in the 3rd period led to Connetquot Sayville’s Eathan Brdey and Northport Huntington’s Ryan Colapinto being sent to the dressing room by the officials. Brdey was assessed a five minute major and game misconduct for fighting as well as a game misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct. Colapinto was assessed a five minute major and game misconduct for fighting as well as a two minute minor for cross-checking. The Tigers killed off the two minute minor before pulling Rudloff in favor of an extra attacker, but the T-Birds held onto to secure a 4-1 victory.

Scoring Summary

Penalties by Period

Three Stars of the Game

Upcoming Schedule

The Connetquot Sayville BBP T-Birds will be back in action against Sachem at the Rinx on Wednesday January 31st at 7:50 PM. Sachem won the season opener by a final score of 7-1 before cruising to a 6-1 victory in their second meeting of the season with the T-Birds.

The Northport Huntington Tigers will look to bounce back against the Smithtown Hauppauge Bulls at the Rinx on Sunday February 4th at 7:50 PM. The Bulls won 10-3 over the Tigers in the season opener. The Bulls won 3-0 in their second meeting of the season with the Tigers.