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Tigers Win 7-5 Barn Burner over Lions

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Junior J.T. Caruso scored the game winning goal on the power play to complete the hat-trick and cap off a five point performance, as the Northport-Huntington Tigers (1-1) defeated the West Islip Lions (0-2) 7-5. Senior Ciaran Pollard scored on the first penalty shot of the season. The West Islip captain added three assists on the night. Junior Brett Kostor picked up his first career varsity win for Northport-Huntington. Juniot Collin Hovanec made some big time saves in his varsity debut for West Islip. 

Caruso opened the scoring to give Northport-Huntington a 1-0 lead with 5:31 left in the 1st period. Freshman Jose Walter teamed up with Sophomore Justin Chan to force a turnover beneath the goal line. Cahn moved it to the slot for a cutting Caruso who sniped glove side high. 

Pollard, scored on a penalty shot to tie the game with 43 seconds remaining in the period. Pollard was tripped after splitting the defense, before going backhand-forehand to beat the goalie low blocker.  

Senior Will Shields scored with 13:47 left in the second period to give West Islip a 2-1 lead. Senior Andrew Mervyak made a stretch pass to Shields, who sniped glove side high for a breakaway goal. 

Mervyak gave West Islip a two goal lead with 11:33 to go in the 2nd period, sniping top shelf after a turnover by Northport-Huntington. It was the Lions third goal in a span of 4:10. 

Caruso sniped glove side high on a three on one to make it a 3-2 game with 9:28 remaining in the second stanza. 

Junior Ryan Collins scored an unassisted goal to tie it with 5:42 left in the second frame. Collins entered the zone and fired a screened shot top shelf. 

Junior Joey Buonocore scored his first career varsity goal to give Northport-Huntington the lead with 3:11 to go in the 2nd period. Buonocore scored short side after throwing a head fake that got the defender and goaltender to bite. 

24 seconds later, Buonocore fired a shot threw a moving screen to put Northport-Huntington up 5-3. It was the fourth goal in a span of 6:41.

Caruso dangled past the defense before sniping glove side high to complete the hat-trick and give Northport-Huntington a 6-3 lead with 12:33 to go in the 3rd period. 

Just eight seconds later, Senior Charlie Salamone scored to make it 6-4.  Pollard entered the zone with speed to create a two on one and found Salamone for a back door tap in. 

Another eight seconds later, Pollard ran it back but this time he connected with Shields who scored his second of the night to make a one score game. 

Hovanec came up clutch late in the 3rd period, with a big save on a shorthanded chance by Collins before stonewalling Walter on a breakaway. 

West Islip couldn’t capitalize on a pair of power play opportunities in the final frame as Kostor made multiple big saves to hold the lead. 

Junior Colin Jackson scored his first career varsity goal to make it 7-5 Northport-Huntington with 3:11 left in the 3rd period. Jackson took a shot from the point that deflected off a West Islip defender and into the back of the net. 

Hovanec had a big poke check to prevent Northport-Huntington from taking a three score league, but was called for an interference call that put West Islip in the kill for the rest of regulation. 

Three Stars of the Game 

1st Star — J.T. Caruso (HT, PPG/GWG, 2A)

2nd Star – Ciaran Pollard (1G, 3A)

3rd Star – Joe Buonocore (2G)

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