Momentum had shifted in favor of the unbeaten Bellmore-Merrick hockey team. Long Beach goalie Justin Mele made sure to change that.
Three shorthanded breakaways were stopped by Mele, including one with 3:36 left in the game, to maintain a one-goal lead.
Cody Pichichero picked up the puck and exploded up ice. He found his older brother Luke, who dished it back to Cody for a goal to put Long Beach up by two with 3:22 remaining.
“Our team always plays hard, and that motivates me,” Mele said. “It’s always about never focusing on the past, never focusing on the future. It’s about focusing on the present.”
Mele delivered all night. He finished with 25 saves as Long Beach defeated Bellmore-Merrick, 4-2, at Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage on Friday night.
Along with multiple breakaway stops, Mele turned away golden opportunities for Bellmore-Merrick on odd-man rushes throughout the second and third periods, making the difference and handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.
“From training camp to now, Justin has been lights out,” Long Beach coach Rob Carson said. “Coaches from other teams voted him an All-Star, and tonight showed why.”
Long Beach (10-2-1) started fast, registering the first seven shots of the game, but Bellmore-Merrick goalie Henry Laglia made the stops. Bellmore-Merrick then adjusted and began attacking. The Bulldogs created chances but could not score.
“That’s Long Beach hockey — they play with energy, and it was about weathering that storm,” Bellmore-Merrick coach Pat Braglia said. “We did that and played our game, but their goalie was good. We had chances, and maybe if a few of those go in, it’s a different result.”
The first period ended scoreless and the second followed the same trajectory. After 29 minutes of scoreless hockey, Long Beach broke through.
Liam Young, who was moved to defense, created an opportunity, and Michael Calvi crashed the net and scored with seven seconds left in the second period to take a 1-0 lead.
“Playing defense was a bit of an adjustment,” Young said, “but it’s about being a team player. We got on pucks, dumped them in, and chances came for some greasy goals, and we got them.”
In the third period, Long Beach extended the lead to two on the power play. Kelly Cardo put a shot on net that bounced to Joseph Feerick, who capitalized with 9:13 left. It was the first of two Long Beach power-play goals, as the Marines went 2-for-3 on the night.
“Special teams were huge,” Carson said. “In other big games it wasn’t there, and we didn’t win them. When we capitalize, these games end up in our favor.”
Bellmore-Merrick (9-1-1) responded with 5:21 remaining. Lucas Lucchi made a move through a defender and found Jackson Austin for a goal to cut the deficit to one.
Mele’s shorthanded stop late proved enormous, and the Pichichero brothers’ give-and-go tally was what the Marines needed to keep the lead.
“When Justin made that save, I was like, ‘Thank God,’” Luke Pichichero said. “Then when I saw Cody on the back door, I was like that’s all day, that’s a goal. It’s always great to play with my brother, and we really wanted this win.”
Bellmore-Merrick’s Anthony-Max Vitale scored with 2:53 left to keep the Bulldogs within reach, but Long Beach closed it out.
The Marines prevented late pressure, and Miles Siegel’s empty-net goal sealed the win.
“This one means a lot,” Carson said. “Going into the playoffs, you want confidence that you can beat everybody. Now we’ve beaten everyone on our schedule, and that’s big heading into the playoffs.”
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