LILJ Boys Winter League Week 2 Winter League Recap: Game Write-Ups, Analysis, Player Performances

Week 2 of the LILJ Boys Winter League delivered another strong slate of competition, featuring seven games across the JV and Varsity divisions with several tightly contested matchups from start to finish. Teams continued to settle into league play, and the balance across divisions was evident as games were decided by timely goals, key defensive stands, and strong goalie play. From physical JV battles to high-tempo Varsity contests, the weekend showcased depth, competitiveness, and improving chemistry as programs build momentum heading deeper into the winter season. Check out down below the recaps of each game from last Sunday!

St. Anthony’s 2028 vs Legacy Black 2029

Opening up the first of seven games on the day in the boys winter league, St. Anthony’s 2028 JV pulled away in the second half to earn a 12–6 win over Legacy Black 2029, turning a competitive first half into a decisive victory behind a balanced offensive effort and strong play on both ends of the field. Legacy hung tough early, trading goals and staying within striking distance at the break, but St. Anthony’s depth and efficiency showed as the game wore on.

The Friars were led by Aidan Dale, who delivered a standout performance with four goals and one assist, consistently winning his matchups and finishing from multiple spots on the field. Parker Savarese added a strong all-around effort with three goals, while also making his presence felt defensively with two caused turnovers and two ground balls. Salvatore Ranieri chipped in with a goal and an assist, and Charlie Gandolfo, Jake Echezuria, Jake Neidig, and John Paul Grande each found the back of the net to round out a well-distributed scoring attack.

Legacy Black was paced by several individual efforts despite facing sustained pressure. Jake Telesco led the offense with two assists, creating opportunities and pushing tempo, while Joseph Berhalter, Johnny Nessler, Cayden Peters, Colin Neff, Stefan Sordyl, and Dominick Piciullo each scored to keep Legacy competitive. At the face-off X, Jude Piken battled throughout the contest, helping Legacy gain possessions early.

In the cage, St. Anthony’s limited high-quality looks and controlled possession for long stretches, allowing the offense to build separation in the second half. The win highlighted St. Anthony’s balance, pace, and ability to capitalize on momentum, while Legacy showed flashes of talent and competitiveness against a disciplined JV opponent.

Shore 2 Shore Trojans vs Legacy Taz 2030

Shore 2 Shore delivered a dominant performance from start to finish, pulling away early and never looking back in a 12–3 win over Legacy Taz 2030 JV. The Trojans set the tone in the opening half with relentless pressure, efficient ball movement, and strong defensive stands, building a commanding 6–2 halftime lead before matching that output again in the second half.

Offensively, Shore 2 Shore was led by Kevin Hegarty, who put together a great showing with four goals and one assist, consistently beating his defender and finishing with confidence. Christian Ferrari matched that production with four goals and an assist of his own, while showing excellent off-ball movement and finishing ability. Aidan O’Neil added a goal and an assist, and Michael Polizitto, Nicholas Canner, and Kellan Garvey each chipped in goals to round out a balanced scoring attack. J.P. Caputo was a key facilitator, recording two assists to keep the offense flowing. At the face-off X Dennis Williams was 5/8 for a 62% winning percentage. On the defensive end, Shore 2 Shore limited second-chance opportunities and controlled possession, with strong team defense which included a caused turnover by Alex Liguori and timely stops in the cage by Donovan Carroll and Luke Vendetti who had save percentages of 75% and 80% respectively.

Legacy Taz found goals from Owen Abrams, Christian Busking, and Ronan King, each scoring once to account for the team’s offense. Gavin Rooney played an important role as a distributor with two assists, while Ronan King also stood out between the lines with a team-high five ground balls. In goal, Luke Rochford battled through heavy pressure and made eight saves with a 57% save percentage to keep Legacy competitive despite the shot volume.

Legacy Taz 2029 vs Shore 2 Shore Trojans 2029

Legacy Taz 2029 JV pulled away in the second half to earn a 6–3 win over Shore 2 Shore Trojans in a competitive matchup. After Shore 2 Shore struck first with a pair of goals in the opening half, Legacy Taz responded with four goals before the break to take control. The Taz offense continued to apply pressure in the second half, adding two more goals while their defense limited the Trojans to just one score, sealing the three-goal victory.

Legacy Taz was led by a strong all-around performance from James Magnus, who finished with four points dishing out three assists with one goal and consistently creating scoring chances. Henry Meyer added one goal and one assist while goals from Gavin Beauchamp, Daniel Galasso, Al Pehanick, and Michael Granshaw provided balanced scoring throughout the lineup. At the face-off X Brady Daniewicz went 4/6 while James Siragusa was 3/5. In net, Christopher Cirillo stood out with an impressive 88% save percentage, allowing just one goal and anchoring a defense that forced turnovers and controlled possession.

For Shore 2 Shore, Kevin Hegarty led the way with two goals and Christian Ferrari added a goal of his own. Goalie Luke Vendetti kept the Trojans competitive early, stopping six shots with just two goals allowed playing in the second half while Alex Liguori came away with two caused turnovers and also scooped up two ground balls.

Legacy Taz 2029 vs Legacy Black 2029

In a 2029 battle between Legacy Taz and Legacy Black, these two teams battled to a hard-fought 4–4 draw in a game that flipped momentum after halftime. Legacy Taz controlled the opening half, scoring twice while keeping Legacy Black off the board to take a 2–0 lead at the break. However, Legacy Black came out with energy in the second half, netting four goals to erase the deficit, including a last second goal in dramatic fashion to avoid defeat come away with the tie! Legacy Black’s comeback was fueled by balanced scoring, with goals from Nico Spallina, Connor Gill, Johnny Nessler, and Cayden Peters, each capitalizing on quality second-half opportunities, with Nessler scoring the game-tying goal on a man-up just before the expiration of the clock! Jake Telesco played an impactful game defensively with two caused turnovers and at the face-off X Jude Piken went 5/9 and goalie Nico Antorino made several timely saves to keep Legacy Black within reach early, finishing with five saves, as both teams ultimately settled for an even result after a competitive back-and-forth contest. Legacy Taz was sparked offensively by James Magnus, who finished with two goals while putting pressure on the defense. Al Pehanick and Jake Friedrich each found the back of the net, while Daniel Galasso and Harry Karoussos chipped in with key assists to keep the offense balanced. Defensively, AJ Imbriale and Cole Chalifoux stood out with multiple ground balls and caused turnovers, helping Legacy Taz stay composed during Legacy Black’s second-half surge. In goal, Ryan Scala stopped three shots without allowing a goal while Chris Cirillo made five saves with a save percentage of 56%.

Ward Melville vs Kellenberg

In first game of the evening in the varsity division it was Suffolk vs Parochial between the Patriots and the Firebirds where Ward Melville earned a 7–5 victory over Kellenberg in a competitive matchup that featured timely offensive stretches and strong defensive play. Ward Melville set the tone early, scoring five goals in the first half to take control, while Kellenberg kept pace with three of their own to stay within striking distance heading into the break. The second half tightened up, but Ward Melville’s ability to generate quality looks and win key possessions proved to be the difference.

Offensively, Ward Melville was led by Louis Montellese, who put together a two goal, one assist performance consistently creating pressure from the offensive end. Collin Mark finished with a goal while Gavin Lohmann, William Klein, James LaRosa, and Zach Dunn each added goals to provide balanced scoring. At the face-off X, Angelo Sorbera was dominant, winning 11 of 13 and scooping up 10 ground balls, giving Ward Melville extra possessions throughout the game. The defense saw Brett Hansen force two turnovers and in goal the duo of Jason Biondi and Aidan Anderson saved shots at a 50% and 60% rate respectively.

Kellenberg was paced by Jamison Heneghan, who scored two goals and Eoin Power (NJIT), who added a goal while contributing on both ends of the field. Brayden Farrelly facilitated the offense with two assists, and Brendan McDevitt chipped in with a goal and strong defensive effort. In cage, JP Mastacciuola made several key saves under pressure, but Ward Melville’s depth, face-off advantage, and first-half surge allowed them to hold on for the two-goal win.

Hills vs St. Anthony’s 2027

Hills edged St. Anthony’s 2027 by an 8–7 final in a tightly contested matchup that featured momentum swings and strong individual performances on both sides. Hills came out sharp offensively, matching St. Anthony’s early push and taking a 4–3 lead at halftime. The second half stayed neck-and-neck, but Hills’ ability to capitalize on key opportunities and create turnovers proved to be the difference in a one-goal game that came right down to the closing minutes!

Offensively, Hills was led by a balanced attack. Daniel Chung had a standout performance with two goals and two assists, which included the clutch go-ahead goal with just over a minute remaining to put Hills in front for good. He was complemented by Nick Haugen the recent Bucknell commit who finished with a hat-trick and added strong two-way contributions with a caused turnovers and four ground balls. Jarrett Brown, Jeffrey Kleinman, and Jake Casamento each found the back of the net, while Michael Labovitz anchored the defense in goal with seven saves and a 50% save percentage.

St. Anthony’s was paced by Gavin Snyder (Army), who led all scorers with three goals, repeatedly breaking down the defense to keep SA within reach. Alexander Chalifoux facilitated the offense with two assists, and Logan Hecht (Rutgers) and Ryan Lasko (BU) each chipped in goals while contributing in transition and on the ground ball battle. Nathaniel Cooke delivered a strong showing at the face-off X going 10/17 with a 59% winning percentage.

St. Anthony’s 2026 vs St. Anthony’s 2027

Closing out the Sunday slate in the second week of the boys winter league it was Friars vs Friars between the seniors and the juniors. St. Anthony’s 2026 pulled away in the second half to earn a 10–7 win over St. Anthony’s 2027 in an in-house matchup that was tight early before the older group asserted control after the break. The teams were deadlocked 4–4 at halftime, with both sides trading goals and playing at a high tempo. SA 2026 outscored SA 2027 6–3 in the second half, capitalizing on possessions and finishing chances to secure the three-goal victory. For SA 2026, the difference came from a balanced and efficient attack. Jake Johnston (Hopkins) delivered a huge performance, scoring four goals adding five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Dylan Harrigan (Maryland) chipped in two goals, and Brody Richert (Towson) also finished with two goals, giving SA 2026 consistent production throughout the lineup. Gavin Johnston (Anderson) played a key role as a facilitator with two assists, while Billy Atkinson (Bryant) contributed a goal and an assist. In goal, Nick Zenk (Air Force) and Dylan Rappaport (Loyola) combined for key saves that limited SA 2027’s second-half momentum and helped SA 2026 close out the 10–7 win. SA 2027 was led offensively by Gavin Snyder (Army), who continued his strong play for a second straight game with three goals and two assists, consistently driving the offense and creating scoring opportunities. Shawn Tuccillo (Navy) added two goals on three shots, while Tyler Garrett and Nathaniel Cooke each found the back of the net. Cooke also made his presence felt between the lines, winning 11 face-offs, helping keep the game even through the first half while Jack Neary (Jacksonville) in the cage recorded nine saves. The boys winter league is back on January 3rd starting at 7pm and continues into Sunday the 4th with a full slate of games starting at 11:30am. Click here to tune into the livestream presented by LI Sports Network!