Greeley-Jay hockey outlasts Byram Hills

BREWSTER, N.Y. - On Saturday, Dec. 13, Greeley-Jay hosted Byram Hills at Brewster Ice Arena, and early on it was the Bobcats who looked comfortable, generating several quality scoring chances. None found the net, however, and with the door left open, Greeley-Jay made them pay.

With one goal in each period, the combined team skated to a 3–1 victory.

Byram Hills’ Christian Cipriano was a one-man offensive threat throughout the opening minutes. Off the opening faceoff he fired a shot on goal, rang the crossbar at 15:57, and forced Jonathan Marlett into a point-blank save three minutes later.

After Cipriano drew a power play, the Bobcats continued to press. From the left side, Zach Yoon slid a pass across the slot to Kai Licznerski, but Marlett shut the door at 11:22.

Play soon tilted the other way. Brendan Asta sent a high shot from the left, and moments later Julian Pedreyra found himself alone in front but was denied. Greeley-Jay stayed engaged, and Asta orchestrated the attack, circling from the blue line behind the net and back again. With Byram’s defense scrambling, Dylan Braun unleashed a slap shot from the left, and Asta buried the rebound to open the scoring.

Greeley-Jay continued to push. Ryan Marcus fired two shots on goal, Dashiell Stewart carried the puck over the blue line for another chance, and Riley McMahon’s shot helped draw a power play. With 4:09 remaining in the period, Frankie Epstein and Stewart peppered Ryan Arcamone, and at 3:05 Pedreyra hit Asta in stride, though his backhand was turned aside.

Cipriano nearly swung momentum late in the period, weaving through center ice for a shorthanded chance, but Marlett came up with the save to preserve the 1–0 lead heading into the second.

Greeley-Jay picked up where it left off. Brady Stogsdill and Asta applied steady pressure, with Stogsdill twice getting in close and Asta testing Arcamone from the left. Asta later slipped past the blue line at 7:24 and snapped a backhander on goal, while Stogsdill followed with a tight-angle chance from the crease.

The pressure paid off when a loose puck popped free in front. Stogsdill arrived first and tucked home a backhander to make it 2–0.

Byram Hills responded late in the period. Andrey Pytel found space in the corner and centered perfectly for Nathan Khaldarov at 4:21, but Marlett beat him to the puck. Pytel was again denied on a point-blank chance seconds later. Continued Bobcat pressure drew a roughing penalty at 1:23, but Byram was unable to convert, and Greeley-Jay carried a two-goal lead into the third.

Byram Hills made its push early in the final period, with Cipriano leading the charge. Skating one-on-one against the defense, he forced Marlett into another difficult save before finally breaking through at 6:05, lifting a shot over the goalie’s shoulder to cut the deficit to 2–1.

The Bobcats nearly tied it two minutes later when Caspar Hamilton set up Mark DeCintio in front, but the shot slid wide.

Time continued to melt away, and when Marcus was taken down with 4:43 remaining, Greeley-Jay went on the power play. Unable to capitalize with the man advantage, the hosts sealed the game at even strength. With 1:16 left, Stogsdill prevented a Byram clear, stickhandled through two defenders, and finished the play to ice a 3–1 victory.