Bellmore-Merrick captures Long Island Cup in double overtime

Bellmore-Merrick’s Lucas Lucchi had his eyes on the shiny, silver Long Island Cup all game. He needed it to be his.

Lucchi took matters into his own hands in double overtime. He found an open lane, took a breath and launched the puck into the back of the net three minutes into the second extra session. Not long after, that Cup was finally in his hands.

Bellmore-Merrick defeated St. Anthony’s, 3-2, in the Long Island high school championship at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Sunday.

“I got the puck down, and I saw an opening in the middle,” said Lucchi, a junior who was mobbed by teammates after scoring the winner. “I knew I had an open shot, so I just shot and hoped for the best.”

The win capped a 16-1 season for the Bulldogs, who also earned their first Nassau County title since 2016. 

“It’s very special,” an emotional coach Patrick Braglia said. “We’ve been together pretty much three years now, and we’ve lost a lot. To get to this point and win it the way that we did and how we’ve won all year, it’s a credit to these kids.”

“We’ve experienced a lot of losses together,” Lucchi said. “It makes winning this so much more special. We really deserve it and have put in the work for it.”

After a scoreless first period, Nicholas Drogan put the Bulldogs on the board with three and a half minutes remaining in the second period. Less than a minute later, Jack Lagalia found Collin Roulston, extending their lead to 2-0.

But the Friars had an answer. Anthony Cutalo found the net 1:30 into the third period and Joseph Rocca tied it at 2 with 2:35 left in regulation. 

“It’s always important to get on the board first,” Braglia said. “We kind of got away from our game for a little bit, and that’s what let them back in to tie it.”

The first 15-minute overtime period finished scoreless after Joseph Braglia made several big saves. The coach’s son finished with 14. Jordan Valcich made 17 saves for St. Anthony’s (18-3).

Patrick Braglia wasn’t surprised to see Lucchi score the winning goal. He said he never loses his poise, even when the pressure is at its highest.

“Lucas never wavers,” Braglia said. “He has the same demeanor all the time, whether it’s a big game, a meaningless game, if we’re up 10, if we’re down 10, he never wavers from who he is. He’s got a very calm, cool way about him.”

For the coach, watching this group experience success means more to him. They’re more than just players on his team; they’re family.

“A lot of these guys are always at my house,” Braglia said. “I’ve watched them grow up playing hockey, and to see them finally achieve this and check off all of those boxes they wanted to check off at the beginning of the season, it’s just the best.”

Lucchi said this is just the beginning. He’s excited to continue to live up to the program’s high standard.

“The bar is set incredibly high,” Lucci said. “Having one loss all season, winning counties, winning this Long Island championship, it’s been an amazing season. And we’re going to keep it just as high next year.”