The Bellmore Merrick Bulldogs made it to the County championship and faced the Bethpage Eagles on Monday, February 2, at 7:45 pm at Long Beach Arena.

The Bellmore Merrick School District is fortunate to have a team like the Bellmore Merrick Bulldogs, bringing in players from Kennedy High School, Calhoun High School, and Mepham High School. Historically, the Bulldogs have been a strong team, with impressive records and making even better playoff runs. To win the championship, a team must win two out of the three games. The winner of this series will advance to the state tournament held in Jamestown, New York.

The playoffs didn’t end the way the Bulldogs would have liked, losing the county championship in a best-out-of-three series to the Eagles. Even though the Bulldogs were not victorious, they were still able to clinch a spot for the state tournament due to their league standing when the season ended.

The Bulldogs attended the tournament in Jamestown, New York, on the weekend of March 1, alongside the Syosset Braves and Bethpage Eagles. The Bulldogs had three games set up for them against Orchard Park, East Aurora – Holland, and St. Mary’s Hockey. The outcome of these games decided their playoff rankings on Sunday, March 3.

The Bellmore Merrick Bulldogs advanced to the New York High School State Tournament Championship by winning all three games leading up to the playoffs of the tournament finishing as the second seed behind the Bethpage Eagles. On the morning of March 3, the Bulldogs competed against the Syosset Braves in a tight game ending in overtime with the Bulldogs winning 2-1. Given the win over the Braves, the Bulldogs then competed in a rivalry game against the Bethpage Eagles once again in another Championship game at 4:00 p.m. In the past these two teams have been very successful and have always competed at a high level against each other. However, the Bulldogs lost in the championship game to Bethpage.

The Bellmore Merrick Bulldogs were defeated in overtime by the Bethpage Eagles in the New York State High School State Tournament. The Bulldogs displayed dominance in the first two periods, maintaining a 2-0 lead, and even in the third period. However, in the final five minutes, the Eagles scored two consecutive goals, equalizing the score. Despite having a chance in overtime, the Bulldogs were outplayed and suffered a loss, once again falling short in a championship game to the Bethpage Eagles. The Bulldogs finished as the runner-up and aspire to compete next year with a more successful outcome.