High school hockey preview
Liam Pues congratulates goalie Harris Pittinsky after Long Beach defeated Middle Country. (Jan. 9, 2011) Credit: David Pokress
Regardless of county, Long Beach is a winner. After switching to the Suffolk County Ice Hockey League last season, the Marines took it by storm, capturing the league title and then their first state championship since 2005. This year, Long Beach returns to Nassau's Michelino Division ready to repeat.
The team has a young defense, but that doesn't mean a shaky defense. Strong defense always has been a Marine calling card, and standout senior Liam Pues will lead that unit. Harris Pittinsky is a big-game goalie, and forward Nolan Pues heads what should be an explosive offense.
But there are plenty of other teams looking to steal the spotlight this season:
If Long Beach wants the Michelino Division title, it's going to have to go through last year's champ, Massapequa. The Chiefs figure to have Joey Bochichio (61 points) and Bobby Oldmixon (42) to lead the title defense. Bellmore-Merrick was the runner-up in the county and runner-up in the AAU Large School state tournament. The team relies on veterans like center Nick Abbene, wing Allen West and goalie Jacob Smart. Adam Goldstein had 41 points and sophomore Corey Hoffman had 55 for Syosset, which lost in the semifinals. Bethpage was winless last year, but a turnaround could be coming, led by sophomore Matthew Hanley. Cold Spring Harbor missed the playoffs by just two points, but looks to defenseman Charlie Hildebrandt and forward Sean Doyle to close that gap. Great Neck moves up to varsity this season with anchors Cory Zelniker on defense and Brandon Shapiro on offense.
East Williston won the Liberty Division championship, and the defense should be strong with veterans Jake Levy and Brian Engbarth returning. Defenseman Phillip Laurelli and forward Jonathan Kaszuba lead Lynbrook/East Rockaway, which re-enters the league after a one-year hiatus.
Connetquot/Sayville lost some big names, but still will be a top contender thanks to its depth. The team has eight returning forwards, three full lines and a fourth with very little drop-off. Nick Russo, Casey O'Leary and Joe Bizzaro are all seniors who look to keep the fireworks going. Kings Park/Commack returns a trio of All-Stars and junior hockey players that also will challenge for the top spot in the league. Chris Zaverdas is a big, physical player and an offensive defenseman. Matt Goldberg is always among the league leaders in scoring, knocking in close to two goals per game. Brett Kaiser is another physical forward. A number of Smithtown's core players are juniors. The Bulls will be built around speed and strong goaltending from Thomas Drapala and James Tenbrink. Brian Masi is a key cog on defense and Thomas Dunn leads the offense. There are some bright spots in a rebuilding season for Middle Country. Patrick Kearney is strong in goal and will rotate with Sal Semler. Michael Martinez provides stability on defense. East Islip and Half Hollow Hills could be sleepers.
CHSAA
Two-time CHSAA champ St. Anthony's believes its strong defensive play in the forward zone is the reason for so many scoring opportunities, and it's hard to argue with success. Jimmy Mazza leads that defense and is in his second year playing for the Long Island Bobcats Junior-A hockey team. Forward Christopher Wallace, another Bobcat, looks to take that high level experience and utilize it at the high school level.
PRIVATE
Calling Portledge a powerhouse might be an understatement at this point. The Panthers were 19-4 last season and ranked No. 2 among all public and private schools in New York. Mike Conslato, the top returning goal scorer, Matt Crockett and Jesse Schandler lead the experienced end of the offense. Sophomore Brandon Fusaro and freshman Jeremy Braco are considered among the top players in their age group in the entre Mid-Atlantic region. Seniors Connor Finoccio and Matt Sullivan lead a talented, deep defense.
