The 50th season of Suffolk varsity hockey has been filled with numerous pleasant surprises. In the illustrious history of the league, this season may just be the best yet— and it’s only halfway finished.
Kings Park – Commack currently sits atop the league at 8-2-1. They were the last undefeated team until they were beaten by St. Anthony’s in an overtime thriller at the Rinx in Hauppauge. The Knights are led by league leading scorer Michael Brazill, with his 16 goals and 12 assists. They are the arguable favorites with their high-powered offense and lockdown goaltending.
The team played arguably the game of the year against Smithtown – Hauppauge a few weeks ago. A goaltender duel that ended 2-1, it seemed almost unfair that the game couldn’t go on forever. The deciding goal was scored by Brazill on a lacrosse-style maneuver, lifting the puck on his stick and throwing it into the top corner from behind the net.
The Bulls of Smithtown – Hauppauge are right up there with Kings Park – Commack. They can go toe-to-toe with them in every aspect. Kings Park may have the scoring advantage, Smithtown has the defensive edge, and the goaltending is even. Jake Citrin is one of the toughest goalies in the league to beat, and Peter Petito has had a stellar season thus far leading the Bulls in points with 16.
East Islip has emerged as a force to be reckoned with as well this year. They play a fast physical style of hockey that can be very effective against a lot of teams. They aren’t afraid to hit people, and they skate through defenses with ease. The Chiefs are one of the best teams in the transition game and with the skills they possess in stars Ryan Anatra and Thomas Ivers, they are going to be a problematic opponent for anyone they face.
A feel-good story this season has been the Middle Country Cougars. Starting the season 0-8, the Cougars bounced back and won back-to-back overtime games to find themselves in playoff position. Their play has definitely picked up.
They took on East Islip on Monday, and after losing their previous meeting 8-2, found themselves in a 1-goal game late. Goaltender Michael Sitler made an astounding 43 saves, some of which are in contention for “save of the year.” The Cougars are scrappy and will be in the hunt down to the wire, as they are currently just a point out of the 8th seed.
The end goal of this all: to win a championship. The defending champs have certainly had an interesting road thus far. The St. Anthony’s Friars started the season 0-3, leaving everyone scratching their heads. This would not last long, however, as they have now gone 7-1 in their last 8 games to vault into 4th place.
Nicholas D’Andrea has led the team on this stretch with his 16 goals playing a prominent role in every game. The Friars have also gotten a surprise superb season from goaltender TJ Ulmschneider, who was not the clear number 1 heading into the season.
There is much action left to unfold. The 4th and 7th seed are separated by just 4 points and it seems that anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Varsity games are played every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday night at the Rinx in Hauppauge. The games can also be watched on YouTube on the LI Sports Network.
