Ice hockey is one of the fastest and most exciting team sports in the world. It is played by two teams of six players on a playing surface made of ice. The teams move up and down the ice wearing ice skates and a variety of safety equipment and carrying hockey sticks. The object of the game is to put the hockey puck, made of vulcanized rubber, into the opposing team's net and keep the other team from doing the same. Ice hockey is played and enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. Players can range in age from as young as 5 years old to senior citizens, and boys and girls can equally enjoy this great team sport.
If you turn on an ice hockey game on television, on the radio, or online, you may hear words like: "The home team has a power play, and the leading scorer already has a hat trick in this game. The visiting team would desperately like to get the kill and will try to ice the puck every chance they get." For a non-hockey fan, this may sound like a foreign language, but to the hockey fan, this is music to their ears. Here's what some of these terms mean:
Ice hockey is a game that is played at a fast pace on a hard surface while wearing sharp blades. Because the game happens so quickly and on ice, there is a risk of injury. The risks range from twisting your ankle while trying to stop or turn to getting hit with a puck to even, in rare cases, getting cut with a skate blade.
To lessen the risk of injury, all players need to be equipped with the proper safety gear. This should include a helmet with a face cage, shoulder and chest pads, padded hockey pants, hockey skates, gloves, and shin guards. All these pieces of equipment should be properly fitted to prevent injury from a fall, collision, or hit from a puck. With all of this equipment, hockey players of any age will safely be able to play ice hockey.
Ice hockey is a great game to see in person and an even greater game to play. To get started learning how to play hockey, you'll need to learn how to ice skate. A great way to start is through a learn-to-skate program. These programs can teach you the basics of using the edges of the skates to push off and turn. You will also learn the basics of starting and stopping and even how to properly get up after you fall, which is a much-needed skill!
Once you have properly learned how to skate, you can then transition into learning how to play hockey. With ice hockey, you not only have to be a steady skater, but you also need to learn the basics of skating with the hockey puck, passing the puck, shooting the puck, and avoiding penalties. One of the best ways to practice these skills is off the ice, using a tennis ball on a driveway or any flat surface. Add some obstacles, like cones to go around, and you have a great off-ice practice drill!
Edited by: Ben Thompson
AUGUST 9, 2022 VINNIE MATULA
WEST ISLIP, N.Y.— Things were looking great for West Islip to begin 2021-22 as they sat at 6-2-0 after eight games. When it was all said and done, their 11-8-1 regular season record was good for a seventh place finish, securing one of the last playoff spots. The Lions put together a three-game win streak to close out the regular season, giving them momentum against a challenging Saint Anthony’s club that they lost to in overtime just two months prior. An emotional game didn’t go West Islip’s way as they’d fall 3-1, ending their postseason. The focus now shifts to 2022-23 as the Lions are hopeful they’ll return to postseason play.
Some big names from last season’s group have graduated and won’t be back this season for West Islip, including their top-two point scorers, captain Joseph Sousa and Derek Scheben. Both players combined to score 45% of the 95 total goals scored by the team in 2021-22. Sousa and Scheben were a driving force on offense as each player recorded three hat tricks and at least six power play points.
Special teams were a big reason for West Islip’s success last season as the Lions converted 19 times on the man-advantage, the most amongst all teams in the Varsity division. Their penalty kill was stellar as well, allowing just eight shorthanded goals. To top it all off, the Lions were also the least penalized team all season, recording just 120 penalty minutes.
This disciplined philosophy is also something that West Islip’s Junior Varsity squad followed in 2021-22 as they were also one of the least penalized teams in JV. Their eight skaters who are moving up will look to continue this trend while also providing an instant impact to the club.
All-Star forward Ciaran Pollard is the headliner amongst those skaters as he tore up JV with 38 goals and 13 assists, leading the team in both offensive categories. Pollard’s 51 points in 2021-22 accounted for a whopping 58% of the 88 goals scored by the JV Lions. He’ll join a forward group that features returning players Thomas Miller, Cameron Dorfman, Evan Dunford, and Aidan Conti. Miller averaged a point per game last season and had the second most assists (12) on the team while Conti is back and healthy after battling an injury most of last season.
Joining Pollard on the Varsity squad full-time this season is Derek Grosso after the senior led the JV club with four power play goals and even played a handful of games at the Varsity level with Pollard. Fellow forwards William Shields and Charlie Brandenstein will also make the jump up to Varsity.
With the departures of John Astle JR and Nicholas Lipari, we’ll see some new faces on the backend for the Lions. After exclusively playing with the PAL 14U AA squad last season, Andrew Mervyak will join his brother, Arthur. Two members of last season’s JV defensive group will get the permanent nod up as Alex Bitetto and John Kolich already have some Varsity games under their belt from last season. Bitetto, who also played with the Long Island Royals last season, scored twice in five Varsity games and also led the JV defense in scoring with six goals and eight assists.
Two key members on defense who are returning in 2022-23 are Liam Henshaw and Joseph Anastasio. Henshaw led the defense with 12 goals while Anastasio tallied nine assists to lead the defense. Both defensemen averaged a point per game last season and will surely be two of the leaders not just on the backend, but the entire team as well.
One half of West Islip’s goaltending duo from last season has moved on as we won’t see Nicholas Castellino dawn a Lions jersey in 2022-23. However, senior Ryan Winter is back after recording seven wins and two shutouts last season. Winter will welcome Braden Buccino as his new goaltending partner after Buccino backstopped the JV club to nine wins in 17 games started.
A hot start to the 2021-22 season for West Islip helped clinch one of the final playoff spots in the Varsity division. An emotional contest against the eventual county champions didn’t fall their way and have left the Lions looking ahead. Their goal differential of +12 (lowest amongst playoff teams) is something West Islip will look to improve upon as well as finding new sources for offense. One unique thing this team has that others might not is experience as plenty of their JV players got an opportunity to play some games in the Varsity division. Combined with their strong play on special teams, West Islip will look to use this experience to their advantage in 2022-23.
WIHC Welcomes back all players and families and are looking forward to an exciting season!
To Note:
Practice Schedule has been updated
Uniforms Will be handed out at the August Practices.
Please remember to register with SCHSHL (http://form.jotform.com/202247502157145)
2005 Birth year players need to complete SafeSport @ usahockey.com
** If you have photos from the 2021-2022 season you would like to post to the site please email**
Aiden Latham #53
Michael Rabin #37
Joseph Sousa #42
Nicholas Castellino #33
Nicholas Lipari #5
John Astle #23
Alex Berg #16
The West Islip Hockey Club is a member of the Suffolk County High School Hockey League and offers competitive ice hockey for students from West Islip, North Babylon, and West Babylon ages 12 and older.
West Islip Hockey
PO Box 154
West Islip, NY, 11795