Garden City Wings Ice Hockey Club |
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With the new millennium, signs of change were noticed on the varsity with the arrival of 10 players moving
up from the Freshman team. The HS Hockey League of Nassau broke into two conferences for the 2000-2001 season.
Garden City along with eight other clubs choose not to participate in the NY State HS Club hockey post season
tournament and thus were placed into Conference II. The competition within Conference II was keen, as most teams
beat their Conference I rivals during the season. The Wings proved this point by winning all but one of their nine
crossover match ups. The young Garden City squad surprised many finishing 13-5-2 and 2nd to Hicksville in the conference standings. In the playoffs, the Wings drew a rough and tumble Wantagh team. GC proved too much for the Baymen and rolled to a 5-1 win. The finals were a different story, as the Wings had to meet Hicksville, the oldest established HS club program on Long Island. In game one at Long Beach Arena, the Wings were severely outplayed and found themselves behind 5-1 after two periods. But a courageous third period comeback, capped off by a last second goal gave the Wings a 6-5 dramatic victory and the momentum for game two in the best of three championship series. Newbridge Arena was the setting for game two and with an estimated 200 fans in attendance, the atmosphere was electric and that of a Stanley Cup playoff game. Center Dan Valente gave the Wings the early lead when he fired home a goal coming off a rebound shot from Dan Bisacco. Minutes later, defenseman Doug Holewa hit a streaking Brian Damico down the left boards with a cross ice pass. Damico took the pass in stride, crossed the blue line and fired home a blast for the 2-0 lead. Hicksville capitalized with a Wings player in the penalty box, but center Rob Ungar stole the momentum back with his late goal at the 1:03 mark converting on a shot coming from team captain Mike Jaronczyk. Hicksville closed to 3-2 with a goal coming mid-way through the second and it could have been more, as the Wings played shorthanded courtesy of 4 penalties. But Steve Hickcox, the Wings Senior goalie, kept the Wings whole during the period as he kicked out numerous shots labeled for the back of the net. As the puck dropped for the last period, both teams came out looking for the big knockout punch that could turn the game. The period opened with tough physical play in the corners, numerous rushes up ice and shots buzzing from every angle. Wings Dan Bisacco put Garden City up 4-2, at the 9:42 mark, taking a good pass from Brian Damico from the left corner and then one timing the puck into the net. But the celebration was short lived, as Hicksville again scored coming on yet another man up situation. With just a minute remaining, Hicksville putlled their goalie for the extra attacker and it almost paid dividends with two shots coming from point blank range. But Steve Hickcox would not be denied this game, as he was equal to the task. As the horn sounded players and fans poured out onto the ice to celebrate the 4-3 win and the Wings Championship. - Game Report courtesy of Walter Holewa |
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