Garden City Wings Sink Oceanside Sailors 7-2

Written by Ellen Feinstein

Knowing they were facing off against a very physical team which had made States for the last two consecutive years, the Garden City Wings varsity ice hockey teammates discussed strategies in the locker room at the Bethpage Ice Arena.

Alex Feinstein's past goal tending experience for the Sailors would prove valuable to them as he drew upon his insight in how to compete against them effectively.

Playing with the Garden City Wings team, together they crushed the Oceanside Sailors 7-2, earning their first varsity win of the season in the Nassau County High School Hockey League.

In total, there were 24 shots for Garden City and 30 shots against.

Early in the first period, assistant captain Kenny Nygaard put the Wings on the board, followed 5 minutes later by senior defenseman Shawn Post, unassisted.

Still scoreless with 6 minutes left, Oceanside stepped up its game and finally scored against Garden City. Desperate to even the score, the Oceansiders started incurring penalties, which resulted in several of their better skaters visiting the penalty box.

Taking advantage of a power play, Joe Giarraputo, assisted by Nygaard brothers Kenny and Michael, answered the Sailors' first goal within a minute with 4:57 on the clock.

Joe King followed two minutes later, also assisted during a power play by Michael Nygaard. Next, Oceanside managed to score its only other goal of the game. Not done yet, King quickly flipped another biscuit into the Oceanside net unassisted with 15 seconds left in the first.

For the next two periods, Garden City completely shut down Oceanside's numerous attempts to improve their score. Meanwhile the Sailors players battled with the Wings all over the ice as the game became increasingly physical. They repeatedly tried to crash the Wings' net, but Alex denied them any chances as he held his position in the crease and teammates guarded the defensive zone.

For the most part, Garden City concentrated more on teamwork than Oceanside which was intent on revisiting its penalty box, costing them the game.

Once again, Post lit up their goalie unassisted with 8:30 minutes left in the game. Frustrated, desperate and disheartened, the Sailors pulled their goalie to put a sixth man on the ice in a late power play against Garden City. Not only were their attempts unsuccessful, but the Sailors were forced to endure the completion of King's hat trick in their empty net shorthanded with 47 seconds remaining in the game.

Much of this team's success can be attributed to the dedication of Head Coach Rich Peck, with his cabinet of assistants, Frank Kiernan, Brian Johnston, Thomas White, Joseph Pyeron and Spiros Markopoulos.

The varsity team has a well-rounded roster of ninth through twelfth graders who work very hard at each practice to maximize their development. They have also fielded a Middle School team.

For a schedule of Garden City Wings games and practices, click here. Garden City faces off against the Wantagh/Seaford Baymen on Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. at the Bethpage Community Park Ice Rink, located at 1001 Stewart Avenue (Stewart Avenue & Cherry Avenue), Bethpage, NY 11714.