Female inspires Long Beach hockey title

Backup goalie Mary-Elizabeth McCourt earns teammates' respect on ice

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Mary-Elizabeth McCourt became the first female to start a Long Beach varsity hockey game against Wantagh-Seaford in December.
Mary-Elizabeth McCourt became the first female to start a Long Beach varsity hockey game against Wantagh-Seaford in December.
Courtesy Mary-Elizabeth McCourt

When Long Beach High School won the Nassau County boys’ ice hockey title on Feb. 15 the celebration was extra special for Mary-Elizabeth McCourt.

After clinching the championship with a 6-2 win against Bellmore-Merrick, McCourt received hugs from her teammates who have come to embrace the only girl on the team.

"It was so much fun,” said McCourt, who made the Long Beach varsity team for the first time as backup goalie in her final year of high school. “This season has been quite the experience.”

McCourt, who has also played soccer and lacrosse at Long Beach prior to this winter, first was drawn to try hockey when she spotted a New York Islanders game on television in 10th grade. Her journey to lacing up the skates for the Marines was filled with obstacles starting when she tried out for the Long Beach Lighting club team in 2015 and faced objections from players and parents who didn’t want a girl taking up a spot. Her parents were also apprehensive about their 5-1 daughter playing goalie against larger boys in a physical sport.

“They were a little worried about their little girl getting crushed by the guys,” McCourt said.

McCourt suffered a personal blow last summer when her goalie coach Sam Migoli died suddenly at age 23. She said Migoli’s death fueled her to persevere through challenges such as when teammates were slow to accept a girl on the team after making varsity prior to the 2016-17 season after previously not making the cut.

“They underestimated me,” said McCourt of her early doubters. “It gave me motivation.”

McCourt became the first female to start a Long Beach varsity hockey game against Wantagh-Seaford in December when starting goalie Joseph Liabach was sidelined by an injury. McCourt recorded a 3-0 shutout in that historic game, but head coach Joe Brand said the big turning point in her relationship with teammates came in a January start versus Locust Valley when she held her own against a tough team in a 5-1 victory.

“That was the game she really became a part of our team,” said Brand, who decided to start her for a spark after Long Beach dropped a 5-2 decision to Bellmore-Merrick. “The players probably played as good a game as they have all year in front of her.”

Brand said the Locust Valley victory helped fuel Long Beach to the program’s first county title since 2014. In the 6-2 finals win against Bellmore-Merrick the Marines received goals from Sean Nyland, Shane Pues and Gordie Gerstner. A strong defensive effort also paced the championship victory led by Liabach in net and defenseman Chris Guido, who was named MVP.

McCourt, who plays for the New Jersey Colonels travel team, is looking to cap her brief Long Beach career with another celebration when the Marines host the state championships at Long Beach Ice Arena from March 3-5. Brand said McCourt has the ability to play at the college level and is impressed her tenacity to never give up her dream against all odds.

“She continued to try out year after year and never gave up,” Brand said. “She is a tough determined kid.”