Under skies that looked as if they would open at any minute, the rain held off long enough for the Lynbrook Roller Hockey League to play it s full, five-game Opening Day schedule at Greis Park on April 15.
The LRHL is celebrating its 20th season this year, and continues to be one of the most popular sports leagues on Long Island, drawing skaters from many different areas to play. The season officially began when LRHL founder and current Mayor Alan Beach dropped the ceremonial first puck.
The first game was a Squirt matchup between the Gladiators and Chiefs. With the score tied at 2, Jack Chatterton completed a hat trick when he found the back of the net for his third goal of the game with less than a minute remaining to lift the Gladiators to a 3-2 win.
In the Pee Wee opener, the Bruins faced off against the Blackhawks. John Szalai erupted for nine goals and two assists, while Jack Doran notched six helpers as the Hawks won, 13-8.
The Midget division started play with a pair of games. First up were the Monsters and the Rangers. The Rangers held a 5-4 lead late in the second period, when the Monsters exploded for three goals in the final minute — two scored by Pete Mastrota — to give them a 7-5 lead. The Rangers cut the deficit to one in the third period, but the Monsters went on to win, 9-7.