Hockey night nets a good time

Nine teams battled it out in the William L. Buck School gymnasium last Thursday night to be the hockey champion of District 24. When a winner emerged, the students took on Assemblyman Bob Barra and his team.

Barra hosted the first ever hockey tournament which featured three teams from each school in the district. “Me being a former hockey player, I wanted to get hockey into the mix,” said Barra, who has hosted numerous basketball competitions at the schools. “Hockey’s always taken a back seat so I wanted to bring it to the forefront.”

Teams, which included both boys and girls from the sixth-grade, faced off in the single-elimination tournament. Two teams from the William L. Buck School — Red and Blue — played in the championship game. The Blue team emerged victorious and the students were presented with a trophy from Barra. The winning team featured Aaron Adams, Alexa Amato, Ciro Formicola, Jason Mercado and Narin Misir. They fell to Barra’s team in the final game of the night.

Buck School Principal Mark Onorato said the students had several morning practice sessions with physical education teacher Joseph Mangini. “They worked so hard,” Onorato said of the students. “They had to make the commitment to come here and practice. It took teamwork.”

Danny Demas, a student at the Brooklyn Avenue School, said he plays travel hockey so it was nice to have a tournament right at home to play in. The only adjustment, he said, was playing on foot rather than on skates.

However for Kyle Daly, this was a new experience for him. The Brooklyn Avenue School student says he has played baseball, football and soccer before, but never hockey. He even scored a goal and had an assist on another one.

Shane DeFreitas also notched a goal in his first time playing. “Hockey wasn’t a sport I had tried so I figured I’d do it,” he said. “People should try hockey because it’s very fun.”

Jean Charles, a student at the William L. Buck School, noted how much energy there was in the room. The stage was packed with spectators including classmates, parents, principals and board members. “Everyone was so excited,” he said. “Everyone was cheering and yelling.”

The New York Islanders donated about $1,000 worth of equipment to the district including sticks, pucks, balls, pads and nets. Islanders organist Paul Cartier was there to rally the crowd, playing many songs heard at Nassau Coliseum.

Barra said he hoped that students who participated in the tournament would develop an appreciation for the sport. He noted that many good relationships can be built by playing together. He still keeps in touch with the goalie from his youth hockey team from 40 years ago. “You develop friendships for a lifetime,” Barra said, “and it’s good exercise.”