Lighting up Oceanside roller hockey

After 30 years, the roller rink at Oceanside Park is finally getting some lights.

The park has been the home of the Oceanside Stallions roller hockey league for decades, but the roller rink has never had lights. Now, with lights being provided by the Town of Hempstead, the park will finally be able to host night games.

“I’m full of joy. It’s been a long time coming,” said Steve Lane, president of the league. “We’ve been working on this for a while with [Councilman Anthony] Santino and the Town of Hempstead, and they finally approved everything.”

The town is purchasing state-of-the-art lights — the same kind used in the new Yankee Stadium and at Citi Field — for just under $160,000. According to Santino, the lights should be installed by the end of fall.

Lane, who has been president of the Stallions for the last 12 years, first tried to get the town to build a building to house the rink, but that plan wasn’t feasible due to a lack of funds. But the lights will allow the league to play and practice at night, something it couldn’t do before.

“December starts the games, and we only play Saturdays and Sundays because it gets dark real early,” said Lane. “So when the spring and fall come, the kids go to Lynbrook or other places.”

He explained that the league doesn’t compete in the spring or fall because that’s when baseball and other sports are in season, so the hockey games would only be able to be held at night — which was impossible without lights. But starting next year, the league will be able to have spring and fall seasons along with its winter season.

“As a longtime supporter and fan of the Oceanside Stallions, I am well acquainted with the league’s desire for new lights to illuminate the rink and accommodate evening play,” Santino said in a release. “As we move into fall and daylight hours decrease, the new lights will allow the league to schedule their games more conveniently, with expanded rink hours made possible by the new lighting.”

The league usually has 250 to 300 kids signed up, with players ranging from ages 5 to 17 split into different brackets.

Lane, who also coaches in the league, is anxious for the lights to go up and for next year’s season to start so he can finally expand the program. “Probably about 200 or so kids go to Lynbrook because we don’t have the lights,” he said. “So now that I’m getting the lights, I’m going to have a spring, a fall and a winter league.”

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