Suffolk High School Hockey Playoff Preview

There are many interesting storylines heading into the Suffolk County High School Hockey League playoffs, leaving most teams wondering what will happen next in a season filled with unpredictable turns.

Sachem head coach Tom Kramer has to be wondering which team will show up in their first round matchup with Smithtown. Will it be the guys who earlier this season, or the team who ?

Can Kings Park/Commack contain Tom Telesca and J.T. Hall in their game with Middle Country? Will they have enough in the tank to rebound from a tough end to the season, despite missing key players due to injury?

Will Frank DiChiara, Nick Russo and Tyler Young help Connetquot/Sayville avoid an upset against a fiesty Northport/Huntington team?

But somewhere in the back of their minds, everyone's wondering if anyone will be able to stop Long Beach from capturing the league championship in their first year after coming over from the Nassau County league. It now seems as though Long Beach is poised to begin a run of dominance all too familiar to Suffolk County. Can anyone stop them? The answer remains to be seen.

1. Long Beach (18-2-0-0, 36 points) - The Marines finished first in the SCHSHL in their first season in the league, and were very impressive in the process. Following a 6-5 loss to Smithtown on Oct. 10, Long Beach won every game against league opponents that followed, losing only to Hendrick Hudson of the Hudson Valley league, 1-0.

Team captain Keegan Travers, who also plays on the NY Apple Core Junior B team, has stepped up when needed, including over second place Connetquot/Sayville.

One disadvantage they may have, though, is that all playoff games will be held at The Rinx in Hauppauge. The Marines got accustomed to welcoming teams to the Arena of Long Beach for savage beatings throughout the season. How will they adapt to travelling regularly?

2. Connetquot/Sayville (15-5-0-0, 30 points) - The T-Birds are peaking at the right time, as they managed to climb up the standings with a 5-0 mark in January, including impressive wins over Sachem, Middle Country and Kings Park/Commack. They boast a lineup with three of the most exciting players in the league, including Frank DiChiara, Nick Russo and Tyler Young.

T-Birds supporters will tell you to throw out the 10-4 loss to Long Beach just before Christmas, hoping for their shot in the best-of-three finals. But they've got to make sure they don't look too far ahead of a tough Northport/Huntington team in the quarterfinals.

3. Smithtown/Hauppauge (14-6-0-0, 28 points) The Bulls have surprisingly rebounded from a  in which they lost three games to playoff teams, also ending the season on a five-game winning streak. Head coach Vincent Granice has done everything but win the league title, and he's once again got his team on track for a deep playoff run.

Brian Boser has been the glue that's held this team together, but if they are to avenge a 7-4 loss to Sachem on Jan. 3, they'll need to find scoring from secondary sources. Goaltender Dan Nudelman is going to have to stand tall in net and keep the Arrows at bay in their quarterfinal matchup.

4. Kings Park/Commack (13-5-1-1, 28 points) - Kings Park/Commack enjoyed a highly successful season, nipping at Long Beach's heels for the top spot in the county until the middle of January. A last-minute collapse against East Islip, where they allowed two goals in the final 25 seconds of play, started the team's freefall to fourth place. The team limped to the finish line, after losing defenseman Brandon Gaynor for the season due to a shoulder injury, winning just one of its' last five.

This team has the offensive talent to compete with anyone, featuring two of the strongest lines in the league. With teams focusing on shutting down Matt Goldberg and the , a line of Brandon Amon, Brett Kaiser and Dillon Tamer has thrived. If they can continue to produce, then count on seeing Kings Park/Commack in the finals.

5. Middle Country (13-7-0-0, 26 points) - Speaking of freefalling teams, the defending league champions limp into the playoffs having lost four their last five games, including two losses to Long Beach and one to Connetquot. The team is built solely around two of the league's superstars, J.T. Hall and Tom Telesca. The duo who carried the team to the league title last season, knocking off Sachem and Smithtown (seeded first and second last season) along the way, are the most electrifying players in the county.

But then what? The Cougars have suffered some losses from last year's team that have left them with very few secondary scoring options. If Hall and Telesca can't generate loads of offense, Middle Country will have trouble defending its' title.

6. Sachem (10-8-1-1, 22 points) - Easily the most perplexing team in the league. A perrenial title threat, the Arrows was again loaded with talent in 2010-11. But every time they seemed ready to go on a long winning streak, they'd suffer a setback. Head coach Tom Kramer has stressed responsibility in the defensive zone, but just how much are the players buying into the system? Defenseman Carl Martinez has been a pillar of strength for Sachem on the blue line, but questions up front and in net could point to an early exit for the Arrows. 

They'll faceoff with Smithtown in the quarterfinals, in a matchup of last year's top two teams in the league.

7. Northport/Huntington (8-11-1-0, 17 points) - Despite finishing below .500, the Tigers are not a team to be taken lightly. Goaltender Joe Schrom is more than capable of stealing a game, and forwards Willis Lindstadt and Julien Kann can surprise defenders with their quickness. If Connetquot/Sayville isn't careful, the Tigers will send them packing.

8. East Islip (6-11-3-0, 14 points) - The Redmen round out the playoff field, looking to improve on their two losses to first round opponent Long Beach. East Islip finished the regular season getting at least a point in four of their last six games, including a 4-4 tie against Kings Park/Commack where they scored two goals in the final 25 seconds to force overtime. They won't likely have much success against Long Beach, but they won't go down without a fight either.

Quarterfinal schedule:
Feb. 7, 9:00 p.m. (1) Long Beach vs. (8) East Islip
Feb. 7, 9:40 p.m. (3) Smithtown/Hauppauge  vs. (6) Sachem
Feb. 9, 9:00 p.m. (4) Kings Park/Commack vs. (5) Middle Country
Feb. 9, 9:20 p.m. (2) Connetquot/Sayville vs. (7) Northport/Huntington

All games at The Rinx in Hauppauge.