Photo and words by Christine Heeren
Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is made up of 170 teams, including 4 from Long Island and is the largest amateur ice hockey league in the nation. Their mission is to prepare and develop players for college hockey (and beyond) through a tiered development program. So far, the USPHL has had over 300 players advance, from the collegiate level to the NHL.
Axcess Sports, and their new division, Axcess Hockey, will be providing breaking news, game coverage, feature stories and player/team rankings for the P.A.L. Junior Islander’s 2018-2019 season, which is 28 weeks long. Rosters are filled with a mix of local stars, like Michael Perrone from Mt. Sinai, NY., and players from around the globe, including Canada and Europe.
Here’s a breakdown of the different PAL Junior Islander teams:
Junior Division: (our main focus will be on these two teams)
- NCDC (National Collegiate Development Conference) Highest Level. Players up to 20 years old. Tuition Free. Geared towards Division I placements. Home games are played at Iceworks (Syosset) & Northwell Health Ice Center (Eisenhower Park) Assistant Coach- Eric Conway
- PREMIER Second highest level. Home games played at The Rinx (Hauppauge). Head Coach- Patrick Dineen
Midget & Youth Divisions: 18U & 16U Coaches Bob Thornton, Eric Conway, Tony Samms and Rudy Sulmonte.
The season begins September 15th for NCDC in Foxboro, Massachuettes, with their first home game on October 20th. Premier plays September 15th at Aviator Sports in Brooklyn, then Sunday, 9/16 at The Rinx in Hauppauge.
For more information on all the teams, including full schedules and rosters, please visit: www.paljrislanders.com
www.USPHL.com
