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Sports

Hockey Players Continue to Take to the Ice This Summer

To stay in shape for the fall, and reconnect with local friends, hockey players continue to play with this summer league.

While the season for hockey may be over, the game–at least for local athletes–is not. Hockey is played by residents year round at the Suffolk County Hockey League. Hauppauge's The Rinx provides the location, with dedicated hockey players and novice roller-hockey converts to fill the ranks. They play every day throughout the summer and incorporate many towns, ages and goals. 

Scattered among these players are local Commack residents, players like Frank Arceri and Angelo Vrachnas, though the SCHL consists of locals from Queens to Sag Harbor.

The league accommodates all ages, but it plays an especially important role in continuing the game for college students returning home for the summer. 

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"I would venture to say 25% of the players during the summer are returning college players," said Michael Governara, a spokesperson for the SCHL. "It gives the college student the time to stay in shape while they are home and the opportunity to play with their friends from the neighborhood. Summer time usually brings extremely competitive games."

According to Governara, the league is broken down into 4 divisions, A through D, arranged by relative skill level. "A" division consists of mostly college players, B is a mix of a few A players and former high school players, and C adds a few skaters who played organized hockey but are now older. 

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"D Division is mostly guys converting from roller hockey, novice and a mix of players from other Divisions usually wanting to play with their friends," said Governara.

Teams are chosen through an online drafting process, which is always open to newcomers, but requires an honest self-assessment for those just joining the league to stay a part of their team. 

"If a new comer wants to join the League than we assign them based upon the preference. Normally after that the player feels comfortable with his team and stays on from season to season unless he wishes to make a change and move up on the Divisions," said Governara.

The SCHL's summer season began in June, but lasts through August, with games at The Rinx everyday except Tuesday. It operates on an abbreviated timetable to accommodate a college player's schedule.

The league's Super Season, running from January to June, consists of 16 regular season games with a best-of-3, four team elimination playoff at the end of the season.  It wraps up with an All-Star game, best offensive and defensive player awards, as well as an annual shootout.

The fall and winter leagues split the time between the end of August and the beginning of January, and both consist of 8 game seasons and single round elimination playoffs.

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