Peconic Wildcats win three championships on the ice

The Olympic hockey teams aren’t the only ones bringing back gold. 

The Peconic Wildcats’ 10U team — which plays in the Long Island Amateur Hockey League — won not one, not two, but three championships this season. And it was all in head coach Gary Nill’s first year with the team.

“There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it that people don’t really see that much,” said Mr. Nill. “To see them do what they did this year and be a part of it as a coach is really special. I couldn’t be prouder and happier for them. They deserve every bit of it.”

The Wildcats’ first tournament win came in Utica last October, followed by the Liberty Cup in Philadelphia in January and, finally, the Long Island Championship about two weeks ago in Brooklyn, beating the Long Island Kings, who are part of the Long Island Royals organization.

It was the first Long Island Championship in Wildcats history.

What makes their final tournament win even more special is that Mr. Nill, 39, of Sound Beach, played for the Royals growing up. Also, the Kings are a team composed of players born in 2015, Mr. Nill said. His 16-player team was a mix of 2015 and 2016 birth years, making them the underdog.

Peconic Ice Rinks in Calverton opened in November 2023, and Mr. Nill has been coaching some of his players there since then, well before they joined the squad.

Mr. Nill coached the 12U team last year, and has been coaching for roughly three years. But this 10U team was special and had a ton of chemistry from the beginning, which was evident to both him and team manager Stephanie Bogdanski.

“From the start, they were always just like a really special group of kids,” said Ms. Bogdanski. “They weren’t expected to do very well, but through a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, early mornings and late nights, they ended up winning.”

Ms. Bogdanski’s son, Mason, is a defender on the team. He’s 9 now, but has been playing since he was 5. He’s right-handed, so when the other defender is left-handed, he sticks to the right side. If his teammate is also a righty, he lets them choose, as he’s comfortable on both sides.

Mason said he’s made some good friends on the team, and really enjoyed playing in the tournaments.

“The tournaments were good, and we won all of them. It was fun winning the Long Island Championship,” he said. When it comes to playing with friends, Mason added, “It makes it more fun, and it’s good knowing who you’re playing with; you could trust them.”

The team practices twice a week at Peconic Ice Rinks. Some players also take private lessons. Mason does, and therefore has practice four days a week, two of which are in the morning before school.

Nicky DeAngelis, 11, has been playing hockey for about six years. He plays center, so he’s constantly in the action, battling in the faceoff circle. When he approaches, he said he has just one thing on his mind: winning the puck back to his defense.

Playing on the Wildcats has allowed Nicky to get closer to his teammates and form some strong friendships. 

“I just like hanging out with them, playing hockey,” he said. “When we’re on the ice together, we just know what to do, what our game plan is.”

Once the team got into the championships, Nicky said, the energy was “really high.” He said the heat of the moment had everyone as locked in as they could be. 

When asked what his favorite part of hockey is, his answer was simple: scoring goals.

The Wildcats’ 10U team has tryouts for next season coming up at Peconic Ice Rinks. The first tryout is Tuesday, March 3, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Peconic Ice Rinks. There will be additional tryout days on Thursday, March 5, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m., and Monday, March 9, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Mr. Nill said being part of the team is so special, and he gets to form a bond with his players. He likens it to a family, and tries to teach all his players the important lessons he learned from the sport growing up. 

“Hockey is a great sport because it teaches you how to be a part of a team, how to be respectful, work hard and dedication,” he said. “It teaches you all the right things that can help you in life, not just on the ice.”

While the team is a triple-champion already, Mr. Nill thinks they can reach even greater heights.

“I think this team is going to be the best around eventually,” he said. “The more we’re able to win for the hockey community out here on the East End, I think that the more people will come and want to play the sport. The sky’s the limit.”