Long Island 495ers looking to add another National Championship

Posted by Dan Cafiero.

Key offseason additions have made the Elite 495ers a powerhouse in the AIHL.

The Long Island 495ers are a member of the American Inline Hockey League (AIHL). The AIHL has 40 teams across the country in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Texas, California, Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Arizona. There are two leagues within the AIHL, an elite and a minor league; the 495ers have a team in both of them. Both teams are members of the New England division in their respective leagues. Skate Safe America, home of the 495ers, is located in Old Bethpage, NY on Long Island. 

Long Island 495ers of the AIHL

The elite team is currently sitting comfortably atop the division and is the clear-cut favorites to finish there. They have a 16-point lead above the New York Terror, another team based on Long Island. The minor team, the defending national champions, is just 1 point behind New England for 1st place as of February 21st.  You can find all of the league’s standings, scores, stats and schedules on the league’s official website www.aihlhockey.com.

In 2011, it was the minor team that brought home the hardware. With a roster with the likes of Captain Steve Sharkey, Vinny Bianco, John Schiavo, Chris Mezzapesa, Matt Metz, Jimmy Metz, Mike Saporito, CJ Tiefenwerth, Chris Bracken, Erik Molzahn, Anthony Rotola, and Tommy Nostramo, the 495ers were tough to beat all season long, losing just 3 games in the regular season. Led by league MVP, Vinny Bianco, the 495ers traveled to Pittsburgh with their eyes set on a national championship. Backstopped by playoff MVP, Tommy Nostramo, the 495ers beat the Corona Ducks from Corona, California in the finals to win their first national title. With a great regular season and a championship to cap it off, it was anything but easy for this hockey team. “ We experienced a lot of ups and downs during the course of the season but we found a way to come together as a team and finish on top.” Said Steve Sharkey, captain of the 495ers. 

After what felt like a dream season for most of the team in 2011, they know this season won’t be any easier than the last one. They have already matched their loss total from last season with 8 games remaining. The good news is that Nick Gullo has stepped up in net, winning all 4 of his starts this season while allowing just 7 goals on 75 shots this season. Vinny Bianco’s 24 points leads the team and is tied for 7th in the nation.  Two games against the Terror on March 10th at Skate Safe America may decide where they finish in the standings; the Terror trail the 495ers by 6 points in the New England Division.

On the Elite side, the 495ers fell to the Philadelphia Brawlers last season in the conference semifinals. The Brawlers advanced all the way to the finals, only to be swept by the Oakland Goodlife. After a disappointing finish to 2011, the elite squad made some key changes for the 2011-2012 season. One of the biggest changes was behind the bench, naming Tim McManus head coach. Long Island also added some of the biggest names in roller hockey with John McGuiness, Greg Thompson, J.P Susco, Brendan Nelson, Derek Kern, Dan Healy, Travis Bokina and John Petito. McGuiness, in his first season with Long Island, leads the nation with 66 points in his first 16 games. Returning players include Jon Mosenson, Rowan Porter, Michael Bochichio, TJ D’Agostino, Anthony Landro and Pete Pennecke. 

This team is certainly loaded with talent and is without question the best team, on paper, in the country; but with an undefeated record so far, they haven’t disappointed.  When a team makes as many changes as they did in the offseason, chemistry is usually a concern with most teams, but not for this one. “Going into the season we were very confident that we would have great chemistry,” Said Greg Thompson, the league’s 2nd leading scorer. “ A majority of the team has played at the high level and we have a lot of guys who have been in the "big game” before.” Even though they have had a great start to the season, they understand they haven’t won anything yet. “From goaltending on up we have a strong team and we hope we can keep it going for the rest of the season. Every team is going to have their best game against us so we really have to come hard and bring our best every game.” 

Both 495ers teams will continue their season on Saturday, March 3rd, when they host the New Jersey Surge. They will play two games a piece, as the puck will drop at 6pm and 6:45pm ET for the minors and 7:30pm and 8:30pm ET for the Elite at Skate Safe America.