A fierce display of skill and sportsmanship unfolded at the Sportime hockey rink in Bethpage on Saturday, Dec. 28, as Wheel Talk Hockey hosted a high-level three-on-three tournament.
The event drew young athletes from across the region, including three teams representing Middle Village Roller Hockey, showcasing the borough’s rising talent in the sport.
Middle Village Roller Hockey fielded three teams at the event: 9U (born in 2015), 12U (born in 2012 and under), and 15U (born in 2009 and under).
The 9U team consisted of four players from Middle Village: Jack Pogozelski, Julian Izydorczyk, Frank Ehrhart, and Conor McPhillips. These kids were introduced to Roller Hockey at free clinics during the summer of 2023. They all played their first ever games in Middle Village, and managed to finish third place in the tournament.
The 9-year-old goalie is Colton Callahan, the side’s “newest bestie” from Lynbrook Roller Hockey, which is run by the town’s Chief, Brian Paladino.
The 12U team was a joint effort between Middle Village Roller Hockey and Lynbrook Roller Hockey. The players were Paul Pogozelski and Lukas Hamrak from Middle Village and RJ Breuer and Sean Kehoe from Lynbrook. Middle Village standout goalie Alex Sliwa was in the nets, and they finished fourth in their age group.
The 15U team was captained by goalie James O’Donnell. His teammates were Middle Village’s Mason Monahan, Alex Wilkos, Nazariy Hirnyak, and Freddy Faulkner. They also earned a fourth-place finish.
The teams were coached by Eugene McPhillips, Richie Ehrhart, Gary Posylkin, and Michael Concepcion.
It was an action-packed event that ran from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dino Virone from the Empire Snipers Roller Hockey and Royals Ice Hockey ran it, which featured top-level ice hockey players from all over the area.
“Our kids play and win their games around here but then they went out there and got humbled a little bit by the level of talent, but it’s something that we can work towards, which made it a great experience,” said Middle Village Roller Hockey league organizer, Paul Pogozelski.
“It was really, really top-level. Very clean games, with no fighting and no arguments. It was done really well.”
Pogozelski hopes that another event like this will be held in the spring or summer but admits it may be tough due to league commitments.
“The kids did a great job supporting each other out there even though they lost more games than they won. I appreciated that they were going out there and competing and not calling out at their teammates,” Pogozelski added.
“They were picking each other up and it was a beautiful experience. It was something that no amount of money could ever pay for. They made some friends out there, they learned how to play as a team and they learned what they need to get better at.”
Their next event will be on Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. They will sponsor the first annual Puck Drop Floor Hockey Program with the NY Islanders at Kip Amp School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn while looking to expand hockey throughout the city. Coach Michael Concepcion, a math teacher at Kip Amp, initiated this program, creating logos and jerseys and “getting it off the ground.”
Middle Village Roller Hockey has started spring registration for the 2025 season, which gets underway on March 15. Teams will be drafted at the end of January, and free clinics will open in February.
