Four years ago, the Bethpage Varsity Hockey team was 0-12-1, getting beaten badly every single game. It looked as if there was no hope for the future.  However, since then, a spark of youth talent from underclassmen Gavin Hulser and Spyro Markoulis lit a light at the end of the tunnel. Then, led by Coach Jeff Schmier, the Varsity Hockey program was flipped completely upside down in the span of 4 years.

After facing the agony of constant defeat, it motivated all of the players to win; and they did just that. Changes were made by Head Coach Jeff Schmier. He established a more serious environment which included dressing professionally for games.  In the year following, the Eagles made a postseason appearance and a State Tournament appearance in Jamestown, NY. The following year the Eagles made another postseason appearance and another state tournament appearance in Long Beach, NY. These two years, (2015-16, 2016-17), were some of the most successful in program history and there were no signs of turing back for the 2017-2018 campaign.

The Eagles entered the 2017-2018 with one goal in mind, winning. The Eagles had a stellar defense led by goalie Spyro Markoulis (Alternate Captain), Kevin Drucker (Alternate Captain), and Will Dixson (Captain).  Coach Schmier was asked what made this team so successful and he replied, “Goaltending and defense are the strongest I’ve seen since I started coaching 11 years ago. Like I always say, “Defense Wins Championships.” Their offense on the other hand, is one of the best in the league. They are second in the county in goals scored with 77, only trailing Long Beach. The offense is led by senior captain, Gavin Hulser, who is the reigning league MVP. So far this year he leads the county in points and goals. He currently has 32 goals and 23 assists which combines for 55 points averaging 4.2 points per game. Along with junior Matthew Salerno, who also brings points and vitality to the offense and has racked up 12 goals thus far.

As the 2017-2018 season continued, the Eagles continued to get stronger as a team and built up huge chemistry amongst all teammates. Soon, a team became a brotherhood. Not only are the Eagles fully into the team, a fanbase arose as well. “They play more like a team than worrying about themselves,” Coach Schmier said, “All the players are buying into the system.” For the first time, the stands were filled to watch the Eagles play hockey at their home rink which they nicknamed, “The Powerplant.”

On Monday, January 15th, The Eagles took on the Massapequa Chiefs at Newbridge Arena. At this point of the season they were one win away from winning the Conference Championship for the first time since 2004. After a “Huuuuuuge” performance by Spyro Markoulis in net, and 4 goals from Captain Gavin Hulser, the Eagles were victorious over the Chiefs. As the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 6-0 in favor of the Eagles.  They were now officially Conference Champions and clinched the 1st seed for the playoffs.

The Eagles then took on Garden City on January 30th. This was senior night and was possibly one of the most electric games of the season. Assistant Principal, Mr. Healy, led the Eagles onto the ice while playing Scotland the Brave on his bagpipes. Captain Gavin Hulser netted 5 goals and 3 assists in his last regular season game, including a highlight reel between-the-legs goal. This was a bittersweet game in which the Eagles would have to say goodbye to nine seniors who each had an important role on the squad. The Eagles ended up thumping the Garden City Trojans 12-2. This was their last regular season game and they capped off a 10-1-2 record. This was the first time in his coaching career that Coach Schmier recorded 10 wins.

The Eagles are not done yet. They still have County Playoffs, The State Tournament and The Supervisor’s Cup. Fueled with determination and hunger for a championship, the Eagles seek to bring home some hardware.

The first playoff game will be the County Semi-Final on February 11th, 2018 at 7:15pm. This game will be played at Bethpage TOB Ice Rink against the winner of Levittown (3) and Bellmore-Merrick (2). The Eagles hope that the fan base will be fully present and ready for this huge matchup; as a win would mean a date in the County-Finals.

A special thanks to Coach Jeff Schmier and Assistant Coach Rich Dzurus for dealing with “The Boys” all year and to all the seniors that devoted so much to this program for these past years.

2017-2018 Bethpage Golden Eagles Varsity Hockey:

#1: Shane Griggs, Grade 12

#2: Andrew Sciglibaglio, Grade 11

#3: Kevin Williams, Grade 11

#4: Brendan Dixon, Grade 10

#5: Brett Dzurus, Grade 10

#8: Bryan Hanley, Grade 10

#9: (C) William Dixon, Grade 12

#10: John Thomaidis, Grade 10

#12: Scott Hochenberger, Grade 11

#13: Gregory Zito, Grade 9

#14: (A) Kevin Drucker, Grade 12

#15: Alex Freedman. Grade 12

#16: Derek Zacchino, Grade 10

#18: Chris Coveney, Grade 9

#20: Vincent LoBosco, Grade 12

#23: James Jensen, Grade 9

#24: Matthew Salerno, Grade 11

#30: (A) Spyro Markoulis, Grade 12

#37: (C) Gavin Hulser, Grade 12

#44: Sean Coveney, Grade 12

#61: Evan Witt, Grade 10

#66: Patrick Kerrigan, Grade 10

#81: Thomas DiComo, Grade 12

#89: Nicholas Passaro, Grade 12

Head Coach: Jeff Schmier

Assistant Coach: Rich Dzurus