Seniors finish final season with RVC Hockey Club

Two South Side High School seniors just completed their final season with an ice hockey program that earned them an invitation to play in the Varsity All-Star Game. The boys, Kevin McNally and Dylan DePellegrin, played at Northwell Ice Center at Eisenhower Park recently, and attribute their success to the skills they learned with the Rockville Centre Ice Hockey Club.

Rockville Centre resident George Barrett started the program in 2013 with Tony Marco upon realizing that there were no youth ice hockey programs in the area. Barrett, the club’s president and an assistant coach, said there were a variety of youth sport and community program options, but he wanted to provide a hockey program to his kids and to the community. The program started with only 12 players and has grown to 64 players.

Since its founding, the Rockville Centre Ice Hockey Club has been successful enough to expand the program and offers teams at three different grade levels: a middle school team for sixth- and seventh-graders, coached by Tim McManus; a junior varsity team coached by Steve Cardi and a varsity team, coached by Joe Daly and Steve Leavenworth. The Rockville Centre Hockey Club participates in the New York Islanders High School Hockey League and has had two state tournament appearances and made it the county championships twice, winning it in 2016.

Barrett noted that Gerry Nzich, the club’s past president and former varsity coach who now assists with the middle school team, dedicated four years to the program and helped them win the county championship.

April McNally, Kevin’s mother, praised the program and all of the coaches.

“The dedication of the players and coaches has been remarkable,” April said. “All coaches have devoted endless hours any many late nights to our community youth hockey program.”

Kevin has been a part of the club since the beginning, joining the club the first year it was open to sixth-graders, making him the longest-playing member of the team. This year, he serves as captain of the varsity team. He currently plays on two additional hockey teams.

Dylan has also been a part of the program for several years and is the assistant captain of the team. Dylan plays on two additional hockey teams and plans to play in college.

According to Barrett, many of the hockey players have spent their Friday and Saturday nights on the ice in addition to weekly practices. Yet, he said, that time commitment has paid off, as the program ensures that all players have an optimal experience by getting a chance to travel and to play other Long Island teams. 

“This program has created strong friendships,” he said, “on and off the ice.”

In the fall, varsity and junior varsity practices will be held at Freeport Ice Rink on Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. and middle school practices will be held on Fridays from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.rvchockey.org.