The Long Island Gulls U16 team traveled to compete in the Nike-Bauer Invitational tournament this past weekend.  The tournament featured 96 U16 teams and the Gulls competed in the highest of the three divisions. 

The Gulls first game was an early morning contest vs. the Madison Capitals.  The Gulls struck fast, mounting a 3-0 lead after the first despite being outshot 14-10.  Ryan Brassil scored on a breakaway after a long feed from Giancarlo Romano.  Three minutes later Brassil fed Jack Blumenfeld who buried a shot from the slot.  Later in the frame, Chris Garbe took a pass from Devin Heffernan and wrapped one in.  Vincent Capezza, getting the start in goal, made sure the Capitals wouldn’t get back into the game as he turned away all 14 shots he faced.  After setting the tone in the first, the Gulls would cruise to a 5-0 victory.  Blumenfeld would net another goal, assisted by Michael Conlin.  Heffernan completed the scoring late in the game on assists by Garbe and Jackson Koblick.  The line of Conlin-Brassil-Blumenfeld combined for three goals and six points.  Capezza stopped all 35 shots he faced for the shutout.  The defense was solid blocking 18 shots as well.  

Friday afternoon, the Gulls faced Compuware U15.  It was the second meeting between these two teams in the past two weeks with Compuware taking the earlier game, 4-2.  Halfway through an evenly played first period, the teams traded goals.  Compuware opened the scoring on a power play.  Just over a minute later, a nice rush up ice by Julian Coleman led to a loose puck in the high slot that Jackson Koblick deposited to even the game at 1-1.  Compuware would convert right off a faceoff late in the period for the 2-1 lead.  Early in the second, Jack Goodman was hit from behind and left the game with an upper body injury.  The Gulls were awarded a major power play for the infraction but failed to score.  The teams played fairly even until late in the second period when Compuware would strike again.  The Gulls went into the break down 2-1, but outshooting Compuware 22-21.  Four Gulls minor penalties in the second half of the game kept them from keeping the pressure on.  With three minutes left in the game, Compuware would put the game out of reach with another goal.  The Gulls would make it interesting in the final minutes with a goal from Daniel Kramer, assisted by Koblick, followed by steady pressure and a barrage of shots on the Compuware netminder; however, the game would end 4-2.  Justin Posner stopped 29 of the 33 Compuware shots he faced and the Gulls outshot their opponent, 35-33.

On Saturday morning, the Gulls faced a tough challenge in the Yale Lions.  The team from British Columbia came in having won both of their first two games by a combined score of 16-2.  The Yale squad came out fast and physical against the injury-plagued Gulls, but the Gulls held their own thanks to some spectacular goaltending from Capezza.  Long Island even managed to produce some solid scoring chances, the best of which was a Ryan Brassil shot from the goalmouth that glanced off the post.  The teams ended the first period in a scoreless tie, with Yale outshooting the Gulls 13-8.  The Yale squad again came out flying in the second period, but this time was able to convert just over a minute in.  They would score two more even strength goals by the end of the second to take a commanding 3-0 lead.  The Gulls suffered yet another injury midway through the period when Johnny Barbieri was checked hard along the neutral zone boards and came up favoring his shoulder.  Down to just 13 skaters, the Gulls couldn’t hold back the Lions in the third.  The game ended 6-0.  

With a 1-2 record, the Gulls finished in 3rd placed in their bracket and failed to make the playoff rounds.  They faced another 3rd place finisher, the Michigan Nationals in a consolation game.  This would be no easy task as Michigan entered the game ranked #12 in the country and the Gulls were down four forwards and a defenseman.   Injury struck the Gulls yet again, as now Romano left the game in the second period with an upper body injury.  Down 1-0 after one period, the outmanned Gulls couldn’t hold off the Michigan assault giving up three goals in each of the final two periods.  Justin Posner managed 31 saves on the 38 shots he faced.