By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
The NCDC will be previewing each of the 21 teams set to hit the ice during the 2024-25 season in a continuing series up to the Sept. 19 start of the new campaign.
P.A.L. Jr. Islanders
Atlantic Division
Home Arena: Northwell Health Ice Center
Head Coach: Mike Marcou
The Jr. Islanders followed their best postseason – winning the 2023 Dineen Cup – with their best regular season, clinching the 2023-24 Founders Cup as regular season champions. The Jr. Islanders also saw four direct-to-NCAA Division I commitments last season – plus five more to NCAA Division III – so they’re getting the job done on all fronts.
“I am very excited to get the season up and running. We are returning 12 players from last season. That will help teach the newcomers what our culture is here at P.A.L. We have had great leadership from our players,” said Head Coach Mike Marcou, entering his sixth season. “Our standards are high. We are coming off a tremendous season and winning the Founders Cup. We fell short of winning back-to-back Dineen Cups. Our goal is to be back in contention for both the Dineen Cup and the Founders Cup.”
The work for this season began the moment last season ended, and certainly saw some peaks of action such as the NCDC Entry Draft in May, as well as camps during the spring and sumer.
“I am very happy with how the spring and summer recruiting has been. We have a small main camp and have a lot of the same faces that we have been at both events. That shows our loyalty to the players we want to focus on and develop,” added Marcou.
There is a great base of veterans that will help steer the ship, including Ryan Kearney, fresh off winning the 2023-24 NCDC Atlantic Division Rookie Of The Year award. Additionally, Ryan Franks is back as a four-year P.A.L. veteran, including time with both the Midget Jr. Islanders and the NCDC.
Devin Niles, another returning forward, is a product of the same Springfield Pics AAA program that produced players like the UMass-committed Coleson Hanrahan and his brother Carter Hanrahan, both of whom were members of the Dineen Cup-winning Jr. Isles. Bob LaChance was another strong player up front who is coming back to the team.
“These are just some of the forwards returning. They all had tremendous seasons in their rookie year in the NCDC. I am excited to see them lead and produce now that they have some experience under their belt,” added Marcou.
On defense, there is also plenty of depth to build upon. The blue line returns Captain Michael English and Marshall Beaker, two more members of the 2023 Dineen Cup team. Aiden Holland and Michael Calabrese are also back for the blue line.
“They are all players that played a bit role in our past success in the NCDC,” Marcou added.
The Jr. Islanders will also be bringing up four former Premier players to the NCDC ranks this year.
“This is great to see our development method with our Premier team and the work of Coach Frank DiChiara,” added Marcou.
From outside of the P.A.L. organization, the Jr. Islanders are welcoming Ryan McKenna, a Garden City, N.Y., native who has two years of NCDC hockey already under his blades.
“We recently picked up Ryan in a trade from Mercer. He is a local player who brings junior experience on and off the ice, and he was a past captain for Mercer,” said Marcou. “We will look for him to lead both on and off the ice.”
It’s always an uphill climb from Game 1 of each team’s season to the top, but the Jr. Islanders feel geared up and ready for another ascent.
