Glen Rock Resident Wins Award and Championship with Youth Hockey Team

The Long Island Gulls '96 Bantam Major AAA hockey team, powered by two Bergen County residents, won the Atlantic Youth Hockey League Championship at the Ice House in Hackensack last weekend.

Chris Birsdall of Glen Rock and JJ Piccinich of Paramus were awarded trophies (All-American Goalie and All-American Forward, respectively) by the league, which consists of teams from Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

In the opening round, the Gulls defeated Team Comcast 5-3. The Gulls followed that up with wins over the Mid-Farfield Blues (7-1) and the Philadelphia Little Flyers (6-2).

The Gulls met Team Comcast again the semi-finals, winning 5-3 and avenging a loss in last year's finals. In the championship round, the Gulls took down the New Jersey Rockets 4-0.

The team finished first in the AYHL with a 28-1-3 record and will play in the New York State Tournament March 11-13 in Cicero.