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Sports

Lynbrook Native Skates With Islanders Top Prospects

Stephen Alonge making his mark among high-end talent.

Most good National Hockey League teams can't survive by employing 20-goal scorers. They need some muscle, as well.

That's where Stephen Alonge comes in.

The Lynbrook native has been willing to do whatever it takes to make his way through the junior hockey ranks. The versatile defenseman racked up 128 penalty minutes in 34 games with the New York Bobcats of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League this past season, drawing the attention of the New York Islanders, which extended Alonge an invitation to its annual prospect evaluation camp, held last week at Nassau Coliseum.

"It’s awesome," Alonge said of participating in the camp. "It’s a great feeling, good that it’s close to home. It’s special that my family and friends can come watch me practice and the game, it’s a great thing."
Alonge will be entering his second year with the Bobcats. While it's unclear where he'll be playing, his approach will stay the same.

"I don’t know if I’ll be playing defense or forward, he said. "But [I'll] try to be one of the top guys on the team, getting points, fighting a little, just improving my play a lot."

Alonge was one of seven Long Islanders invited to skate with some of the organization's top young talent.

"For the kids that are here, obviously it’s a thrill to come to the Coliseum and play with our guys," said Islanders head coach Jack Capuano.

The prospects, who skated as two separate units throughout the week, took part in a scrimmage and skills competition last Saturday.

The white team, which featured six of the seven Long Islanders at the camp, won the scrimmage, 6-5, though it eventually lost the overall skills competition.

"I think it’s great," Capuano said of having local players at camp. "I think I mentioned earlier, it’s a tribute to the parents who dedicate themselves, going to the rink very early in the morning, taking these kids to practice, to their youth hockey coaches, to their high school coaches."

As for how far he is hoping his career takes him, Alonge said he hasn't made any plans, but he will exhaust all options to achieve his goal.
"I want to get to the highest level I can," he said. "I’d love to play in the NHL one day."

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