New York Rangers Sled Hockey Squad Showcase Their Skills At A Packed Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK, NY—On February 3^rd, 2011, in front of thousands of rabid Rangers’ fans at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers Sled Hockey team took the ice and showcased the game they so love.  During the 2^nd intermission in the game between the Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, several members of the sled hockey incarnation of the home team thrilled the Garden faithful with a dazzling display of sled hockey prowess.  The crowd, usually more interested in hitting the restrooms or food stands, actually stayed put during the intermission, cheering the players on throughout the demonstration.  The team did a great job of playing to and amping up the enamored crowd, and team members Connor Fee, Bobby Repsha, Kevin Lynch, and Jack Wallace gratefully acknowledged their cheers by saluting the fans as they left the ice.

            Special thanks to Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers, Rick Nadeau, and Victor Calise for helping make this memorable evening possible, and to the players themselves, who gave all in attendance a terrific show.

            For more information about this and other adapted sports and events, please visit www.WheelchairSportsFederation.org.

After visiting the Doctor in December 2010 and find out his cholesterol was high, Adaptive Athlete, Ricardo Corral from Bronx, NY decided to be more active this winter.  He's an avid Handcycler, Wheelchair Tennis player and Wheelchair Softball player.  All sports he participates mainly in the spring, summer and fall.  He decided to join the Adaptive Rowing Program that Row New York sponsors at Red Hook, NY on Saturdays.  After 4 weeks, Ricardo qualified for the CRASH B Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championship in Boston MA on Sunday February 20, 2011.  Not only did he come in 2nd place, he qualified for the 2012 Paralympics in London England. 

Congratulations to Ricardo and as he always says "Persevere and Succeed!"

To learn more about Adaptive Rowing, please visit www.RowNewYork.org

The New York Knicks Roll Past the Competition and Win the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference Championship

Written by Peter Quartuccio

CEDARHURST, NY—This past Saturday, January 22, four local wheelchair basketball squads took part in the 58^th Annual Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference Tournament at Lawrence High School.  The Nassau Kings, the New York Nets, the Bulova Nets, and the New York Knicks—the heavy favorite to win the title—each had their share of good moments and strong performances, but it was the Knicks that possessed the greatest sum of both.  With their vast array of offensive weapons and seemingly boundless depth, the Knicks went undefeated at the tournament, besting both of their opponents in convincing fashion to win the E.W.B.C. Championship.

            The Knicks began their dominant campaign by trouncing the game but simply overmatched Kings, 64-18.  The superior outlet passing of the Knicks and the speed of their guards scorched the Kings, who, despite losing by nearly 50 points, never gave up.  Their heart and dedication served them well in their second game, where they found themselves matched up against the tough and skilled but far less dangerous New York Nets, who were coming off a 76-31 rout at the hands of the Bulova Nets.  The Kings wound up topping the New York Nets, 39-27, and went home a respectable 1 and 1, while their opponent finished the day winless.

            Being all from the tri-state area, these teams are very familiar with each other, and with this familiarity came a not altogether subtle dose of contempt.  Nowhere was that contempt more present or perceptible than in the Championship Final between the Knicks and the Bulova Nets, where trash talk ruled the day.  The Knicks’ brash point guard David Snowden did his best to back up the talk, shooting well and distributing the ball wisely and precisely.  His teammates’ contributions were considerable, as Eddy Lopez’s presence on the glass and Kevin Grant’s accuracy from the field helped give the Knicks a balanced attack.  The Bulova Nets had their own stellar performances: Paul Ward and Jim Jeffreys shot the ball well, and bigmen Steve Yedlock, Luis Dalmau, and Denton Johnson did their best to thwart the Knicks’ offensive onslaught.  In the end, the Knicks’ myriad weapons proved too much for the tenacious but outgunned Nets, and went on to beat them by a final score of 65-52.

            For more information about this and other adapted sports and events, please visit www.WheelchairSportsFederation.org.