Hofstra Opens CAA Tournament Play On Thursday Against William and Mary

Hempstead, NY --

The seventh-seeded Hofstra Women's Basketball team (16-13, 8-10 CAA) will open play in the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship on Thursday at 5 p.m. when it faces 10th-seeded William & Mary (13-16, 6-12 CAA) in the first round. This year's tournament will take place at the JMU Convocation Center on the campus of James Madison University and will run until Sunday when the two finalists will meet at 3:30 p.m. to determine the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Sunday's title game will air on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.

The winner of Thursday's quarterfinal matchup between the Pride and the Tribe will advance to face second-seeded Virginia Commonwealth (21-8, 15-3 CAA) on Friday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for noon and 2:30 p.m. (Hofstra's half of the bracket).

Hofstra and William & Mary will be meeting for the second time this season, with the Pride earning a 55-45 victory back on January 18. The Tribe led 24-22 at the half, but Hofstra stormed back to outscore William & Mary 33-21 in the second half to earn the 10-point victory. Hofstra placed four players in double figures in that contest, with senior guard Natty Fripp leading the way with 15 points and adding seven rebounds. Junior center Jess Fuller had a double-double in the game as she tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds, while also blocking four shots. Junior guard Sam Brigham added 12 points and six rebounds in 40 minutes of action, while senior guard Niki Williams chipped in with 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Hofstra's oldest current rival, the Pride and the Tribe first met in the opening game of the 1938-39 campaign with the two squads battling to a 14-all tie. That marked Hofstra's third season of women's basketball, and the Pride hold a 12-7-1 advantage in the all-time meetings with William & Mary. Since Hofstra joined the CAA starting with the 2001-02 season, the Pride owns an 11-4 advantage in the series meetings. These two squads are quite familiar with each other, especially in the postseason, as in the eight seasons they have been conference rivals this will be the fifth time they have met in the CAA Tournament.

Fuller has been a force offensively and defensively for Hofstra this season, as the Queens, NY native leads Hofstra in scoring (11.9 points per game), rebounding (8.1 rebounds per game), field goal percentage (58.1%) and blocked shots (95). Fuller, who has 12 double-doubles this season, leads the CAA in field goal percentage and blocked shots, and ranks third nationally in blocked shots per game. A pair of freshmen have also assisted greatly in Hofstra's 11-game improvement from a season ago (third-best turnaround in nation as of 3/9/09), as freshmen guard Nicole Capurso is second on the team with 10.8 points per game, while freshmen forward Joelle Connelly is third in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Capurso has nailed a team-best 43 three-pointers this season, despite missing Hofstra's last seven games with an injury. Connelly ranks second on the Pride in rebounding (6.2 per game) and blocked shots (59). Both players have been named the CAA Rookie of the Week three times this season.

William & Mary is led by Tiffany Benson, who averages a double-double with 11.8 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. She also has 82 blocked shots in 2008-09, while Taysha Pye is second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per outing.

HOFSTRA HEAD COACH KRISTA KILBURN-STEVESKEY PREVIEWS THE CAA TOURNAMENT

-30-

(Photo by Brian Ballweg for Hofstra Athletics)

Isles Blow Past Devils But Lose Hunter To Injury

Isles Blow Past Devils But Lose Hunter To Injury

Mar 8th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story
Sean Bergenheim enjoys the Hat Trick against the Devils

UNIONDALE, NY- There is no telling if the Islanders matinee performance against the Devils Saturday was a harbinger of a promising future or merely a welcome respite to a frustrating season.

But for one afternoon at least, the core of the Isles youth movement was able to combine effort and skill to outwork a veteran team. Sean Bergenheim’s empty-net goal with .7 seconds left gave him his first career hat trick and 13 different Islanders logged at least one point in a 7-3 win over New Jersey.

“I don’t know what I’m doing differently right now. I just play,” said Bergenheim, who added goals 12, 13 and 14 of the season.

Despite shooting at an empty net, the former first-round pick still produced a highlight-reel play when he shrugged off fierce pressure from Brendan Shanahan and fired a far-angle shot near the goal line along the bench-side boards. Bergenheim’s near 90-degree shot found the twine, prompting some fans to pelt the ice with hats as the Finnish forward became the first Islander to score a hat trick since Bill Guerin in October 2007.

“I kind of made it a little bit tight there, but I’m happy it was one second before and not one second late,” Bergenheim said. “The [chip-in] went pretty far, and I couldn’t backhand it or anything. I needed to pull it to get a better angle and there wasn’t much time, so I knew I had to shoot it.

“Sometimes when you do something on the ice, you’re in the zone. You don’t think too much. You just do it. I didn’t have time to think.”

Coach Scott Gordon saw his club score seven goals for the first time since a 2006 victory over the Rangers. Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen-fellow members of the under-25 club- all contributed to goals in front of a crowd of 15,524 at Nassau Coliseum.

Yet before they could even celebrate, team officials announced Trent Hunter suffered a season-ending ankle injury trying to check Bobby Holik in the first period.

Hunter played 4:46 in the first period before fracturing his left ankle. It was another blow to the Islanders depth considering the team already is without injured veterans Mike Sillinger, Doug Weight, Richard Park, Andy Sutton and Brendan Witt is still serving his five-game suspension.

“I went to hit Holik and kind of got twisted up,” Hunter said. “I was just coming off a bruise on it. There was some swelling in there, but it’s a different injury. There’s not much you can do.”

Joey MacDonald outdid his counterpart, making 35 saves as the Isles won for the third time in four games. Future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur struggled, allowing three first-period goals and six goals on 20 shots in 40 minutes.

“Our guys came out and set the tone of the game,” Gordon said.

Brian Gionta scored 23 seconds into the second period to make it 3-1 and add some intrigue. Bergenheim responded 61 seconds later, adding his first goal to re-establish the three-goal edge.

“The effort that’s being put out by our team is something that’s been a constant for us [lately] and we’re getting some wins because of it,” Okposo said. “Everybody who’s come up has really fit in nicely.”

The Islanders employed a roster featuring eight players who have spent time in AHL Bridgeport. The mini Sound Tigers jumped on the Atlantic Division-leading Devils. Bergenheim scored twice, Tambellini assisted on Radek Martinek’s opening goal just 1:42 into the contest and Bailey added two assists. Minor league call-up Mike Iggulden also added two assists in his Isles debut.

“That was something pretty special,” Iggulden said. “I didn’t expect anything. I just wanted to work as hard as I could. To get a couple of assists was something really special for me.”

It was hard to discern which team was playing for the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and which is in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Isles surged to a 3-0 lead just 14:05 into the contest, punctuated by Jeff Tambellini’s breakaway goal.

Tambellini, who entered Monday’s game with just six points in 44 games, tallied his second multi-point game in the past three contests.

He started the season the NHL roster before being demoted to Bridgeport in order to find his game after the winger tallied two assists in his first 23 games. After picking up a goal and an assist in a win over Colorado Monday, Tambellini was credited as the second assist.

He also allowed the home team to enter the first intermission up three when he subtly skated behind defensemen Paul White and Bryce Salvador at the blue line. Mark Streit then lifted a perfect outlet pass from inside the Islanders defense zone that went right to Tambellini’s stick, initiating the breakaway. Tambellini finished the one-on-one by sliding a backhand under Brodeur’s pads as the crowd erupted for his fourth goal of the season.

“If anybody expects me to come out and every game and shut down everybody; thanks for the confidence but it’s not something that’s going to happen,” Brodeur said. “I felt pretty good; I felt I was where I needed to be. The puck didn’t hit me. You have to give them credit. They got pucks on net and shots really close and made some good plays.”

Iggulden, who appeared in one NHL game as a San Jose Shark against the Islanders last season, made a big contribution in 12:37 of ice time. He assisted on two of Bergenheim’s goals, including an even strength tally that made it 6-2 with 2:40 left in the second. That goal effectively chased Brodeur when Kevin Weekes came out to start the third period.

“This year, the first half of the season, it was tough because I didn’t play close to the level where I knew could play,” Bergenheim said. “By saying that, I have to keep on playing this way and keep getting better.”

Hillen Developing Nicely

Hillen Developing Nicely

Mar 8th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

UNIONDALE, NY- A sold-out Nassau Coliseum provided the ambiance reminiscent of a playoff atmosphere. Considering the last-place Islanders will be likely preparing for acquiring to the top overall draft pick instead of preparing for a postseason run this season, a matchup with the hated Rangers is the closest many of the Isles young players will get to experiencing a pressure-packed contest in an energy-filled arena.

In less than a calendar year, Jack Hillen played his first game, logged his first assist and scored his first NHL goal all against the Rangers. For a 23-year-old defenseman who was playing college hockey a year ago, that trifecta must resonate. Right?

“Boy, I didn’t even think about about that,” Hillen said with a laugh. “You know what, it is what it is, I never really thought about it.”

But Hillen is indeed a cerebral player and one aware of his surroundings. And almost half the Islanders roster entering Saturday’s home matinee against the Devils spent part of the season in AHL Bridgeport.

With Andy Sutton injured and Brendan Witt finishing a five-game suspension, Hillen is being entrusted to provide depth. That’s the same predicament teammates like Andrew MacDonald, Jesse Joensuu, Joe Callahan and Joel Rechlicz are in, getting the call-up from the minor leagues after injuries and two trades jettisoned veterans Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie and 24-year-old defenseman Chris Campoli. An influx of prospects actually puts Hillen, who has played 24 career games, in the middle of the pack on the roster when it comes to NHL experience.

“I knew the feeling before my first game,” Hillen said. “I was pretty nervous. And this year I looked around and I’m like, ‘I’ve played with him, him and him in Bridgeport.’ There’s nothing to be nervous about. We’re all in the same boat.

“It’s just an opportunity for guys. Everybody’s played well. Hopefully whoever comes up and plays well can keep it going and try and earn a spot for themselves.”

Hillen scored his first career NHL goal against the Rangers, cutting a two-goal lead into a 3-2 deficit before Markus Naslund secured the Blueshirts 4-2 victory Thursday night. Coach Scott Gordon has emphasized defensemen responsibly joining the offensive rush, looking for opportunities to jump into the play in the offensive zone without giving up off-man rushes. That strategy worked on Hillen’s marker when Dean McAmmond’s initiated the play with his pass off the sideboards.

Gordon said Hillen’s goal was indicative of his philosophy and stressed he doesn’t want his defensemen to just indiscriminately leave their post and take an offensive-zone chance.

“We want our defensemen to join the attack whenever the opportunity presents itself,” Gordon said. “In saying that, there has to be responsibility to back it up. That’s the thing that’s most pleasing about it. The first part of the year, we weren’t being responsible. We didn’t have the back-pressure or the back-check. Now, we’re a lot more responsible in those areas.”

Added Hillen on his goal: “Dean made a great pass to me off the wall and I went wide and waited for some support,” Hillen said about his goal. “When the opportunity presents itself, I’m definitely going to try and jump up in the play because that’s a part of my game and that’s part of what [Gordon] wants me to do.”

Hillen barely played more than 13 minutes a game when he first came up from Bridgeport. The former Colorado College standout, who completed his economics degree right after playing two games (both against the Rangers) at the end of last season, is taking an increased role and said he is using a teammate as a model both on and office the ice. Mark Streit, the Isles only All-Star, is also a defenseman yet leads the club with 45 points.

On a club that is 20-37-7 and has allowed 54 more goals than its scored, Streit’s plus-3 rating underscores his incredibly productive season. Streit is also a good role model for Hillen since both have similar body types in addition to a penchant for joining the offense: Hillen is just one inch shorter than Streit’s listed height of six feet and both are listed as close to 200 pounds.

“I’m just trying to learn how to be a professional athlete,” said Hillen, who registered five points and a plus-1 rating through his first 24 games. “I’m trying to learn from Mark Streit; the way he carries himself and how everybody acts in a professional manner.”

Print This Article | Email This Post | Share/Save | Message Boards

Tags: Ahl, Andrew Macdonald, Andy Sutton, Bill Guerin, Brendan Witt, Callahan, Career Games, College Hockey, Defenseman Chris, First Assist, First Game, Game Suspension, Islanders, Jesse Joensuu, Matchup, Mike Comrie, Minor Leagues, Nassau Coliseum, Nhl Goal, Predicament

Isles Continue On Their Roll

Isles Continue on Their Roll

Mar 9th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

Jeff Tambellini scored his third in four games.

UNIONDALE, NY- It might not mean much come the season-opener in October. But for a one-week stretch, the Islanders look closer to a promising young team than a directionless unit in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The Islanders once again found offense from unlikely sources and good goaltending made it stand up. One day after Sean Bergenheim picked up his first career hat trick, Jeff Tambellini scored his third goal in four games, Josh Bailey scored for the first time in 15 games and Kyle Okposo took another step towards a 20-goal season in his rookie year.

Yann Danis capitalized on the offensive support, making 40 saves and teaming with a penalty kill unit that nullified a pair of two-man power plays and kept the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes scoreless on seven power play chances in a 3-2 matinee victory at Nassau Coliseum Sunday.

“Sometimes we make some youthful mistakes but we make up for it with effort,” coach Scott Gordon said. “It’s slowly coming together.”

Danis tied his career high in saves, including 16 in a frantic third period for his second 40-save game in his past six appearances. He has allowed just nine goals in those last six games. Nine different Islanders recorded at least one point, sending the club on a six-game road trip winners of four of its past five games.

The Isles will look to carry its hot play away from Long Island. Gordon’s team is 6-23-2 away from home, though Okposo said the Islanders are improving in all facets. The club has captured points in six of the past eight games after losing seven of its previous eight contests before Feb. 21.

“We’re working so hard to back-pressure, and I think that’s been the big difference in our team over the last month,” Okposo said. “We come back so hard that we don’t give teams a lot off the rush. We’re getting above the puck and not giving up too many odd-man rushes. We’ve just been playing better as a team.”

All three Islanders goals came in a whirlwind second period. Tambellini sent home a rebound in front of the net for his fifth of the season to tie the score at 1 following Scottie Upshall’s opening tally 15:50 into the first that gave Phoenix it’s only lead. Three of Tambellini’s five goals have come in the past three games.

Bailey put the Isles ahead at the 9:18 mark, pushing a wrist shot past Ilja Bryzglaov. Okposo followed with a net-finding wrist shot with 36.8 seconds left before second intermission for his 14th goal. At the time, that tally provided an insurance marker that proved to be the game-winner. The Isles are 9-3-3 in the past 13 games at the Coliseum.

“I thought in the second period, we came out and had a lot of jump,” Okposo said. “We were moving our feet and getting above the puck. We carried that over into the third. We didn’t give them too much. They had 41 shots, but we didn’t give up too many quality chances.”

Tim Jackman and Bergenheim gave Phoenix its best chance to get back in the game, taking penalties for hooking and tripping respectively 1:54 into the final period to give the Coyotes its second five-on-three opportunity. Yet Phoenix only recorded two shots during the two-man advantages and the Coyotes only cut it to 3-2 when Shane Doan scored a point-blank goal with 18.6 seconds left after the visitors pulled their goalie.

“We didn’t capitalize on either five-on-three,” Gretzky said. “I believe you should score on every five-on-three situation.”

Danis faced a slew of shots in the final period yet the defense was able to clear out rebounds and prevented many quality chances. Phoenix nearly made it 3-2 with 5:23 to play when Matthew Lombardi’s shot skipped past Danis. Following a video review, the officials ruled the net was knocked off its moorings just before the puck crossed the goal line, disallowing the goal.

“Most of their shots were from the outside and whenever there was a rebound, guys took care of it,” said Danis, who increased his save percentage to .924 in improving to 7-10-2. “They didn’t have any odd-man rushes. We’re playing some smart hockey defensively.”

Print This Article | Email This Post | Share/Save | Message Boards

Tags: Career Hat Trick, Coach Scott, Eight Games, Five Games, Four Games, Game Road Trip, Goal Season, Goaltending, Jeff Tambellini, Kyle Okposo, Man Power, Nassau Coliseum, Odd Man, Offensive Support, Phoenix Coyotes, Rookie Year, Sean Bergenheim, Six Games, Wayne Gretzky, Youthful Mistakes

Isles Make Do With What's Left

Mar 6th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

UNIONDALE, NY- No captain’s crest was placed on any Islander uniform last night while only one actually stepped on the Nassau Coliseum ice against the Rangers Thursday night.

But one day after shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, the Isles played through the leadership void, putting forth a spirited effort before falling short in a 4-2 loss to the Blueshirts in front of a sell-out crowd.

Coach Scott Gordon did not name the 12th captain in team history following Guerin’s departure to the playoff-contending Penguins. Instead, Richard Park, Brendan Witt and Trent Hunter were also designated as assistant captains, though Park spent Thursday night watching from the Nassau Coliseum press box as he recovers from broken ribs and Witt continues to serve his five-game NHL suspension for elbowing Toronto forward Niklas Hagman in the head.

Injuries and the trades that shipped out Guerin and Mike Comrie forced the roster’s young players to take increased roles. Blake Comeau relished the opportunity, logging his second two-point game of the season with a goal and an assist. The 23-year-old now has three points in the past two games, giving Islanders fan at least something to cheer about as the Isles fell to 20-37-7 and claim a NHL-low 47 points.

“It’s an opportunity for the young guys to step up and prove that they can play here,” Comeau said. “It’s not the easiest thing to get opportunity in this league but when you do, you want to be ready and you want to make the most of it.”

Comeau scored his fourth goal of the season, driving to the net and sending the puck underneath goalie Henrik Lundqvist’s pads 5:37 into the second period, answering Nikolai Zherdev’s game-opening tally to knot the score at 1. Chris Drury put the Rangers ahead again almost three minutes later, deflecting new acquisition Nik Antropov’s pass past goalie Yann Danis to put the Blueshirts ahead 2-1.

Then the Rangers registered the put-away goal that served as a microcosm of the Isles play: tireless and hard working but not enough to finish strong. Dean McAmmond raced into the Rangers zone before colliding with a teammate near the blue line. The aggressive mistake facilitated a two-on-chance the other way, culminating in Zherdev’s one-time pass to Scott Gomez’s stick blade. Gomez easily pushed the shot past a sprawling Danis for a 3-1 edge.

Gordon said he was pleased with the effort of a team that could easily be mistaken for AHL Bridgeport. Call-ups like Jesse Joensuu, Andre MacDonald, Joe Callahan and Joel Rechlicz have turned the Islanders dressing room into a Sound Tiger reunion because of injuries and front office transactions.

“The guys played with tremendous energy and all the guys that came up from Bridgeport played well,” Gordon said. It was a great environment to be a part of.

“There wasn’t anybody who had an off-night tonight. From top to bottom, we were pretty solid. They [the Rangers] had some bounces but in saying that, I think we gave ourselves a pretty good chance to come back in the game but it wasn’t meant to be tonight.”

At 35, Dean McAmmond joins the injured Doug Weight as the Islanders elder statesmen. Acquired in last month’s trade with Ottawa, McAmmond said he empathizes with the call-ups trying to prove themselves, relating their experiences to his situation as 19-year-old with the Oilers in the 1993-94 season.

“When I was a young guy in Edmonton starting out, I thought I was a pretty good player and was looking to prove myself,” McAmmond said. “It’s a great opportunity for these [young] guys to come in, work hard and play against a team like that. This is an important game for then. They came out hard and I think we adjusted pretty good. A couple of breaks and it could have been different.”

Jack Hillen, another Isles’ youth movement member, made things interesting by scoring his first NHL goal at an opportune time. The 23-year-old blue liner brought the Isles within a goal of tying it with a hard shot that skipped past Lundqvist 3:44 into the final period. The Rangers added a power play goal with 6:36 remaining, securing the win to end the Isles modest two-game winning streak and three-game point streak.

“Dean made a great pass to me off the wall and I went wide and waited for some support,” Hillen said about his goal. “When the opportunity presents itself, I’m definitely going to try and jump up in the play because that’s a part of my game and that’s part of what [Gordon] wants me to do.”

Print This Article | Email This Post | Share/Save | Message Boards

Tags: Bill Guerin, Blake Comeau, Blueshirts, Brendan Witt, Broken Ribs, Chris Drury, Danis, Game Nhl, Henrik Lundqvist, Leadership Void, Mike Comrie, Nassau Coliseum, Nik Antropov, Niklas Hagman, Nikolai Zherdev, Point Game, S Pass, Shipping Bill, Spirited Effort, Trent Hunter

As Expected, Isles Trade Guerin

Mar 5th, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders, Top Story

UNIONDALE, NY- Instead of a slew of comings and goings, the Islanders made just one anticipated deal before the NHL’s trade deadline Wednesday.

General manager Garth Snow’s only move was an expected transaction, as the Islanders traded Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick. The Isles will receive no worse than a fifth round pick that could be bumped up to a fourth-round choice if the Penguins qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Should the Pens win a postseason round and Guerin appears in half of Pittsburgh’s games, the Islanders will receive a third rounder. The fifth-round selection originally belonged to Tampa Bay.

“The entire Islanders organization has the utmost respect for Bill Guerin and we sincerely thank him for his time on Long Island and as the team’s captain,” Snow said.

Before the 3 p.m. deadline, NHL clubs completed 22 trades totaling 45 players and 21 draft picks. But the Islanders did not make any more trades after shipping out the team’s captain. Snow held on to impending free agents Doug Weight and Andy Hilbert and also kept defensemen Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek, who were rumored to be on the trading block.

“As a seller, you can’t make a trade for the sake of making a trade,” Snow said in Room 6 at Nassau Coliseum, the same site where two years ago the Isles shocked the league by acquiring All-Star Ryan Smyth for a stretch-run deadline deal.

Guerin became the 11th captain in franchise history when he signed a two-year deal before the 2007-08 season. He was one of just two Isles to crack the 20-goal mark in last season, notching 23 goals and 21 assists in 81 games. He tallied 39 goals in 142 games for the Islanders, including career goal No. 400 earlier in the current campaign. The 38-year-old will be joining his seventh team after agreeing to waive his no-move clause to go to a Penguins team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring.

“Billy brings that veteran presence,” Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero said. “He’s a right winger with a right shot, and he can still skate. I talked to him this afternoon after the trade and I told him what I was expecting of him. He’s a goal scorer. Billy Guerin can play with good players and score goals - he’s certainly done that in the past. I think we have the players for him to play with and support him.

“He has size. We wanted to get bigger and we wanted to get a little bit stronger up front and I believe that’s a good fit. Hopefully it’s a good move for both of us.”

The move settled a situation that dominated talk around the Islanders after Snow pulled Guerin from the ice before Saturday night’s against Buffalo. Guerin skated in the pregame warmup but was not on the bench for the opening faceoff. He also was held out of Monday’s victory over Colorado, fueling trade speculation that had reports suggesting Guerin could be headed to Montreal or Washington.

“I had a conversation leading up to the warm-up and after contacting Bill’s agent and talking it over a little bit, it was in everyone’s best interest that he probably shouldn’t play and when I say we, I mean the three of us…really didn’t want to risk bill getting injured,” Snow said.

Snow left open the possibility for re-signing Hilbert and Weight and said he never intended to conduct whole-sale changes despite the Isles league-low 47 points and 20-36-7 record.

“We’ll do whatever we have to do to be better,” Snow said. “We weren’t going just go in and have a fire sale. If we identify a free agent to be as someone as we can re-sign, we’ll take that road.”

Last year at the trade deadline, the Penguins also made a move at the deadline before playing the Islanders. The same press room at Nassau Coliseum was where the Pens announced Marian Hossa’s acquisition, which propelled Pittsburgh into the finals. Entering Wednesday night, the Pens were clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot with 72 points and 17 games remaining.

“They’re playing great; I’m really looking forward to it,” Guerin told TSN. “I’ll just go in and be myself. They get you for a specific reason. The best thing you can do is just go and be yourself and support the leadership that they have there. It’s a great opportunity for me.”

On a side note, Guerin’s acquisition comes on the same day the Pens assigned former Islander Miroslav Satan to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Satan was subjected to trade rumors last deadline but the Isles kept him for the remainder of the regular season and let him leave as a free agent over the summer.

More Moves Besides Guerin; Islanders Send Down Sim

UNIONDALE, NY- Garth Snow pulled off a blockbuster two years ago when he packaged prospects and a first-round draft pick for All-Star 40-goal scorer Ryan Smyth. But two years later, the only trade deadline move the Islanders made was shipping Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a conditional fifth-round pick that might turn into a third-round choice.

While the Guerin deal didn’t exactly dominate headlines around the league, it still ended days of speculation about the 38-year-old winger’s future. Snow also completed some minor deals yesterday, assigning Jon Sim to AHL Bridgeport and activated defenseman Thomas Pock and center Nate Thompson from injured reserve.

Impending free agents Andy Hilbert and Doug Weight were retained and Snow said both players could be offered contract extensions. The third-year general manager said the opportunity to shop veterans at the deadline was a unique experience.

“No, not disappointed or frustrated,” Snow said about the lack of deals. “For me it was the first time as GM that I’ve been in this situation where we were sellers…first year we were buyers, last year we were two back from a playoff position…putting a price tag on certain deals…if it happened we would have seriously considered it obviously this year with the situation we were in we were looking obviously to be a seller.”

Islanders management touted this season as a youth movement where developing prospects would be valued more than wins and losses. Yet some player conflicts with first-year head coach Scott Gordon led to trading 24-year-old defenseman Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie in a trade to Ottawa that netted a late first-round pick.

When a club enters the deadline sporting an NHL-low 47 points and a 20-36-7 record and will not likely tout a 30-goal scorer for a second consecutive season, Snow suggested there is no list of untouchables on the roster.

“Obviously there is no one who is untradeable the same way Wayne Gretzky got traded, anything can happen…you can’t in a situation we’re in being in 30^th place, have a lot of players who are untradeable.

“We have a good foundation of players who are returning and we can get healthy now, and over the summer and be flying when training camp arrives. But now obviously the team is playing well, we have a lot of younger players and the veterans who have done an admiral job in tough situations. We are here to win hockey games too.”

While Campoli was traded off Long Island, 34-year-old Brendan Witt will continue to call Nassau Coliseum his home. While that move might cause some people to question the consistency in touting a youth movement, Snow said Witt still has value to the team despite his public criticism of Gordon’s system earlier this season.

“To me Brendan Witt is what the Islanders are looking to be. He’s tough he plays with a lot of heart, selfless; he’s a good leader in the locker room. He’s a player we’ve had here for a few years now and were happy he’s back for two more.”

Snow did not immediately name a success for Guerin, who was the 11^th captain in franchise history. He did praise the former 40-goal scorer for embracing the captaincy when he signed a two-year contract before the 2007-08 campaign.

“He’s a great leader,” Snow said. “It’s tough for me because Bill is a good friend of mine, it’s a tough part of the job for me when you have to do a move like this, with a player whose a close friend.”