By Carmine Angioli/For the Staten Island Advance

The College of Staten Islands Tournament of Heroes, Friday and Saturday at the Sports and Recreation Center in Willowbrook, will be the 18th and final edition under the current format.

But it sure wont be the last ever.

When the college announced its move up to NCAA Division II this is year one of a three-year transition Division III teams started dropping out of non-conference games with the Dolphins.

Once Division III teams started dropping us, I started worrying about getting teams in the tournament, said CSI coach T.J. Tibbs. What helped was the relationships I have.

For instance, Bridgewater College of Virginia committed to the tournament before Moore Catholic product Shawn Postiglione left its head coaching spot for the same job at Moravian College. Postiglione and St. Peters product Tibbs played against each other throughout grammar school and high school.

Coach Post set this up and assured me when he left they werent going to cancel, Tibbs related.

Curry, CSIs first-round opponent tomorrow night at 7:30, is coached by Tibbs future brother-in-law Joe Busacca, a Monsignor Farrell grad. Wheaton, which meets Bridgewater Friday at 5:30, jumped in late, but with enthusiasm.

Curry was rock solid, and Wheaton reached out to me and I gave them the rundown and they werent deterred by it, Tibbs said.

So, with a field in place, something else popped up.

(As the transition to D-II began), we were in limbo about what rules we had to follow, D-II wise, D-III wise, Tibbs recalled. We stumbled across a rule where every D-II team takes off at the same time. And that was running right into the tournament.

So we were able to get some help. Erin (Van Nostrand), our compliance director, did a great job in running that through the NCAA and the (East Coast Conference) office and saying, Hey, look, this is something thats very important.

I just remember walking into (athletic director Charles Gomes) office and Erins office saying, This has to happen. They made sure. Everybody here understands the importance of the tournament.

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TOURNAMENT OF HEROES GLANCE

WHAT: College of Staten Islands 18th annual Tournament of Heroes

WHERE: CSIs Sports and Recreation Center, Willowbrook

MATCHUPS

Friday

Bridgewater vs. Wheaton, 5:30 p.m.

CSI vs. Curry, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Third place game, 1 p.m.

Championship, 3 p.m.

ADMISSION: Its five dollars per person each day, with proceeds going to support the tournament.

HISTORY: CSI defeated Bates and Tufts last December to win the tourney for the first time since 2015 and third time overall.

IN MEMORY OF: Former CSI coach Tony Petosa launched the tournament in memory of Terrance Aiken, Scott Davidson and Tom Hannafin, ex-Dolphins who perished in the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Aiken worked in the WTC. Davidson and Hannafin were members of FDNY.

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The significance, of course, is the event honors three former Dolphin players Tom Hannafin, Curtis Aiken and Scott Davidson who perished in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Former CSI coach Tony Petosa, who coached or played with all three men, helped launch the tourney. Tibbs played in it for CSI and was committed to carrying on.

The first night is the most important night, when we honor the three young men, Tibbs said. When I took the job and being an alum, I (said) as long as I am here its going to happen. Thats just the CSI pride in me. But also understanding what it means to the community.

When 2020 rolls around, the format will be altered to conform to D-II regulations. The tournament will have new dates most likely the first weekend of the season, in early November and will be a tip off event, with opponents pre-determined, so there wont be a formal championship game. The opponents will all be D-II teams from CSIs region, allowing the Dolphins two extra games. D-IIs are permitted 26 regular-season games, but games in this sort of event do not count against the total.

Well make it work because thats really an important event for us, Gomes said back in September. Its important for us to honor those guys and their families.

NOTES: CSI is 3-6 overall, 1-5 against Division II opponents. Curry is 3-5, but the three wins under second-year head coach Busacca are one short of the programs win total for the previous four years combined. Wheaton is 3-4 overall and Bridgewater is 4-6. The third place and title games are at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday.

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