<P> In NCAA Division I men's college basketball, the Coliseum hosted the ECAC Metro Region Tournament organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 . It also has hosted first - and second - round games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1982, 1994, and 2001 . </P> <P> The New York Sets of World Team Tennis played their first match at Nassau Coliseum on May 7, 1974, and won the WTT championships in 1976 . The team changed its name to the New York Apples for the 1977 season, and played 12 of its 22 home matches at Madison Square Garden and the Felt Forum, repeating as champions . Prior to the 1978 season, the Apples announced that they would leave the Coliseum and play all their home matches in the Madison Square Garden complex . </P> <P> The New York Raiders, intended by the fledgling World Hockey Association to be their flagship franchise, was slated to play in the new Nassau Coliseum in 1972--73 . However, the Nassau County government did not consider the WHA a fully professional league and wanted nothing to do with the Raiders . Nassau County retained William Shea to get an NHL team to play in the new building . The NHL responded by hastily awarding a franchise to Long Island--the New York Islanders--which forced the Raiders to play in Madison Square Garden, in the shadow of the New York Rangers . On October 7, 1972, the first Islanders game in Nassau Coliseum was played as the Atlanta Flames visited the Islanders . Flames forward Morris Stefaniw scored the first NHL goal in the building at 6: 56 of the first period, while Ed Westfall scored the first goal for the Islanders, as the Flames won the game 3--2 . The first Islanders' home win at the arena was on October 12, 1972, where they defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3--2 . The Islanders' first playoff win at the arena came on April 20, 1975, where they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4--2 . On April 22, 1976, the Islanders earned their first playoff series victory at the arena by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 3--2, and winning the series 4--2 . </P> <P> On February 8, 1983, the arena hosted the 35th National Hockey League All - Star Game, during which Wayne Gretzky scored four goals in the third period and was honored as the game's most valuable player . </P>

Uniondale ny @ nycb live home of the nassau veterans memorial coliseum