The spring season is getting closer and closer which means it’s time for the LILJ to examine the teams across Long Island and how we think their season might turn out. We have ranked the top 25 teams on the Island as part of our annual preseason rankings. With not everyone being able to make the rankings we have compiled a list of teams that we think are “teams to watch” that can potentially make some noise this year. Here are the teams that will be on the LILJ’s radar this year and a little bit about how they can build on what they did last season.
Bethpage- The vast majority of Bethpage’s team is made up of seniors returning for their final season. After 10-4 season last year that saw them lose in the semi-finals to Cold Spring Harbor, they will look to get over the hump and fight for a spot in the county championship game. A couple key returning players are Brian Luzzi and Luke Galgano.
Carey- Last season the Seahawks made it to the Class B Championship game were they fell to Garden City. However some key players from that team such as Jimmy O’Connell and Chris Toscano have graduated and their presence will be missed. Players like Dean Metzger and Kyle Lewis are going to have to have big seasons if Carey wants to have another successful year.
Commack- The Cougars are filled with a lot of young talent that will only help the growth of the program over the next few years. Last year they went 7-8 will hope to this year have an above .500 record and compete for a playoff spot in Suffolk’s Class A. A few of their super sophomores include Brandon Berozi, Luke Breslin, and Ethan Dalland.
Connetquot- This year Connetquot has hopes of building off of a strong 2021 season. They went 12-4 but lost in the second round of the playoffs to Smithtown West. They have made the playoffs every year since 2013 and were super seven league champions five times in that span. The team returns three All-County players, Tyler McCarthy (M, Syracuse), Shaun Hill (FOGO, LIU), and Kyle Cochran (LSM, LIU). Tyler Moore is an All-Division midfielder that is also a key returning player, and Jake Gallose is back at attack. Head Coach Brett Jeffares is looking to develop a young defense and goalie in order to be successful this season. The program has some big time notable alumni that once wore the Connetquot jersey. These players include Kieran McArdle (PLL Waterdogs and Riptide), Mike Pellegrino (New England Patriots Coach), Zach Oliveri (Umass/Stony Brook), Tyler Cordes (Syracuse), and GQ Grippo (Drexel).
Floral Park- A lot of players are back for their senior season at Floral Park looking to advance past the first round of the playoffs after last years upset defeat against Roslyn. This team should have chemistry after last years experience and with the returns of Jason Kozak and Matt Magyar returning, expect them to them to be responsible for much of the teams offense. They’re also getting back their two goalies Braeden Brown and Cameron Powell who shared time in the cage last year.
Harborfields- After last years semi-final defeat to Comsewogue, the Tornadoes are returning with a very different cast of characters. Most of their core has graduated which means it’s incumbent on the few that remain and the new players coming in to fill the void. Two of their few returning players are Luke DeRosa and Dylan Wolf who combined for 58 points last season.
Hills- This year Hills East and West are merging to become one lacrosse team. Fresh off of participating in the LILJ High School Winter League this young group of players are ready to hit the ground running. A few of their young guns that had a big winter league are Anthony Raio, Ryan Chung, and Nico Ghicas. Add into the mix upperclassmen like Andrew Cosentino and Michael Piraino and this team should be an exciting watch in 2022.
Anthony Raio is among several underclassmen on this Hills team or who getting primed to have standout High School careers. Video by @tylercresser
Islip- Much of Islip’s team is back for what will be their final season together. They play in a very challenging Class C division that has teams like Mt. Sinai, Bayport, and Shoreham. They were defeated by Mt. Sinai in the first round last year, but are hoping for another crack at the postseason to potentially make some noise.
LuHi- The Crusaders have a mix of upperclassmen and young guns that led them to a 9-2 record last season. Some of the young guns that will be around for quite sometime are Quinn Ball, Ryan Kurds, and Sam Stewart. They are a complete team that can win shootouts or win a low scoring game. Their defense is backed by senior goalie Rocco Sergio who had 131 saves and a 63 percent save percentage.
Massapequa- Last year was development year for Massapequa with a lot of young players on their roster. Despite only a 6-7 record, they made a run to the semi-finals where they lost to Syosset. This year the Chiefs come back a year older and are hoping re-establish the dominance that the program once had.
North Shore- A lot of players that played a key role in North Shore going 9-5 last season are no longer on the team. This will open the door for players such as Will Feldmann and Jack Kaufman to have massive seasons. Feldmann is already coming off of a strong 2021 campaign in which he had 45 points. One definite strength is their goaltending with the return of Aaron Daversa who had a 60% save percentage last year.
Oceanside- The Sailors are looking to bounce back after going just 2-11 last season. Some key returning players that can help them turn the tide are All-County goalie Ryan Collins, defender Brian Brennan and All-County attackman Ronnie Kraemer. Head Coach Rob Blount is hoping his team can get back into playoff contention and get over that quarter-finals hump and into the semis.
Port Jefferson – Port Jeff returns their starting goaltender, Peter Murphy, as well as slew of defensemen. This team only had two seniors on their entire roster in 2021. Their leaders in points consisted of Stephen Bayer, Brady DeWitt, Daniel Koban (2021 Graduate), & Kyle Scandale.
Sachem East- A team that had a high-powered offense last season remains mostly in tact in 2022. Two big losses however are Luke Managan who had 76 points and Jack Murphy who had 34. Despite their absence, a bevy of talent in the class of 2022 and 2023 means they have the ability to still be an offensive force. The goal tending is a question yet to be answered but Sachem can certainly compete for a playoff spot in the Class A division.
Sachem North- Last season Sachem North went 8-9 and upset Huntington in the second round of the playoffs before losing to Ward Melville in the semi-finals. They are led by Coach Anthony Muratore and will look to continue off of last seasons playoff success with the returns of Alex Pfeiffer, Nicholas Elarde, and Tyler Davide.
Sachem North not only got the best of cross-town rival Sachem East last season, but they shocked the long island lacrosse community with a first round playoff win over Number 1 seeded Huntington. Watch out for the arrows again in 2022. Video by @tylercresser
Sayville- Many of Sayville’s key contributors are back for the 2022 season. Last year they went 7-7 and missed the playoffs in a challenging Class B division. The offense should be the strength of this team, but question marks surround them in the cage with loss of Dom Russo. It’s going to take a collective effort for Sayville to vie for a playoff spot this season.
Seaford- The Seaford Vikings are a perennial playoff team and last year they went 9-5 with an appearance in the Class C semifinals. This year Seaford returns a large number of starters from 2021 as well as a supporting cast filled with veterans. One of their key returning players is All-County senior attackman Cameron Connolly (LIU) who was an U18 Team USA member. Two of Seaford’s other All-County players are seniors John Raucci and AJ Barone. Raucci plays a combination of attack and midfield while Barone is strictly a midfielder. As a team their offense averaged about 11 goals per game last season. Between the pipes this year will once again be Joe Ulzheimer who is entering his senior season. Head Coach Brian Horner says that many of their athletes have been working hard and playing every opportunity they had since last spring.
Southampton- After going 10-6, Southampton returns some good young talent in Charlie Corwin, Chance Brindle, & Jack Freel. They also had some quality wins last year against Riverhead, Whitman, Middle Country, Pat Med, and Longwood. They will definitely have to fill a big hole in net, as 2021 grad Hudson Brindle accumulated over 170 saves a season ago.
St. Dominic’s – While St. Doms is young on the defensive side of the ball, they return all their top scorers from a year ago. This is a sneaky good team with one of the best goalies on the island in net, Michael Ippolito (Cuse Commit). On the offensive, Casey Johnson, Mike Micena, Mike Skoros, Patrick Crawley & Pat McGovern all had over 20 points or more a piece, and will be returning in 2022.
Westhampton- The Hurricanes are going to be without the bulk of their offense from a year ago. They made the playoffs last year going 7-8 and losing to Harborfields in the first round. If they are going to be a playoff team again players like Gavin Arcuri and Dan Naglieri are going to have to fill the shoes of the players that have graduated. The goalie tandem of Jake Dagata and Conor Farnan returning for their senior seasons bodes well for the Hurricanes defense which allowed less than 10 goals eight times last year.