No. 24 Ranked Hauppauge Eagles Team Preview

The Hauppauge Eagles head into 2022 looking to advance past the quarterfinals and make a serious run at the Class B County Championship after being defeated by East Islip last season. The team has a number of upperclassmen returning that are poised to make it happen. Head Coach Jim Konen expressed how he views his team and what the keys will be to achieving their goals this season.

“We are Excited to make a run at Class B Suffolk Championship. Keys to success will be the ability to come together as a group and we have to stay healthy. We have some very good veterans that have a ton of varsity experience but we are also very thin when it comes to depth.”

Steven Dezelic and Nick Uzakewicz return to lead the attack unit. Dezelic made his presence known with 25 goals and 8 assists for 33 points. Uzakewicz also had a stellar season, finishing right behind Dezelic with 32 points. The midfield unit will feature Grant Faber, Cole Lemke, and Dylan Sas. Faber is extremely dangerous with the ball in his stick and has the ability to score from all angles. He recorded 29 points as a sophomore and was second on the team with 27 ground balls. Lemke had a big role on the team as a freshman and racked up 19 ground balls and compiled nine points.

The returning players will have some big shoes to fill with the loss of some of their heavy hitters who were in the class of 2021. Riley Henselder accounted for the bulk of their offense had a team-high 61 points. Andrew Sellito and Kieren Thomas were a dynamic midfield duo that combined for 71 points.

The defense remains mostly intact and will be anchored by juniors JoJo ProvenzanoJoe Valenza (Siena) and Frank Pagnotta. Provenzano and Valenza both had an outstanding 2021 campaign. Valenza was dominant in both the ground ball and caused turnover department. His 59 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers were both a team-high. Provenzano was also a force in both areas, scooping 25 ground balls and causing 12 turnovers. Pagnotta is a tenacious and aggressive defender that will always give maximum effort. All three of them bring a level of physicality and toughness that will always have their opponents on their heels.

One significant loss is goalie Damian Levin who was elite between the pipes. He totaled 111 saves and had a save percentage of 58%. His absence will likely leave the goalie duties in the hands of junior Cole Orehoski who saw brief playing time last year. Two young guns that also have the potential to see minutes this season are FOGO Rob Genari and attack/midfielder Peter Sellitto.

A few notable games on the docket for the Eagles this season include home against Bayport (3/28), at Harborfields (4/8), at West Islip (4/13), and home against East Islip (4/20).

The Hauppauge lacrosse program has some notable alumni went on to have great collegiate careers. A few players who grew up wearing the Hauppauge uniform are Zack Loscoe (UPenn), Andrew Dow (Navy), Tom Compitello (Stony Brook), Sam Llinares (Hofstra), and Danny Murphy (Tufts).

 

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