After weeks of unveiling the top 25 teams in the LILJ preseason rankings we have gotten down to number one. The top ranked team in our preseason rankings are the St. Anthony’s Friars. They are the CSHAA defending champions after defeating rival Chaminade by one goal in the championship game. The Friars are not only the top ranked team on Long Island, they are also one of the best teams in the country. St. Anthony’s was also a participant in the LILJ High School Winter League where they won the championship. The team is coached by long time Head Coach Keith Wieczorek who says he has “a strong returning group with a lot of depth and athletes on both ends of the field.”
On the offensive end the Friars return a lethal attack unit of Mike Leo (Syracuse), Owen Duffy (UNC), Patrick Carragher (Penn State), and Jack Ponzio (Navy). In an abbreviated 2021 season Leo led the team in goals with 27 and totaled 32 points which was the third most on the team. He brings an element of toughness and physicality that allows him to take contact and finish regardless of who is covering him. Duffy is coming off of a monster sophomore campaign in which he scored 25 goals along with 24 assists. Carragher and Ponzio are poised for big seasons after combining to score 20 goals last season. One of their key returning midfielders is junior Jackson Greene (Harvard) who is an absolute sniper that has incredible range.
Two big players they will be without this season on the offensive end are midfielders Andrew McAdorey (Duke) and Jalen Seymor (Notre Dame). McAdorey had 21 goals with 27 assists for 48 points and was named the 2021 USA Lacrosse Player of the Year. Seymour tallied 13 points, scoring 9 goals.
Defensively the Friars will have senior Max McCarthy (Harvard) and junior Kevin Kearns (Michigan). McCarthy is ranked as the seventh best player in the LILJ top 2022 rankings, bringing tremendous versatility to the table. Kearns is a very unique defenseman as someone who is described as a player who is equally as good both on-ball and off-ball. Kevin Barrett (BU) and Will Snyder (Fairfield) will are both back to protect the net. The two goalies had a tremendous winter league, finishing with a near 70% save percentage. They are arguably the top goalie duo on the entire island.
The schedule for St. Anthony’s will see them play plenty of national games as well as some local opponents on Long Island. Some of their notable opponents that they will play on the island are home against Kellenberg (4/5), at Chaminade (4/13), and home against St. Dominics (4/28).
