When you think of Seaford boys athletics, you might think of their Nassau County football championships and the success they had on the gridiron in past years. But this year the Seaford senior class made a statement on the lacrosse field. The Vikings are the number 2 seed in Nassau Class C and have had an amazing season with the record of 14-2 on the year.
This Seaford team is led by a group of six captains. Eric Schiller, AJ Barone, James McHugh, Cameron Connolly, John Raucci and Anthony Munro are the ones leading the way. All six players are seniors and have contributed a lot to this successful season for the Vikings.
And it’s not just these six players, the Vikings have a total of 20 seniors highlighting the roster. Out of this explosive offense, it’s John Raucci leading the bunch with 34 goals. The top goal scorer knew this group was special. Raucci said “We’ve just been playing since we were in kindergarten, all of us together so we just have that chemistry, we’re all brothers here”.
Seaford came into the year with a lot of good teams on their schedule. They are also slotted in a loaded Nassau Class C. The conference is led by a powerhouse within Manhasset, along with other solid teams within South Side, Wantagh and Plainedge to round out a really talented top part of the division. South Side has another great team this season, and a lot of people thought they were the second best team behind Manhasset.
The Vikings were considered to be the underdogs when they played against South Side on May 10th, but the boys from Seaford rose to the occasion. In the big showdown, it was Anthony Munro coming up big with 3 goals to help Seaford take a 7-5 victory over the Cyclones. Munro said “We needed to lock up that 2 seed. I think we came together and we knew we had to show up that day. The defense was on, the offense was on… our goalie played great, we did well at the faceoff x and we just knew we had to step up”
In that win against South Side, the big number was 5. They only allowed the Cyclones to score 5 goals and the Vikings defense played outstanding. Seaford’s defensive core has been elite this season, they’ve only allowed double digit goals just one time during the year. This group has been anchored by senior captain Eric Schiller who’s been the leader on the back end.
Now with playoffs here, Seaford defeated Lynbrook 11-5 in the quarterfinals for Nassau Class C. Cameron Connolly played a huge role in the win tallying 6 points. AJ Barone also tallied 4 goals for the Vikings. Now Seaford gets a rematch with South Side in the final four. With the the semifinals on the horizon, Barone said “It’s definitely that we have to stick as a team and play as a team. We can’t slack during our practice…. and just be ready to play who we have to play”
Make sure to catch the Vikings next game as they play against South Side in the Nassau Class C semifinals on Friday May 27th at 8 pm at Hofstra University.
Link for full interview below
