The 2024 high school season is now just a little more than two weeks away. Every team comes into the season with a fresh start and a chance to set new goals as a team for the spring, hoping that they will be reached by season’s end. In the coming days and weeks leading up to the start of regular season gameplay the LILJ will be releasing it’s top 24 preseason rankings and team previews, but before the top 24s, let’s take a look at some of the high school boys teams to watch going into the season!
Babylon Panthers- The Panthers were one of two teams standing from Suffolk Class D as they made it to the county finals where they were defeated by Mattituck. This year they have a team that is mixed with upperclassmen as well as youth under Head Coach Scott Jankow who enters his second season in charge. The offense will be fueled by seniors Ben Dellafranca (Lemoyne), Sincere McDougal, sophomore Kai Jankow and freshman Keven Bonilla. Manning the face-off X will be sophomore FOGO Brady Shaw who comes in after getting a year of varsity experience under his belt as a freshman. Last year the offense averaged just a shade under seven goals per game, something that they would like to see increase this season. On defense Babylon’s long poles consists of Hunter Busch, and Daniel Debetta as part of the defense playing in front of junior goalie Patrick Costa. According to coach Jankow some of their young talent that could be in the mix to see playing time this season are Dom Kuhnla, Charlie Bunger, Hayden Baudille, Christian Molnar and Kyle Wieland. This season the Panthers will show what they have in store as they hope to play for another chance at a county final.
Baldwin Bruins- Last year saw the Bruins finish with a regular season record of 9-6 and a trip to the playoffs where they were defeated by Massapequa. Back for the Bruins this year as they look to once again qualify for the playoffs is their top offensive scorer Brady Mahler, Jake Davidson, and Logan Kirchner forming their most productive attack trio. Also playing attack that will look to contribute this season is Preston Kirchner and Brian Medley. Leading the midfield is senior Aaron Bell. In 2023 the Bruins offense averaged slightly fewer than ten goals per game. The goaltending for Baldwin will likely be held down by senior Othello Cook who was last season’s starter as a junior.
Bay Shore Marauders- On the south shore of Suffolk County are the Bay Shore Marauders who had an appearance in the playoffs last season but were defeated in first round against Longwood in a one goal game. Head Coach Mark Spruyt is in his third year and talked about how committed his team is going into the season.
“The 2024 Bay Shore boys lacrosse team has been working all off season in preparation for this spring. The commitment and focus of this team all off season has been a testament to this predominately junior and senior group. The focus since the summer, has been on getting better at our weaknesses and improving our strengths. This spring promises to be very exciting.”
The Marauders have plenty of familiar faces that are back this season. Starting with the offense it begins at the face-off X with Dennis Hodge (Pace), and at attack, expect plenty of production from Andrew Danowski and Nicholas Alicanti. From the midfield, two of their returning seniors are Ryan Naslonski (Florida Southern) and Sam Stewart (Scranton). Defensively they are also filled with upperclassmen in close defenders James Sobotka, Chris Kittel, and LSM Nikko Tenedorio. As for their young gun, freshman attacker Jake Laudenslager could be in the mix to see action this year, while they also welcome back the transfer from St. Anthony’s in junior goalie Devin Dubendorf.
Bellmore JFK Cougars- Last year the Cougars welcomed Gerard Cunningham as their new head coach and saw instant success, appearing in the playoffs and winning a playoff game. This year as they aim to build off of last season they bring back junior attackman Ryan Califano, junior midfielder Ray Torchia, and senior midfielder Zach Greenseid on the offensive side of the ball. The face-offs will be taken by young gun CJ Siegler and leading the defensive unit is senior Finn Lofting and junior goalie Jack Lagalia who enters his first season as the starter in net. One young gun in the sophomore class that will likely see an elevated role after seeing some time last year is Chase Goldman at attack. Coach Cunningham and his team are eager to get the season started.
“Coming in as a first year head coach at this school, the excitement for lacrosse is palpable. These kids love lacrosse and it shows in our winter workouts. We are looking to build on our playoff win from last year. We cannot wait to get started on March 11th.”
Bethpage Golden Eagles- Playing in Nassau Class C are the Bethpage Golden Eagles who made a playoff appearance last season. As an offense they averaged slightly fewer than seven goals per game last season and will look for an uptick in scoring this season as they return midfielders Bryce Wylie (Pace), Andrew Reinhardt, Chase Solliday, and FOGO Leo Cataldo. Defense was a strength for the Eagles last year, allowing just over seven goals per game. Part of their returning defense includes senior Mike Lazaridis (Hofstra), sophomore Luke Waxer and junior LSM Ryan Tesler. After getting great goaltending from Jake Kelly with a 67% save percentage, the Western Connecticut commit is back to protect the pipes in his senior season.
Calhoun Colts- The Colts went on a deep playoff run last season and were on the cusp of pulling off the upset against Garden City but were defeated by one goal in the Class B County Final. Coach Jim Femminella and his staff are looking forward to seeing which players among their returners will step up this season.
“With the graduation of 23 seniors, which was the most decorated class in Calhoun lacrosse history, we are excited to see which players are able to step up and play at an elite level. Our expectations stay the same; clear clean and ride hard.”
In the 2023 class they graduated All-Americans Peter Thomas and Jake Lewis as well as All-County Jayden Finkelstein, AJ Molinari, Ryan Menghi, and Matt Araneo. Part of their returning group of players include attackman Harley Finkelstein (Bryant), midfielders Xander Megias, Shaun Walters (Scranton), and Braden Garvey, and goalie Mark Restivo (Oneonta). Last season the Colts had a high powered offense that averaged 13 goals per game and allowed only six goals per game for an overall record of 15-4.
Graduating such a large group seniors has also created a path for young guns like sophomores Nick Voll (midfield), Jake Baci (midfield) and freshman Michael Nicholson (FOGO) to be in line for an enhanced role this season.
Clarke Rams- Leading the Rams in his fifth season as head coach is Joe Hasbrouck. This spring they’ll look very different after graduating many players in the Class of 2023, but it now presents an opportunity for some of their younger players to develop larger roles this season. Although they graduated a lot, they do have back their leading scorer in midfielder Lucas Barsuaskas who tallied 69 points last year. They will also look for plenty of production at attack from Joey Kern, and the leader of the defense is close defenseman Steven Patti. This group of upperclassmen will be surrounded with youth in Justin Montez, David Quesada, Devin Mah Lee, and Dom Canonico.
Commack Cougars- Back in 2024 after a 5-10 season last year, Commack is hoping things will turn out differently this spring. The Cougars the have an attack trio that can fill it up between Brandon Berozi (Binghamton), James Pagano (Brown), and Ethan Dalland (Army). Also among their offensive upperclassmen that will likely have an increase in production is Zach Fishman and Owen Kanganis after each being part of the rotation in 2023. With a new anchor of the defense protecting the cage, it looks like it will be senior Colin Caputo who gets the nod as the starting goalie as Commack looks to increase their win total this season.
Eastport South Manor Sharks- A year ago the Sharks finished with a 7-9 record and on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. Headlining this ESM roster in 2024 is their senior midfielder Daniel Odell who will soon be suiting up for Army West Point. Odell was good for 59 total points in 2023 with 34 goals and 25 assists. Two of their attackers this season are seniors Preston Vinch (Rollins) and Shane Vonkampen (Delhi) that will add a punch to the Sharks offense. The Sharks return senior Nicholas Mirenda defensively and in the net as the starting goalie appears to be Collin Blume who as a sophomore made 125 saves. This season the Sharks will face a number of competitive Class B teams that will be playing important games down the stretch of the season fighting for the playoffs.
Floral Park Knights- The Knights were on the cusp of a playoff berth in 2023 but came up just short and are hoping that this year the tables will turn and they’ll be in the playoff picture. Outside of their goalie Floral Park returns all of their starters both on offense and defense. Senior Sean Hallock and junior Padraig Doxey will be competing for the starting goalie job this year. Starting with the attack, juniors Steven Baranoski and Marcus Mega will be go-to players offensively while the midfield will be led by Owen Sanchez (Merrimack), Ben Meighan (Marywood), James Gorman and Brendan O’Sullivan. As for the defense, Jeremy Lauletta (Sr), Michael Ferone, Dan Baranoski, Kevin Fusci all return to the Knights defense. Floral Park also has some members of this year’s team that could be in line for an enhanced role on the field in attacker Charles Leary, midfielder Eric Naronis and defenseman Reese Keyloun. Head Coach Matt Povolny looks forward to the production that he expects to see from their juniors and seniors that make up their starting lineup.
“We are looking forward to strong performances from our junior and senior leaders on both ends of the field who are going into their 3rd season together as varsity starters.”
Harborfields Tornadoes- The Tornadoes of Harborfields may have surprised some people last season by making the playoffs and winning a playoff game after missing the playoffs the year before. Now they’ll look to get back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season and see just how far they can go. They did graduate their top scorer from last year in Hunter Droskoski, but will look for another big year from players like Chase Ritcey, and Nico Markowski on the offensive side of the field. Defense was strength last year, allowing only six goals per game, and they welcome back one of the top long poles on the island in Cuse commit Vincent Bolognino as well as junior Bucknell commit Jake Coronato and junior short stick defensive midfielder Jack Weiss (UMass). Protecting the cage in his senior season is Charlie Serafin (Arcadia), while junior Nick Schiliro is behind Serafin in his junior season.
Hauppauge Eagles- After earning the top overall seed during last year’s regular season, Hauppauge’s season came to a disappointing end in the playoffs after a narrow one goal defeat against East Islip. They did graduate some key players last year, but part of the core that returns in hopes for a chance at redemption in the playoffs are Nick Uzakewicz, Peter Sellitto, Kole Lemke, and Nicholas Kump. Last season Hauppauge’s high powered offense averaged 11 goals per game. Defensively is where they will plenty of new faces with a large number of graduates and will look to see who will be the faces that lead them on that end of the field. With Suffolk Class B up for grabs, Hauppauge look’s to be in the mix for a possible deep playoff run.
Hicksville Comets- Next are the Hicksville Comets, a team that was in the Nassau Class A Playoffs last season and were defeated by Port Washington. As they aim to once again be in the playoff picture in mid May, they have a high number of players back from last year to help them reach that goal. Their offense that averaged just over nine goals per game last year brings back JT Kelly (All County), Jesse Bentrewicz (All Conference), and Brendan Dalton (All Conference). Running midfield for Hicksville will be Mike Gilbert (All Conference), Frank Barravechia, and Aidan Masterson. Defensively they are a senior laden group with Anthony Valentino, Dylan Fusco, and Pedro Escobar who will be playing in front of senior goalie Freddy Giovanelli (All Conference) who was just below 50% in saves last year. Some of their younger players in the pipeline that may be in line to see the field are sophomore defender Ethimios Tskilis, eighth grade attack/middie Sean Kelly, and eighth grade LSM/defender Doug Cristales.
Island Trees Bulldogs- The Bulldogs found themselves in the playoffs in 2023 and head coach Brendan Keesee is excited to see what his boys can do in 2024. Back on the squad this season includes attackman Kian McCoy a team captain, (Stony Brook) and fellow attack captain JC Echezuria (NJIT), while their top returning midfielder is junior LIU commit Joe Filocamo. Looking to be a tone setter for this Island Trees offense is face-off specialist Luke Forde (Stony Brook). The defensive end of the field will be led by captain Nick Filocamo (Mercy) and Joe Mainente, with the last line of defense being AJ Saragossi who ended last season with a 54% save percentage. The Bulldogs will also have a couple young guns that may see the field this season in sophomore attackman Dominick Rich and freshman attackman Gerard Ritter. After a narrow defeat against Lynbrook in last year’s playoffs, Island Trees aims to find themselves back in the playoffs with a chance to advance a step further.
Islip Buccaneers- In Suffolk Class C on the south shore are the Islip Buccaneers who finished 9-7 overall in 2023 with a playoff appearance. They were narrowly defeated in the playoffs against Harborfields in a one goal contest. They are without a number of key players from last season’s team that guided the program to the playoffs, but they return players that had a strong 2023 season and will look to bring them right back to the playoffs where they can possibly take a step forward. Their attack trio of Jack Whitehouse, Matt Trovato, and Jack Rao all were integral players last season and now return with another year of experience under their belts. With Matt Ferraro transferring to nearby East Islip, the midfield is where Islip will look to fill the void that he’s left behind. On defense the Bucs have a top tier defenseman in Bryant commit Erik Heimlich, and in goal it appears junior Mikey Vitale is in line to be the starting goalie replacing 2023 graduate Connor Dobson.
Jericho Jayhawks- Coached by Brandon Mulholland in his eighth season, he shared that Jericho will look to “rely on their young fast paced offensive unit as well as their experience in net to win games this year.” Shaping this fast paced offense coach Mulholland speaks about includes Josh Rubin (Captain), Jack Person (Captain), Dylan Chawla, Hudson Gingold, and Tyler Chawla rounding out their attack and midfield. In the sophomore class at LSM they have Ada Cohen, and the last line of defense protecting the cage is Brandon Klein (Captain). Among their young guns hoping to provide a spark to Jericho’s success is Jack Schroeder, Max Davis, Allan Lau and JP Wang. Last season the team went 6-11 with a first round playoff loss to Mepham, and are hopeful for a turn around this year.
John Glenn Knights- The Knights had an overall record of 11-5 in 2023, but it was not quite enough to qualify for the postseason. When looking at their offense, it starts with their junior attackman Matt Triolo (Delaware) who’s the engineer of their offense. He posted gaudy numbers last season, filling up the scoring column with 62 goals and 25 assists for 87 points. Adding to the offense among their returning players is Cole Madden and Grayson Hopkins running midfield. With Ethan Levy back in the net for his junior season, John Glenn will be in a number of games as he was good for 126 saves in 2023.
Kellenberg Firebirds- Fresh off playing in the LILJ HSWL, the Firebirds are ready to roll after appearing in last year’s AA Intersectional Championship where it was Iona Prep who came away victorious. Kellenberg’s offense starts with their seniors Michael Felicetti (Siena) at attack and Michael Anzelone (Navy) at midfield. The Firebirds will also see plenty of play from junior attackman Donovan O’Toole, and senior midfielders Jake Grimm and Thomas Jack. Defensively one of their key returning defenseman is senior Sean Richards, while in the net the Firebirds they have a trio of goalies in juniors Chris Lamoreaux, Gavin Hirsch and Sean Nelan who all saw action in the winter league.
Locust Valley Falcons- After a 9-7 season in 2023, the Falcons see a core group their players back in 2024, looking to take a jump this season and possibly appear in the playoffs. Igniting the Falcons attack will be Shane Pollard, and Harrison Blair along with John Scott and Michael Hancock. Most of their midfield returns this season which includes Owen Hickey (Iona), Philip Terrell, and Owen Pye who will also take the bulk of the face-offs. Taking a look at the defensive side of the ball, they allowed fewer than eight goals per game and will relatively have the same personnel with Charlie Pisciotta (SNHU), Will deLauzon, Jackson Hoban, Nick Capobianco, and Mike Hancock. Although much of the team remains in tact, they have some additions that could be in the fold to see minutes this season in Aidan Buffa, Sam Zarou, Will Nabet, and Gavin Boyd.
Long Beach Marines- Long Beach comes off of a playoff appearance and a playoff victory against Roslyn before being defeated by Garden City in the Nassau Class B semifinals. They were a senior laden team last year, graduating a lot in the 2023 class and will certainly look much different this season. They do return Luke Hartman (Towson) their senior attacker will be the quarterback of their offense after a season that saw him record over 50 points in 2023. The Marines also have a young gun on their attack in freshman Cian Donaghy who stepped up in a big way as an eighth grader last year with 14 goals and seven assists and is in line for a very impactful freshman season. Similar to the offense, they also graduated a number of their defensemen, but welcome back Stony Brook bound senior Tom Cieleski and Manhattan bound senior Timmy Monzon anchoring the defense with sophomore goalie Aiden Derupo in the net after starting as freshman in 2023. With plenty of new faces on the roster Long Beach hopes develop continuity as they face a number Class B teams that will be jockeying for playoff positioning.
Lynbrook Owls- In Nassau Class C are the Lynbrook Owls who enter this season after having won a playoff game last year against Island Trees and made it to the semi finals before being defeated by Manhasset. This year Lynbrook sees the return of players including Michael Hendrickson (Adelphi),Patrick O’Doherty (Cortland) Luke Dantona, Anthony Capitali, and Bennett Votano who were each key contributors to last year’s team. One of their returning long poles who was in the starting lineup last season is junior Chris Paladino, and the net will likely be occupied by senior goalie Caden Lung (MIT), as Lynbrook strives for similar success in 2024.
Mattituck Tuckers- The team that holds the hardware in Suffolk Class D are the Mattituck Tuckers after winning the county title last year and appearing in the Long Island Championship. This season they look to make it back-to-back county championships as they return Alex Clark (Saint Leo), Justin Fox, and Shane Psaltis on the offensive side of the field, and Andrew McKenzie in goal who comes off of a very strong sophomore season where he saved a total of 165 shots. Mattituck will be battling teams like Babylon, Center Moriches and Port Jefferson for the right to be Class D champs in 2024.
Miller Place Panthers- 2023 saw the Panthers finish 10-6 but outside of the playoff picture. Head Coach Nick Belvedere is excited to see their upperclassmen take on important roles and has high expectations for the underclassmen on their roster.
“Excited to see some juniors fill key roles, and how they respond to the attention they will receive from other teams. Our staff has high expectations of some freshman and sophomores to step into supporting roles.”
In the junior class the offense will likely be engineered by attackmen Jackson Thompson (St. John’s) and Braeden Murphy who recorded 51 and 32 points respectively. With a large group of midfielders part of the 2023 graduating class, look for junior Ethan Monaco to have a breakout season. At the forefront of the Panthers defense is junior defenseman Cameron Golding and junior goaltender Christopher LoRe who had 123 saves in 2023. Some of the younger players that coach Belvedere was alluding to that he has high expectations for include freshman attackman Dylan LaGala who had seven points in a small sample size last season, and freshman defenseman Mikey Poerio. Watch out for Miller Place to be a candidate to sneak into the playoffs this season in Suffolk Class C.
Mount Sinai Mustangs- The Mustangs have been a perennial contender in Suffolk Class C the last few years and were in the county final last year, but have graduated a large number of members from the 2023 class. They do return their second leading scorer from last year in Michigan bound senior attackman Lucas LaForge who comes off of a monster junior year with 79 points. Also on the attack is senior Nick Carretta (Belmonte Abbey) who had 26 goals and 6 assists for 32 points last season. At midfield as well as at the face-off X is senior Brett Oppenheim (Adelphi), and one of their young guns that could be in play at the face-off X is freshman FOGO Tommy Massaro. Defensively two of their senior poles include Demetri Boutis (LIU) and Jimmy Millen to lead the defense which will be playing in front of the likely goalie combination of Michael Romeo and Matthew Taylor. Mount Sinai is fresh off of playing this winter in the LILJ HSWL to gear up for the start of the spring.
Oceanside Sailors- In Nassau Class A the Sailors of Oceanside come off another playoff appearance with an overall record of 9-8. Last year’s team which saw their season come to an end by Syosset will have new faces on the team this season. Some of their familiar faces that will look to have a big season is senior attackman Michael Madden (Adelphi) and senior midfielder Brian Kraemer (Scranton). Madden is the leading scorer among their returning attackmen after producing 33 points in 2023, and Kraemer was third in total points from the midfield with 18. The leader of their defensive unit is All-Conference defenseman junior Dylan Bender. With the loss of 2023 graduate Andrew Cagno, next up as the Sailors starting goalie will likely be junior Declan Costello as Oceanside looks to compete for another shot at the playoffs.
Plainedge Red Devils- In 2023 the Red Devils were just a few plays away from playing for a county title after their narrow defeat against Wantagh in the semis. This season they will be without many members of last years team that was filled with seniors, but one part of their attack that returns is future Stony Brook attackman Owen Donnellan who was a significant contributor last season and will now likely be the orchestrator of the offense. Plainedge brings back their do-it-all midfielder Domenico Moscato (Lincoln Memorial) who will also see plenty of time at the face-off X. Defensively the Red Devils return Matt Chadwick (Marist) and Kieran Judge, while the goaltending will be different as Vincent Fuentes will likely get the nod as the starting goalie replacing Chris Santacroce.
Port Jefferson Royals- This season Port Jefferson has very few returning players from last season and will have plenty of new faces getting their first taste of varsity competition. The returners from last season include the attack trio of Ryan Filippi, Patrick Johnston and Owen Whiffen. With a young team Port Jefferson sees this as an opportunity to develop their young guns and prepare them for what’s to come on the varsity level. Some of their young guns that will have an impact this season are Rowan Casey and Kevin Johnston. Last year as a freshman Casey stepped up with 19 points at attack. Port Jefferson is led by Head Coach Taylor Forstell who is in his tenth season at the helm.
Port Washington Vikings- One of Nassau’s perennial Class A contenders Port Washington return after a trip to the county finals in 2023. The Vikings are are one of the nine teams in Nassau that are part of the new power conference that is sure to bring many highly contested league matchups during the regular season. Coach Isaac Neal has been leading this program since 2016 and says that goal for his team is growth as they look to form an identity in the new power conference. Many of their key contributors to last seasons run to the county finals have graduated in the 2023 class, but some of their returning players are the midfield duo of Joe and Steve Braunschweiger and defenseman Nicholas Noga. They also have a large junior class that will certainly be called upon to have a big role, players including Tommy McCarvil, Liam McCarvil, Brendan Lang, Jacob Apat, and Christian Sarchese. The Vikings will look different defensively, but return junior defenseman Jimmy Rather, and they have one of the top goalies in the class of 2027 Max Eynon as well as senior Finn Meyer as their last line of defense.
Roslyn Bulldogs- Roslyn heads into the spring season coached by longtime head coach Jesse Sorensen who’s very excited about the group of guys that are on his team.
“We have two absolute stellar FOGOs and some strong wing play as we hope to control the face-off X this season. We also return 3 defensive starters and a bevy of underclassmen with plenty of lax experience and moxie.”
They’re two face-off specialists that coach Sorensen is referring to is senior Mason Wagman and sophomore Ethan Goldberg. They’ll look to get the ball this offense which features Spencer Cymbler (Muhlenberg), Josh Berger, Charlie Samter, and Dan DiSanti (Captain). Roslyn’s defense will be backed by their long poles Jack Glennon, Matthew Waxman and Spencer Harris (Captain), playing in front of Jacob Goldberg (Emerson) who is also a team captain this season. Young guns to look out for on this team are attackman Gavin Ryback, defensive midfielder Marius Ferraro, and midfielders Luke Rice, Jake Kenyon, Jordan Sirota, Zach Kuppersmith, with Zach Mashaal as the back up goalie.
Sachem North Flaming Arrows- In Suffolk Class A we have the Sachem North Flaming Arrows, a team that appeared in the playoffs in 2023 where they beat crosstown rival Sachem East in the opening round before being defeated by Connetquot in the quarterfinals. This year they have young players that head coach Anthony Muratore says will be looking to make a name for themselves. Some of those young players that will be in the fold include sophomore middie Henry Sarro, freshman defenseman/LSM John Licata, and freshman LSM Luke LaRocca. Their returning upperclassmen include senior midfielders Mark Kenny (Misericordia), junior Brayden Tappin, and senior goalie Michael Howard. Adding to the mix of players that could see playing this year include Lucas Bouchard (Attack/Midfield), John Calabria (Attack/Midfield), and Thomas Keegan (Attack).
Seaford Vikings- The Seaford Vikings return almost their entire starting lineup from last season that brought them to the playoffs where they lost a close first round matchup against North Shore. Starting at attack for the Vikings is the senior trio of Daniel Barone (Saint. Leo), Tim Navin (Wingate) and Andrew Tudda which came together for a combined 93 points last year. Running first midfield will be senior Frank Pyryt, junior Kyle Britton and sophomore Brain Falk, adding to an offense that averaged just a shade under nine goals per game. On the defensive end their starting defense is led by senior Navy commit Jake Anzelone who is also a threat do damage offensively as long pole, scoring 24 goals in 2023. Rounding out their defense is junior George Casha and freshman Paul DiBlasi, playing in front the goalie combination of senior Ryan Allen and junior Jon Lent. In the sophomore class be on the watch for attackman Peter Barone and midfielder Jack Rosen to be in the mix to see action this season. With the parody in Nassau Class C, look out for Seaford to possibly make a run to the county final.
St. Dominic Bayhawks- The Bayhawks are back after winning last season’s CSHAA Class A Long Island Championship over St. John the Baptist. This year they look to bring another championship back to the program and will have both familiar faces as well as new players to help them reach that goal. Of their returning players Mike Romanelli comes off of a 57 point junior season playing lefty attack. Adding to the St. Dominic offense will be midfielders James Ramsay, Aidan Cromwell, and Landon Silverstein. The defense returns senior defenseman Michael Nawojchik and goalie Owen Tolliver (McDaniel) as the Bayhawks aim to capture a fourth straight championship.
West Babylon Eagles- For Head Coach Marcelo Sandoval there’s a lot of buzz around his West Babylon team going into this season. They bring back a number of returning players who are now seasoned veterans with multiple years of varsity experience. The head of the snake offensively is All-Conference senior Thomas Raccomandato (Adelphi) and three year starters in seniors Antosh Borawski and Luke Barrera (Molloy). Running their midfield is All-County senior Liam Henshaw (Adelphi) and junior Matt Mills will also be on the first line this season. Going over to the face-off X their three year starter Cameron Hovernec will hope to set the tone for their offense. Shifting over to the defense it will be anchored by close defenders Nick Serrano, Carmine Apuzzo, and LSM Nick Decker. As a team filled with upperclassmen, one sophomore that will be on the field playing a combination of attack and midfield is Andrew Bothe. Coach Sandoval talked about the excitement that surrounds his team this year.
“This is the team we have been waiting for 5 years now, all the 8th graders and freshman that have been on varsity for 3-4 years have matured and improved every year. We are returning 8 starter and have 19 seniors. There is a lot of excitement and anticipation, looking forward to see this team play.”
Wheatley Carle Place Frogs- The goal for Wheatley Carle Place this season is to clinch a spot in the playoffs after coming up short in 2023. With much of their team returning, head coach Paul Selhorn says that they will need to lean on their veteran starters this season if they are going to achieve that goal. Leading the attack will be Dan Webber while the midfield production will come from Nic Pascarella, Blake Lyons (New Paltz), and Max Cordova. Rounding out their defense is JJ Gagliardo, Anthony Terrone, Aidan Butt, and in the net will be James Demakopoulos (Holy Family) who had a 67% save percentage last year while Andrew Demayo is the back up. Adding to their roster this season that could be in play for some minutes are young guns Christian Berasti, Collin Hoisik, and Matt Babino.
Nothing for #4 ranked in B —Carey ?