At number five in the LILJ top 24 preseason rankings we have the back-to-back Class C New York State Champion Manhasset Indians. As one of the most renown lacrosse programs in the country, Manhasset has done a lot of winning the last few seasons, and last year on their way to a second consecutive state title, they lost only one game the entire season, going 21-1. This year as they chase a third straight state championship, they will look a lot different with the number of players they graduated in the class of 2023. They also make the move back Class B for the first time since 2019 which means they will likely encounter some familiar foes in the playoffs on their quest to three-peat.
The Indians are led by Head Coach Keith Cromwell who looks to bring this storied program their third straight state title. With a big senior class in 2023, they will be relying on the players that remain from last season, and will also look for new players to develop roles on this team and have a big hand in their success. Among their returning players on the offensive end of the field is their junior attackman Daniel Kolin who was one of Manhasset’s few underclassmen on the team last year and had a big impact as a starter where he scored 34 goals with eight assists for 42 points. In the senior class their attack also will have Holy Cross commit Jared Beschel who will likely also be a key factor in the offense as part of their top attack unit.
Last season Manhasset had an unbelievable midfield that had a wide array of players that heavily contributed to their title run. Many of them were in the senior class which included Jack Petersen, Liam Connor, Aiden Haggerty, and Matt Cargiulo, all of which accounted for a minimum of 60 points. Replacing that level of production certainly doesn’t come easy, but they will rely on those returning at midfield to become their new go-to players on the offensive side of the field at the position. They’re returning midfielders this season include Patrick Arnold (Amherst), Mikey Mondiello (MIT), and Luca Petruccelli (Amherst) who will each have a big impact in what Manhasset is able to accomplish this spring. The face-offs will be taken by senior Tyler Giacobbe, replacing now current Duke freshman Cal Girard who had a an otherworldly season at the face-off X last year.
Defensively Manhasset should have a very stout defense with the return of senior defensemen Jack Mulholland (Dartmouth), and Jack Morrison (Amherst), senior LSM Rowan Collins (Lehigh), and sophomore defenseman Kip Zacharia who’s one of the best in class, already entering year three on varsity and saw major minutes last year as a freshman playing both LSM and close defense. In the net will be senior goalie Matt Im (Tampa) who had a very strong 2023 season with 114 saves and a 57% save percentage.
