Long Island High School Boys Teams to Watch in 2025

The start of the 2025 high school season on Long Island is just a few weeks away and the excitement is back in full swing with a great spring season in store for varsity lacrosse. Each team now has a clean slate with fresh goals that they are aiming to achieve by season’s end. Throughout the month of March leading up to the beginning of regular season gameplay, the LILJ will be releasing its top 25 preseason rankings and team previews, but before starting with the top 25 rankings, below are some of the high school boys teams watch heading into the season!

Herricks Highlanders- The Highlanders led by head coach Mike Chin who is in his 13th season leading team, come into the new season after going 12-5 in 2024 with a quarterfinals playoff appearance. The team has plenty of returning upperclassmen as well as young talent to put them in position to have another successful season. At attack they welcome back last year’s Nassau County points leader Troy Madden (Mercy) who had 48 goals and 57 assists for 105 points. Also part of their starting attack is sophomore Nate Kershaw who had a 25 point freshman season, and among their returning midfielders include juniors Brayden Haase and Gavin Dugger with Haase providing 37 points and Dugger 15. At LSM they return senior Patrick Nolan who’s committed to Wingate, and in goal is sophomore Ayden Khan. Herricks also has some young guns to look out for this season that could potentially make varsity or even see time on the field in sophomore midfielder Marco Kolega, freshmen defensemen Rocko Kolega and Gino Zaffuto and eighth graders Preston Chu, Luke McCloskey, and Patrick Symansky at attack and midfield. According to coach Chin their keys to success this season will be their play during the offseason leading into the spring and their young players exceeding expectations.   Hicksville Comets- Last season saw Hicksville finish with a record of 10-7 with a playoff appearance. Entering year seven as head coach is Thomas Kinsella who has a mix of experienced upperclassmen and young guns that will be critical to how far the team goes this season. Senior attackman Brendan Dalton and senior midfielder Mike Gilbert (LIU) were their top two players in points last season among their returners. The attack will also feature sophomore Jack Ferraro and freshman Sean Kelly with senior Kevin Vega taking face-offs and playing midfield. Their defense sees the return of junior Ethimios Tsikis and freshman Doug Cristales with sophomore goalie Lincoln Guida as the last line of defense, stepping into a starting role this season. Coach Kinsella will be looking to get his young guys confident to step into prominent roles this season.   Jericho Jayhawks- Jericho enters the 2025 season with plenty of experience in their returning cast as they look for another double digit win season. Leading the charge for the Jayhawks is head coach Brandon Mulholland who is now in his ninth season at the helm. Their experienced returning players include Tyler Chawla and Hudson Gingold at attack who provided a combined 67 points in 2024. At midfield two of their starters will be Josh Rubin and Dylan Chawla. Rubin led the team with 100 points which was fourth in all of Nassau County. On the defensive side the team returns defenseman/LSM Adam Cohen. Coach Mulholland shared what some of the keys to success in 2025 will be. “Sticking to the fundamentals on defense, winning the ground ball battle each game and creating offensive opportunities of from the face-off X.”   Lynbrook Owls- Coming into this season Lynbrook has the hopes of continuing where they left off in 2024 which saw them go 10-8 overall and were on the doorstep of appearing in the Class C semifinals. They are coached by Bill Luzzi who is now in year 3 and he shared what excites him about the upcoming season. “We bring back a great group of experienced seniors who play fast, play well together, and have toughness and grit.” Offensively the team welcomes back attackmen Bennett Votano and Nate Greenfeld, midfielders Jack LaBarbera (Cortland) and Luke Dantona (Salve Regina). Votano recorded 40 points last season and Dantona and LaBarbera totaled 30 points each. The defense will include Chris Paladino (Adelphi) and Billy Algozzini. Coach Luzzi gave his thoughts on what the keys to a successful season will be. “We´re looking forward to our seniors picking up where we left off last year, playing smart, team offense, generating goals off of assists. We return most starting defenders and will rely on them to hold opponents scoring down. Adelphi bound Chris Paladino will be the defensive leader on the field, while we´ll look to Cortland bound Jack LaBarbera to control the tempo of the offense.”   Great Neck South Rebels– Great Neck South heads into the season following a 6-9 2024 campaign. Michael Passuello enters his fourth season as head coach and says that one of the keys to success this year is the senior leadership as well as the young new talent coming up. Two of their returning seniors on attack are James Chen and Max Levinson who combined for 41 points last season. They also return a trio midfielders in Edwin Serpas, Michael Azatyan and James Davis all in the senior class. Serpas was their leader in points in 2024 with 53, scoring 38 goals with 15 assists and Azatyan totaled 22 points and had a team high 67 ground balls.   New Hyde Park Gladiators- Coached by longtime head coach Michael Milio who is entering his 23rd year at the helm, New Hyde Park comes off of a 6-10 record in 2024. They’re looking for a competitive 2025 season with their returning players, and on the offensive end their attack will feature Logan Hargrove, while their midfield brings back the trio of Nicholas Garofalo, Brendan Rooney and Alex Lugo. Garofolo is their leader in points among those returning after a 32 point season last year. This group will look to shoulder the load in the absence of 2024 graduates Aidan Garvey and Cody McLean. On the defensive side of the field the team brings back Erik Oberwiler who scooped up 45 ground balls as a sophomore last year. Coach Milio shared what excites him about the season and what some of their keys to success will be. “The team has put in dedication and hard work in the off season. With the return of Nick Garofalo and Brendan Rooney at the face-off X it’s going to be a competitive season.”   Calhoun Colts- The Colts had a dominant regular season last year however their season came to an end in the Class B Quarterfinals. This year they return much of their starting lineup from last year particularly on the offensive side of the ball with longtime head coach Jim Feminella who has been at the helm since 2011. The quarterback of Calhoun’s offense is senior attackman Harley Finkelstein (Cortland) who comes off of a 45 goal 28 assist junior year. Two of their returning midfielders are junior Nick Voll and senior Braden Garvey, each providing a steady dose of goals and assists with 29 and 27 from Voll and 23 and 18 from Garvey. At the face-off X it will be Michael Nicholson looking to get the ball to their offense and he had an impactful 2024 season as a freshman winning 67% of face-offs. With some new faces on defense stepping into elevated roles, coach Feminella shared what the key to success will be this season. “We graduated 3 starting defenders and our goalie in 2024. Junior, Nick Greci is poised to take over in goal. The 2025 season can hinge on how well we can gel on the defensive side of the ball.” Some of the young guns to look out for this year for the Colts are sophomore attacker Brendan McCabe, sophomore LSM Joe Smith and freshman defenseman Jon Ruisi.   Seaford Vikings- Following a 13-5 overall record in 2024 and a trip the Class C Semifinals, Seaford aims for another run at being one of the final four teams standing in Nassau County. The Vikings are coached by Brian Horner who is in his tenth season. They did lose some key players from the 2024 class, but return players that are now upperclassmen that are ready to step up even more. Their attack sees the return of now junior Peter Barone who found the back of the net 23 times with 23 assists as a sophomore last year. Leading the midfield is junior Army West Point commit Brian Falk after a 26 goal, 13 assist season with 42 ground balls. Defensively Seaford has senior George Casha but will also be filled with youth between sophomores Paul DiBlasi and James Branche. The last line of defense will be senior goalie Jon Lent who recorded 91 saves last season. Looking ahead to the start of the season coach Horner expressed the excitement surrounding the team and some important factors to a successful season. “We’re considered a “younger team” but have a good amount of experience since some players have been starters since 8th or 9th grade on the varsity level. We have strong team chemistry on and off the field. and we’re looking to improve our skills and knowledge of the game each day as well as stay healthy.”   Bellmore JFK Cougars- Entering his second year coaching the Cougars is head coach Gerrard Cunningham who returns much of his starting lineup from last year. Part of their returning lineup includes junior attackmen Zach Greenseid and Ryan Califano with FOGO C.J. Siegler looking to get the ball to their offense. Defensively they return Chase Phillips and in goal will be Jack LaGalia who was one of the top goalies in Nassau County with 172 saves and a 53% save percentage. Coach Cunningham shared with the LILJ his thoughts on the upcoming season. “We have a lot of players returning that were starters or saw a lot of playing time last year. We are looking forward to their further development along with the rising players from the JV. We have a strong returning defense and a goalie who was great for us last year. We will be competitive at the faceoff X which will get us extra possessions. This year we have to capitalize on offensive opportunities and stand strong on defense.”   Sachem East Arrows- In Suffolk County Class A is Sachem North who is coached by Michael Sofia now in his third season. Last year they came just a few wins short of making the playoffs, but coach Sofia is very excited about the team chemistry going into this spring. “The team chemistry we have is the best that I have seen in the past 4 years I have been here. I am excited to see how well we work together as a full unit.” Offensively they bring back Joseph D’Orazio at attack who scored 24 goals with 12 assists last year, and the midfield includes Dominic Laviano coming off a 21 goals, 10 assists season and Dom Marchitto. In goal will be Chris Freriks stepping into the starting role this season replacing 2024 graduate Colin Dellomo. Coach Sofia shared with the LILJ how this will be a successful 2025 season. “The team works very well together. They have a high lacrosse IQ that will make up for our physical size. The boys are also working harder, training more, and practicing more than we ever have in the past. They are really buying in.”   Bay Shore Marauders- The Marauders come into the spring after an 11-7 record in 2024 which included a playoff appearance and a first round playoff win. They are coached by Mark Spruyt who is now entering his fourth season and he gave his thoughts on the upcoming season. “The 2025 season promises to be an exhilarating journey, largely thanks to the outstanding leadership exhibited by our senior class. Their exceptional guidance is poised to guide our underclassmen, fostering a spirit of teamwork and collaboration that will be crucial for our collective success. With a team brimming with enthusiasm and commitment, we are confident that this camaraderie will translate into remarkable performances on the field come spring.” Among their returning seniors that coach Spruyt alluded to is Ethan Vargas at attack who had 24 points as a junior. Their midfield sees the return of Will Provda (Muhlenberg) who is back after missing last season due to injury. On defense two of the Maruders key returning defensemen are seniors James Sobotka who was All-League and Chris Kittel who was All-County. In the goal will be senior Devin Dubendorf (FSC) an All-County goalie who made 153 saves last year which was top 20 in Suffolk County. Coach Spruyt expressed his excitement about the team this season. “As we graduated over 90% of our scoring from last season, the Bay Shore lacrosse program is filled with excitement as our underclassmen prepare to step into new offensive roles! With the right mix of patience and teamwork, I have no doubt that we have the pieces to craft a successful season ahead. The sooner this talented group embraces their new roles, the quicker we’ll see the magic happen. And while our offense finds its rhythm, we will lean on the rock-solid defense and our goalies. This group is ready to write the next chapter in the Bay Shore lacrosse program.”   Sayville Golden Flashes- Last year saw Sayville go 10-6 on the season, winning seven of their final eight games. The Golden Flashes coached by Christian Dollar who has been at the helm for 25 years, will look to carry the momentum into the new season. This year’s team sees the return of senior Aiden Meyer at attack (Saint Leo) who scored 40 goals with 8 assists last season. Their midfield will feature the trio of senior Tommy McCann (Drexel), junior Tristan Vitale and sophomore Javen Taff. McCann led the team in points last season with 67, scoring 31 goals with 36 assists. As a freshman Taff broke out for 52 points with 33 goals and 19 assists. Sayville will have a very strong midfield this year and continuity on offense as they return all of their offensive starters. The team also returns senior LSM Jake Hall. According to coach Doller, a couple of keys to success this season will be their team defense and role acceptance.   Clarke Rams- This year Clarke will be looking for another year of improvement and development under head coach Joe Hasbrouck who is now in his sixth season with the team. On offense they bring back Liam Morgan, David Quesada at attack and Justin Montez at midfield. Defensively they return Rocco Carino rounding out their key returning players. Coach Hasbrouck shared his excitement and what the keys will be this season. “We are still very young and improved throughout the season last year. We hope to continue to develop our young talent and take steps forward as a cohesive group. We will have to replace the majority of our scoring from the last two seasons. Our defense will have to play well to support out offense, and we will have to become a bit more dynamic on the offensive side of things.”   Floral Park Knights- In Nassau County Class C Floral Park will be looking for similar success this season after a 13-4 record in 2024 which included a playoff appearance. Matt Povolny has been at the helm since the 2022 season, and his team sees a number of key returning players that are back for another run. Steven Baranoski their leading scorer last season recorded 68 points at attack with 56 goals and 12 assists. Junior midfielders Owen Sanchez and James Gorman combined for 50 points last season, playing important minutes as sophomores. Gorman will also be pivotal in getting the ball to the offense at the face-off X. Defensively the Knights see the return of Daniel Baranoski, Kevin Fusci, and Eric Terwilliger to a defense allowed just under seven goals per game in 2024. Coach Povolny talked about his core group that returns this season and the importance of the leadership on the team. “We have a core group of seniors who have been on the varsity since they were freshmen. They had a great season last year and are looking to build upon that again in 2025. The leadership of our seniors on and off the field during the winter is going to be essential to our success and I believe we have the right group of young men to get the job done. Our seniors will lead us there through their work ethic, their experience, and their brotherhood first mentality that they have shown throughout their athletic careers in multiple sports at Floral Park.”   William Floyd Colonials- The 2024 season saw William Floyd go 8-8 in Suffolk Class A. At the helm now in his 15th season is Desmond Megna. Their offense which averaged just under 10 goals per game last season returns PJ Gilhauley, Marc Pluchino and Geo Alvarez, a trio that combined for 116 points last season. At the face-off X DJ Blankenship will be critical in getting the ball to their offense, while one of their key defenseman will be Avery Bent. Goalie Matt Shaw will take over as their starting goaltender this year. Coach Megna is very excited about having four new starters on defense this season and says their ability to win face-offs and their goalie play will help them be successful. “We have four new starters on defense but they are VERY athletic and rangy. With face offs and solid goaltending coupled with the shot clock I think we can be in a lot of games.”   Sachem North Flaming Arrows- Sachem North comes into the season with another year of experience under their belt after having a young team last season. On the offensive side of the ball they return juniors Henry Sarro, and Stephen Castellano, and senior Thomas Keegan at attack forming a trio that combined for 102 points last spring. Their top two returning midfielders are sophomore Lucas Bouchard and senior Brayden Tappin after recording 31 and 34 points respectively in 2024. At the face-off X Dillon Halloran will be the one getting the ball to their offense. On the defensive end they return short-stick defensive midfielder Gary Fleischer in the 2025 class, and at LSM junior John Licata and sophomore Luke LaRocca. According to coach Muratore two of the keys to having a successful season will be staying healthy and adapting to the shot clock.   Miller Place Panthers- In Suffolk Class C are the Miller Place Panthers coached by Nick Belvedere who now enters his eighth season. This season they return a number of players with only three graduates from the 2024 class. Offensively they have six of their starters including their leading goal scorer Jackson Thompson (St. Johns) with 42 goals and 15 assists for 57 points. Alongside Thompson at attack is Braeden Murphy (St. Michaels) and the midfield returns Ethan Monaco (Cortland). Defensively Cameron Golding (Siena) will be one of their anchors, and in the cage Christopher LoRe who was second in Suffolk County in saves will be the last line of defense protecting the pipes. Coach Belvedere’s three keys to success this season will be “Production from our sophomore class from players like Dylan Lagala, Jesse Mott and Mikey Poerio, production at the face-off X, and senior leadership.”   Riverhead Riptide- The 2024 season was one of great success for Riverhead, going 14-4 which included a playoff appearance and playoff victory in Suffolk Class A. This year they will look a lot different with much of their productivity being part of the 2024 graduating class, but a few of their impactful offensive players from last season that are back this year are juniors Logan Dempsey at attack and Nate Nentwich at midfield who recorded 30 and 21 points respectively as sophomores. In goal for Riverhead will be junior Dillon Zaleski, coming off of a sophomore season in which he made 122 saves.   Patchogue Medford Raiders- Last year it was a 9-7 season for the Raiders and nearly an appearance in the Suffolk Class A playoffs before coming up just one game short. They had a big 2024 graduating class, but also had young talent on the team that will make an impact on the program for the next few years. Starting with their goaltending freshman Ramon Mateo comes in as the team’s stater now entering his second year on varsity. Mateo burst onto the varsity scene in a big way where he was the starting goalie as an eighth grader and saved 145 shots with a near 60% save percentage. The 145 saves was good for top 20 in Suffolk County. Offensively attackman Logan Brown enters his junior season after recording 13 points as a sophomore, and in the senior class at midfield Kieran McGovern is their leader in points among their returning players with 31.   Longwood Lions- For the first time in 25 years Longwood hosted a home playoff game and had an overall record of 10-7 on the season. Although they were eliminated in the first round, they’ll look to create the next chapter in the Longwood lacrosse history. Their top two offensive players that return from last season are senior attackman Justin Silon who struck for 37 goals and 20 assists, (LIU) and junior midfielder Gerard Myler III who had 14 goals and 9 assists as a sophomore. Look for freshman Alex Herrera to see time in the cage this season after tallying 45 saves last year in a small sample size as an eighth grader.   South Fork Mariners- South Fork comes off of a great 2024 season in which they won 10 games with a trip to the playoffs. This year they return attackmen  junior James Corwin and senior Slate Glick. Two of their returning midfielders are junior Alex Davis and sophomore Brayden Talmage who will likely see an even more enhanced role this season. Where they will be looking to fill the void is at the face-off X after losing Jack Cooper who was part of the 2024 graduating class and at attack with Luca Lattanzio transferring to Comsewogue. Defensively the team sees the return of junior long poles Nate Barbour and Theo Ball. Last season Barbour scooped up 21 ground balls and forced 14 turnovers, and Ball recorded 10 ground balls with 5 caused turnovers. In the sophomore class LSM Zane Korussos returns after a breakout freshman season with 30 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. The last line of defense for South Fork will be junior goalie Oliver Edson coming off of a sophomore season where he made 119 saves.   Commack Cougars- This season Commack will be striving for their second consecutive playoff appearance after an eight win season in 2024. This winter they took part in the LILJ HSWL as they gear up for the spring. The team returns senior Richmond bound attackman James Pagano coming off of a 51 goal 28 assist junior year along with senior attackman Zach Fishman (Geneseo) who scored 23 goals with 22 assists last season. At midfield one of their key returning players is junior Ryan Schalk  who will surely have an increased roll after a 10 point sophomore season. Looking to get the ball to their offense from the face-off X will be junior Jalen Jean-Louis. On the defensive end they return junior AJ Arizonis and senior Daniel Toepfer who were among on the team leaders this winter in ground balls. In the winter their goalie duties were split between seniors Ryan Beck and Justin Vlachich who could split time in the cage during the season.   Westhampton Beach Hurricanes- Westhampton looks to build off of a 10 win season in 2024 which included a playoff berth in Suffolk Class C. Their leader in points from last season Finn Drake (Manhattan) returns for his senior season following a 34 goal 26 assist campaign in 2024. Defensively two of the Hurricanes key returning defenseman are junior Dan Shannon and sophomore Jake Calloway. As a freshman Calloway showed some of the offense he has in his game as a long pole, scoring five goals with three assists. In the goal it will be senior Charlie Beasley the Wesleyan commit looking to replicate the success he had in 2024 where he made 137 saves.   Babylon Panthers- The Panthers enter this season as the reigning champions in Suffolk Class D and this year they’re looking to make it back-to-back. Last year they had plenty of youth on the team and now they come in a little more seasoned with experience under their belts. Among their returning sophomores and juniors include Keven Bonilla, Collin O’Brien, Kai Jankow, and Brady Shaw. At attack O’Brien scored 23 goals as a freshman last year and at midfield the junior Jankow and the sophomore Bonilla record 33 and 29 points respectively. The face-off X will be where junior Brady Shaw will look to get the ball to this offense. Th team also returns upperclassmen Charlie Bungar, Shane Della Franca and Hayden Baudille all in the senior class. Defensively they return senior Dan Dabetta (Endicott) at LSM who is a two year captain and led the team last year in ground balls. Debetta will be matched up against the opposing team’s top player. In the cage for Babylon is senior Patrick Costa for a team that gave up only six goals per game in 2024. Babylon will be battling teams like Mattituck and Center Moriches for the Class D county title.   John Glenn Knights- It was a 10 win season for John Glenn in 2024, but they just missed making the playoffs and will look to play into the postseason in 2025. Igniting this Knights offense will be senior attackman Matt Triolo the Delaware commit who scored 57 goals with 24 assists for 81 points. Alongside Triolo attack is senior Cole Madden who dished out 25 assists with 16 goals last season, and sophomore Grayden Aebisher who scored 9 goals with 12 assists as a freshman. The defense will see plenty of new faces this year, but look for sophomore Thomas Bové to be an impactful player on the defensive end. In the cage the starting goalie will be senior Ethan Levy who as ninth in Suffolk County in saves last season with 187.   Harborfields Tornadoes- In Suffolk Class C Harborfields is looking to make it three straight years of going to the playoffs after a 2024 season in which they won nine games including a first round playoff win. Offensively they see the return of plenty of their contributors from last season, with their attack headlined by Colin McCarthy, Chris Prainito, and Chase Ritcey who combined for 101 points. The midfield is led by UMass commit Jack Weiss coming off of a 28 point junior season. On defense Harborfields has senior defenseman Jake Coronato, and in the cage will be senior Nick Schiliro who made 33 saves last season in a small sample size. Schiliro will be taking over for 2024 graduate Charlie Serafin. One young gun to look out for this season is freshman Vern Bratton Jr. at attack entering his second year on varsity.   Hauppauge Eagles- The Eagles of Suffolk Class B were 7-10 last season with another playoff appearance, however a number of players in the graduating 2024 class means they will have a different looking team in 2025. Two of their few returning offensive players from last year are senior attack/middie Nick Kump the Vermont commit coming off of a 21 goal 17 assist junior season, and senior Ethan Segal who scored 33 goals with 5 assists. One of their returning midfielders is senior Matt Sellito, and at the face-off X junior Joe Bono looking to get the ball to their offense. Defensively is where the team will very different this season, including in the goal where junior Sean Steinhart will likely be this year’s starting goalie. In the 2028 class watch out for defenseman Anthony Belmonte to potentially have an impact this season after being part of the team last year as an eighth grader.   Mattituck Tuckers- The Tuckers will be looking to be in contention for the Class D county championship after reaching the county finals in 2024. Returning for the Tuckers offense includes Tanner Vacarella, Shane Psaltis, Justin Fox and Rafa Finnerty, while in the cage will be senior goalie Andrew McKenzie (Emerson) coming off of 188 saves last year which was good for eighth in all of Suffolk County.   St. John the Baptist Cougars- Last year was a historic one for the Cougars, winning their first ever NYCHSAA Class A State Championship. This year they’ll be striving to make it back-to-back this season with a returning cast including Henry Bogash (Mount Union), Brayden Mangan and Nicholas Reffi at midfield, a trio that combined for 83 points last year. At the face-off X they’ll be looking to replace 2024 graduate Jack Montagano who won over 160 face-offs last season, and in the cage Brandon Moloney will likely be the starting goalie this year after making 42 saves in a small sample size as a sophomore.   St. Dominic Bayhawks- The Bayhawks went 9-4 in the 2024 season and will be looking for similar success in 2025. The team returns many of their key players from last year with both upperclassmen and underclassmen that will play a big factor in the success of the team. In the senior class they return midfielder  Justin Jenet (Muhlenberg) who had a 47 point junior year with 37 goals and 10 assists. In the 2027 class their key returners who were impact players as freshman include Brian Medley, James Colbert and Michael Ford. Last season their offense averaged just over 11 goals per game, a number that they would love to replicate in 2025. In the cage will be senior goalie who was a brick wall last season with 134 saves.   Kellenberg Firebirds- Last season saw the Firebirds go 7-10 and have a number of graduates in the 2024 class. This year they’ll look for even more production from their returning players as they aim for an improved record in 2025. Their returning core includes Donovan O’Toole at attack coming off of a 26 point season and Jack Geoghan at midfield who had 36 points last year. The face-off X will be manned by Gavin Antonik and one of their top returning defensemen is LIU commit Stephen Kiernan. In goal the Firebirds return three senior goalies in Thomas O’Sullivan, Gavin Hirsch and Sean Nelan. In a small sample size O’Sullivan tallied 46 saves last season.   Oceanside Sailors- This year Oceanside will have a new challenge on their hands as they are now part of the power conference in Nassau County. They are coached by Mike Santisteban who is entering his second season at the helm after an 11-6 record in 2024. Headlining the offense this season will be senior Andrew Dato and junior Brady Nardone who combined for 75 points last season at attack, while also adding to their attack lineup is Jack Passuello Their midfield welcomes back Jake Dimuzio, Ethan Famularo and Ethan Silber. Looking to get the ball to their offense from the face-off X will be the combination of Jacob Stern, and Dillon Tveter. The defensive unit will be anchored by St. Johns commit Dylan Bender who led the team in ground balls last year with 41, and in the cage they return the senior duo of Declan Costello and Sam Feldbaum. In 2024 Costello saved 89 shots while Feldbaum saved 47, and both ended the season with a save percentage just over 60%. Oceanside will be striving to become a top four team in Nassau Class A this season.   Plainview Old Bethpage Hawks- Coming off of a 10-6 season with a trip to the playoffs in Nassau Class A, Plainview Old Bethpage will be aiming for another double digit win season in 2025. They return the majority of their core this spring, giving them plenty of continuity. On the offensive side they return three of their top four leaders in points from last season in Chris Tripoli, Alex Kantrowitz, and Nick Altmann who each had 56, 53, and 41 points respectively and are now in their junior year. In the sophomore class they have Max Schwartzberg coming off of a 20 point freshman campaign. As for the defense which was also very young last year, they return Matthew Fitzgerald, Liam Heaney, Andrew Nevis and Drew Retmanski with goalie Jake Ilardo back for another year as the starting goalie, coming off of a 141 save season with a 63% save percentage.   Carey Seahawks- After a 12 win season and an appearance in the Nassau Class C Semifinals, Carey enters the new season now a part of the power conference where they will face many of the top teams across Nassau County. This team returns the majority of the core giving them a strong chance to make anther run at being one of the final four teams in Class C. Chris Obertis (Manhattan) their leader in points from last year with 62 is back for his senior season leading their attack. Adding to their attack is senior Christian Todaro (St. Johns)  junior Ethan Pelzer and junior James McGrath. The Seahawks midfield will include senior Christian Korszloski and sophomore Jayden Rado who tallied 34 and 21 points respectively. On defense they’ll be led by Adelphi bound senior defenseman Billy Koutsoumbaris, and the pipes will be protected by Richie Metzger (Marist) who made 67% of saves last season with a total of 187. Carey will be competing in a very competitive Class C with teams like South Side and Wantagh this year.   Roslyn Bulldogs- This season Roslyn steps up in class, now part of the power conference in Nassau County after an 11 win season and an appearance in the playoffs. Leading the charge is their junior attackman Josh Berger who was their leader in points last season with 52, scoring 40 goals with 12 assists. Offensively the team also returns senior midfielder Spencer Cymbler (Muhlenberg) and sophomore attacker Gavin Ryback. Last season Cymbler account for 39 points and Ryback as a freshman played major minutes and tallied 40 points. At the face-off X will be junior Ethan Goldberg and in the cage junior Zach Mashaal will be the successor to Jacob Goldberg as the team’s starting goalie.   Long Beach Marines- The 2024 season saw Long Beach win 11 games and qualify for the playoffs where they won an opening round playoff game, and this year they look to have another double digit win season with a playoff berth in Nassau Class B. This year they’ll have to do it without their top two leaders in points from last year who were part of the 2024 graduating class, but they do return junior Charlie Conway at midfield and sophomore Cian Donaghy at attack who had 35 and 36 points respectively and will be in for an even bigger season this year. The defense will also look different this year with key graduates in the senior class last year, but back for Marines are junior defensemen Tim Miller and Johncarlo Piccolino and junior short-stick defensive midfielder Brian Cash. The goalie duties will once again be held down by junior goalie Aiden Derupo who saved 56% of shots last year with a total of 139 saves. One of their young guns to look out for this season with elevated expectations is freshman Jonathan Hayes who saw meaningful minutes as an eighth grader at midfield and scored 13 goals.   Mepham Pirates- After an 11 win season and an appearance in the playoffs, the Pirates come into the new season looking for similar success. The team sees the return of some offensive firepower between senior Owen Heller (UMass) who connected for 32 goals with 36 assists last season, and junior Alessandro Walaitis who had a team high 47 goals. This duo is in for a huge 2025 season for an offense that averaged just under 12 goals per game. At the face-off X is junior Braeden Kehoe (Iona) one of the top face-off specialists in the class in Nassau County, winning nearly 70% of face-offs. In the cage will be Nicholas Lemus in his senior season.   MacArthur Generals- The Generals were a nine win team in 2024 which was enough to earn a spot in the playoffs where their season came to an end in the opening round. They did lose key players in the 2024 graduating class, but they do see the return of Gavin Thompson to lead the offense after a 34 point junior season from the midfield. With last year’s goalie Scotty Nelson moving to Garden City, goalie Caden Cullen will appear to be the full-time starter after saving 88 shots last year as a sophomore.   Bethpage Golden Eagles- In Nassau Class C Bethpage aims for a similar outcome as last year in which they won 12 games and made the second round of the playoffs. This season they have been added to the power conference where they’ll face some of  the best across Nassau County during the season. Many of the players that had a big hand in last seasons run are here to run it back. Three of their top four leaders in points are back this season including Andrew Reinhardt, Chase Solliday (LIU), and Anthony Guarasci who combined for 123 points. Leo Cataldo (Siena) returns at the face-off X where he’ll look to get the ball to this offense. Last year Cataldo was 63% at the X with 168 face-off won. On defense their top returning defenseman/LSM is Bryant commit Luke Waxer, and in the goal looks to be Joey Traversa stepping into the starting role in place of 2024 graduate Jake Kelly.   Island Trees Bull Dogs- The Bull Dogs return this season where they look to make another deep playoff run after appearing in the Class C County Finals in 2024. The team will be without their top two leading scorers who were part of the 2024 graduating class, but the team does see the return midfielder Joseph Filicamo (LIU), defenseman Joseph Mainente (Connecticut College) and attackman Dominick Rich, a trio that combined for 101 points. In the cage for Island Trees will be Anthony Saragossi coming off of a great junior season in which he made 181 saves with a 58% save percentage. This team also sees a number of underclassmen that will have an elevated role this season on the offensive end including sophomores Gerard Ritter, Michael Dirienzo and Caden McCoy and freshmen Griffin Keesee and Kurt Echezuria.   Friends Academy Quakers- In Nassau Class D Friends Academy will be targeting another trip to the county championship game. Leading the offense will be midfielder Clark Beard after a 53 point junior season. In the sophomore class Ryder Marcus will be a big part of their offense after an impactful freshman season where he scored 19 goals with 8 assists for 27 points. The team also sees the return of their senior goalie Brett Cohen who stopped 122 shots with a save percentage just under 50%.   Mineola Mustangs- The Mustangs come off of a 10 win season and a playoff berth in Nassau Class C with a team that was filled with seniors. This year they’ll have a different look to them with plenty of 2024 graduates including their top three leaders in points. The team does return senior attackman Matthew McCarthy after a 29 point season with 11 goals and 18 assists. Alongside McCarthy at attack is fellow senior John Cosgrove with Michael Palumbo, Josh Bonfanti and Gavin McLaughlin playing midfield and will likely see elevated roles this season. In the cage will be senior Will Massaro who in a small sample size made 50 saves with a 59% save percentage last season.   Plainedge Red Devils- This year the Red Devils will have their first full season with head coach Dan Achatz at the helm after taking over during last season. They had a ten win season with a playoff win and a trip to the Class C quarterfinals, and now they find themselves in the power conference where they will face many of the top teams across Nassau County. The head of the snake for their offense is senior attack/middie Owen Donnellan (Stony Brook) who had a team high 67 points with 43 goals and 24 assists. On the offensive end the team also sees the return of upperclassmen Matthew Barry and Brian Keaveney along with sophomores Dom Agovino, Casey Auer and Brady Kelly. At LSM they return their leader in ground balls senior Matthew Chadwick (Marist) and senior defenseman Jaxson Gawronski. Plainedge will have a new starting goalie this season as it will be senior Christian DeJuana who made 17 saves with a 65% save percentage playing limited minutes last season.   Wheatley/Carle Place Frogs- After squeaking into the playoffs in 2024 Wheatley/Carle Place will strive for another playoff appearance in 2025. Their key returning players include seniors midfielder Max Cordova and Matt Babino, senior attackemen Matt Iadevaia and Anthony Sampogna, and junior attackman Collin Hoisik. At the face-off X will be junior Luke Parise who won 101 face-offs last year with a 62% winning percentage. The defense sees the return of juniors Aidan Butt and Anthony Terrone with senior Vinny Psalidas now taking over as the starting goalie.   Oyster Bay Baymen- The Baymen of Nassau Class D are led by head coach Brian Soper who has been at the helm dating back to 2013. Last year saw them appear in the county semifinals where they were defeated by Friends Academy. With an abundance of players in the 2024 graduating class, this year they will have plenty of new faces, but one of their returning players is junior George Henry at the face-off X where we won 119 face-offs with a 73.5% winning percentage. In goal as the starter will likely be senior Tyler Rosasco who had 39 saves with a save percentage of 56% as a backup last year.