No. 15 Ranked Ward Melville Patriots Team Preview

Now at number 15 in the LILJ top 25 preseason rankings it’s the Ward Melville Patriots of Suffolk Class A, one of the storied programs on Long Island. They are coached by Jay Negus who has been in charge since 2013, and consistently has them as a contender for a deep playoff run. Last season they went 13-5 overall with another playoff appearance where they were defeated in the semifinals against Northport, and will hope that this year they have another chance at being in the final four with an opportunity to go a step further. This offseason the Patriots once again took part in the LILJ High School Winter League to help them prepare for the new season.

On the offensive end of the field the Patriots did have some key graduates in the 2024 class, including Zach Brittman and Stephen Rosano who were their top two leading scorers at attack. However the team does return current senior Liam Banks Jr. (Syracuse), Ryan Connolly (Ithaca), and Logan Ciniglio (Geneseo) as part of their attack unit. As a junior Banks accounted for 35 points with 16 goals and 19 assists. Connolly and Ciniglio are in for big offensive years after recording 6 and 11 points respectively last season. Their midfield is also filled with seniors including Callan McLaughlin (Harvard), Quinn McKay (Bryant), and Andrew Buscaglia. As a junior McLaughlin found the back of the net 23 times with 9 assists for 32 points while McKay and Buscaglia added 10 points each. One young gun to be on the lookout for is sophomore lefty attackman Louis Montellese who saw plenty of playing time in the winter, contributing 8 points with 5 goals and 3 assists. As a team their offense averaged 11.5 goals per game which was tied for the seventh most in Suffolk County, a number that they would love to replicate this season. Defensively Ward Melville returns senior defensemen Ben Ehlers  (Wesleyan), and Devon Larson (UMass Lowell), and junior defenseman Liam Cronin (Marist), and in goal on their roster is senior Colby Alister, and on the roster in the winter league was sophomore goalie Jason Biondi as they will look to replace 2024 graduates Davon DiFede and Ethan Shulder. The defense as a team was more than stout last season, allowing just over six goals per game. Coach Negus shared what excites him about the start of the new season and what their keys to success will be. “Seeing these seniors write their final chapter for their high school career! Ball movement with pace, ground balls, transition, adjusting to the new shot clock will be key.” To open up the season Ward Melville starts off with two non-league matchups against Kings Park on March 26th and Garden City on March 29th. Their first league game will be against Longwood on April 3rd.