LI Lacrosse Journal
March 7, 2026
3 min read
No. 14 Ranked Islip Buccaneers Team Preview
March 7, 2026
3 min read
The Buccaneers capped off one of the most iconic seasons in Suffolk County history back in 2018, winning their first County, Long Island, and New York State championships ever. Islip has been a consistent mainstay in the Class C playoffs since then, but that lightning from eight years ago has yet to strike twice. A 10-7 record with a first round playoff defeat to Sayville left the team wanting more after the 2025 season. 19th year Head Coach Keith Scheidel will look to help guide his squad to another level this year, and the help of five returning starters on his offense should get things rolling in the right direction. This senior class was only in 4th grade the last time Islip took home the county championship plaque, and they’d surely like to hoist it themselves before their hourglass runs out.
Scheidel’s offense in 2026 resembles a hot Ferrari: fast, powerful, and likely better than his opponents. Islip welcomes back nearly their entire unit, including all three starting attackmen from last season. All Scheidel has to do is keep the steering wheel steady, and the rest should take care of itself with the talent he has at his disposal. Leading this star-studded offense are seniors Jack Rao (Hofstra), Jake Degennaro (LIU), Matt Travato (Swarthmore), and junior Jack Halpin (LIU), all who accumulated at least 40 points a year ago. Rao and Halpin were a dominant duo for the Buccaneers that should pick up right where they left off. Travato and Halpin were also focal points on the scoring attack that makes this unit awfully dynamic. Sophomore attackman Vinny Spallina has been reported as a name to watch with his finishing ability around the goal mouth. Any of these studs can hurt you if you let them, and together they should pace Islip back to the postseason this year. The new challenge for this team will be on the defensive side of the field and at the face-off X, as Dylan Smith and Erik Heimlich graduated in 2025. Smith was named the Face-off Player of the Year a season ago while Heimlich was tabbed Long Stick Midfielder of the Year. It’s never easy replacing blue chip players in your program, but Islip will have to do the best they can in recreating that lost production. The goalie position should be an interesting one for the Buccaneers, graduating Mikey Vitale in the offseason with only freshman Declan Hicks remaining in the position room. Hicks didn’t see varsity action in 2025, but the aid of sophomore long stick midfielder Jack Gardner among others should settle him in nicely. An important goal for every team is to be playing their best lacrosse towards the end of the season, and Islip is no different here. Coach Scheidel knows how crucial it is to gain momentum at the right time, and he’s striving for that again in 2026. “[It’s important] that we get off to a good start and get better throughout the season,” Scheidel said. Islip is well-equipped to go on another postseason run this year, with their first test of the year coming on the road against Connetquot on March 21st, followed by their first league contest on March 26th against John Glenn.
