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Bayport-Blue Point Players Spotlight: Goalie duo of Matt Nilan and Eric Grahn
In high school lacrosse, some teams are lucky enough to get one very talented goalie. But for Bayport-Blue Point, they were fortunate enough to have two of them. Matt Nilan and Eric Grahn are the two goaltenders for Bayport and have created an amazing duo. Nilan is a senior headed off to Towson next year and Grahn is a junior committed to Siena.
Oceanside Player Spotlight: Izzy Weintraub
Oceanside’s senior goalie Izzy Weintraub has helped guide the Sailors to a 10-5 regular season and the number three seed in the Nassau Class A playoffs. She has been the anchor of a defense that has allowed just over five goals per game and has recorded a total of 100 saves with a save percentage of 56%. Weintraub grew up playing soccer and was a goalie before transitioning into lacrosse around the third or fourth grade. She initially started as a defender playing for PAL but switched over to goalie when she started playing the club team Legacy. The combination of lacrosse being a faster game and the thrill of being able to make a save and clear the ball is what made her realize that this is the game that she loves to play.
Massapequa Players Spotlight with Joely Caramelli, Jess Giller, and Bridget Valentine
One of the top girls teams in Nassau County and on Long Island are the Massapequa Chiefs. This season they went 10-4 in the regular season and have clinched the number one seed in the Nassau Class A bracket. They are led by three stud junior midfielders, Joely Caramelli, Jess Giller, and Bridget Valentine who fill out the draw circle for the Chiefs. The uniqueness of this lethal trio is that they have been playing lacrosse together for over 10 years. Their time on the field together goes all the way back to their days playing PAL lacrosse in the Massapequa community.
One of the top girls teams in Nassau County and on Long Island are the Massapequa Chiefs. This season they went 10-4 in the regular season and have clinched the number one seed in the Nassau Class A bracket. They are led by three stud junior midfielders, Joely Caramelli, Jess Giller, and Bridget Valentine who fill out the draw circle for the Chiefs. The uniqueness of this lethal trio is that they have been playing lacrosse together for over 10 years. Their time on the field together goes all the way back to their days playing PAL lacrosse in the Massapequa community.LILJ Pre-Playoff Top 25 Boys Rankings
With the playoffs around the corner, here’s the new top 25 rankings for boys high school lacrosse. There’s been a lot of movement in the top 25 since spring break, including a couple of new squads cracking the new rankings. Things are really starting to heat up as the regular season comes to a close.
In the new poll, there have been teams who have climbed up tremendously. Seaford, who was ranked 23rd in our last poll, jumped ten spots to be ranked 13th. The senior led Vikings just came off of a big win over South Side to go to second place in Nassau class C. Ward Melville has also performed well moving up 5 spots earning the number 9 spot in the rankings. Port Washington also made noise going from 20 to 16.Â
Some newcomers also made their way into the rankings. Connetquot is ranked 20th in the poll after racking up some big league wins. Miller Place comes in at 21 following their 10th victory of the year. The Westhampton Beach Hurricanes are on a 3 game win streak and crack the poll at the 23rd spot. And lastly, Sayville joins the poll at number 24 after coming away with a big win over Comsewogue.
1. Mount Sinai
2. St Anthony’sÂ
3. Shoreham-Wading River
4. Cold Spring Harbor
5. Chaminade
6. Garden City
7. NorthportÂ
8. Manhasset
9. Ward Melville
10. ComsewogueÂ
11. MassapequaÂ
12. Smithtown WestÂ
13. SeafordÂ
14. Smithtown EastÂ
15. Port Washington
16. FarmingdaleÂ
17. HuntingtonÂ
18. Bayport-Blue PointÂ
19. South Side
20. ConnetquotÂ
21. Miller PlaceÂ
22. WesthamptonÂ
23. East IslipÂ
24. SayvilleÂ
25. WantaghÂ
LILJ Pre-Playoff Girls Top 25 Rankings
The playoffs are upon us and as we conclude the final days of the regular season the LILJ has put together another top 25 rankings. Check out the list to see who’s cracked the list and see who has made a significant leap from our last rankings during spring break.
The Top Long Island Men’s Lacrosse Players in the Division 1, 2 and 3 NCAA Tournament
The most exciting time in college lacrosse is here, as the NCAAÂ tournament is upon us. The Division 1, 2 and 3 brackets were released on Sunday after all the conference title games came to a close. Throughout each bracket, a lot of teams have impact players from Long Island. Take a look at all the local stars competing in the NCAA tournament.Â
Highlighting the Female Long Islanders Playing in the NCAA Tournament
The field is set and we now know which teams will be playing in the NCAA tournament in divisions I, II, and III. So many teams across the board have players that are from the island that have made significant contributions to their team during the regular season and looking to make a deep run in the tournament. Going through all of the divisions, let’s take a look and highlight  Long Island’s own who are playing in the postseason.
LILJ Covers the 20th Annual Louis Acompora Jamboree
On Saturday April 30th Northport High School hosted the 20th annual Louis Acompora Lacrosse Jamboree. For those that aren’t familiar with the story of Louis Acompora, he grew up playing lacrosse in the Northport community and tragically lost his life at 14 years old in his first career high school game playing goalie after taking a hit to the chest and going into cardiac arrest. Since Louis’ passing the foundation has made tremendous efforts in trying save the lives of others by simply making sure that AED’s (automated external defibrillators) are accessible in the event that someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest. The foundation also preaches the importance of being educated about CPR and AED and has helped train thousands of coaches and athletes in CPR and AED.
LILJ To Bring the Girls Long Island Championships to Stony Brook’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium
