Long Island Lacrosse

Ward Melville's 10-9 win over West Islip yesterday moved it up into the No. 2 spot. West Islip droped to No. 5. Syosset, which plays Farmingdale tonight, is now at No. 8. Chaminade jumped just two spots from 12th to 10th. St. Anthony's (19) and Garden City (23) made their way back into the rankings. Manhasset dropped out for the first time this season.

1. Gilman (15-0)
Previous: 2. Beat Calvert Hall 10-7, Spalding 12-10. NEXT Friday vs. St. Mary’s Annapolis.

2. Ward Melville (11-0)
Previous: 5. Beat West Babylon15-3, beat West Islip 10-9. NEXT Tomorrow vs. Bay Shore.

3. Darien (10-0)
Previous: 3. Beat Yorktown 12-5, Trumbull 21-3, Brien McMahon-Norwalk 17-2. NEXT Saturday vs. Greenwich.

4. La Salle (22-1)
Previous: 4. Beat North Catholic 15-3, Archbishop Ryan 16-0, Ridley 9-4 and Cardinal Dougherty 18-0. NEXT Tomorrow at Germantown Academy.

5. West Islip (9-1)
Previous: 1. Beat Half Hollow Hills East 16-3, lost to Ward Melville 10-9. NEXT Tomorrow at East Islip.

6. Brother Rice (12-0)
Previous: 7. Beat De La Salle 16-3, Troy Athens 19-2, St. Mary’s 17-3, Detroit Jesuit 17-9. NEXT Tomorrow at Birmingham Seaholm.

7. Calvert Hall (11-2)
Previous: 11. Lost to Gilman 10-7, beat St. Paul’s 17-6. NEXT Friday vs. Mount St Joe.

8. Syosset (8-1)
Previous: 12. Idle. NEXT Today vs. Farmingdale.

9. Georgetown Prep (15-2)
Previous: 13. Beat Landon 9-8. NEXT Friday vs. Gonzaga.

10. Chaminade (9-2)
Previous: 14. Beat Kellenberg 13-6, Fairfield Prep 7-3. NEXT May 7 at St. John the Baptist.

11. Malvern (13-2)
Previous: 15. Beat Episcopal Academy 13-3, Abington 16-3, Haverford 10-6. NEXT Tomorrow vs. St. Joe’s Prep.

12. Deerfield (9-0)
Previous: 16. Beat Loomis Chaffee 12-9, Phillips Andover 12-6. NEXT Today vs. Berkshire School.

13. Mountain Lakes (8-1)
Previous: 17. Beat Ridgewood 11-9. NEXT Today at Kinnelon.

14. LaFayette (9-1)
Previous: 18. Beat Westhill 11-5, Watertown 16-5. NEXT Tomorrow vs. Jordan-Elbridge.

15. Saint Andrew’s (22-1)
Previous: 19. Won FHSAA State Championship. NEXT Season complete.

16. Lawrenceville (12-1)
Previous: 20. Beat Moorsetown 14-4, Brunswick 19-11, Conestoga 14-5, Blair Academy 20-2. NEXT Saturday at the Hill School.

17. John Jay-Cross River (6-2)
Previous: 22. Beat Henry Hudson 18-6, Corning East 16-11, Horace Greeley 15-5. NEXT Saturday vs. Niskayuna.

18. Chatham (9-0)
Previous: 24. Beat Columbia 19-9. NEXT Today at Mendham.

19. St. Anthony’s (9-3)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Delbarton 8-3. NEXT Today at Holy Trinity.

20. Kent Denver (11-0)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Fort Collins Unified 6-0, St. Ignatius Prep 10-6. NEXT Tomorrow at Regis Jesuit.

21. St. Ignatius Prep (18-1)
Previous: 10. Lost to Kent Denver 10-6, beat Fort Collins Unified 6-5. NEXT Today at Danville-Monte Vista.

22. Loyola-Blakefield (10-3)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Severn 15-11, McDonogh 6-5. NEXT Friday vs. Boys’ Latin.

23. Garden City (7-2)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Jericho 14-2, Manhasset 9-5. NEXT Today vs. Carey.

24. Worthington Kilbourne (9-0)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Hilliard Davidson 20-4, Cincinnati St. Xavier 20-7. NEXT Today vs. Upper Arlington.

25. Niskayuna (9-0)
Previous: Unranked. Beat Burnt Hills 19-4, Shenendehowa 5-3. NEXT Saturday vs. John Jay-Cross River.

Ward Melville 10, West Islip 9

Ward Melville's Zach Pall tied the score at 8 on a goal 26 seconds into the fourth quarter, and scored an unassisted goal with 3:50 remaining to give Ward Melville (8-0) a 10-8 lead in Division I boys lacrosse yesterday. Chip Pittard's goal with 11:11 left gave Ward Melville its first lead of the game. West Islip's Andrew Hodgson scored at 3:04 to make the score 10-9, but Ward Melville's Josh LaMantia made an interception in the box with under 30 seconds left. Nicky Galasso scored three of West Islip's first four goals. West Islip is 7-1.

Anyone who was at the game please post your reactions and comments. Look for the game story in tomorrow's paper.

LONG ISLAND

1. West Islip (9-0)

2. Ward Melville (10-0)

3. Chaminade (9-2)

4. St. Anthony's (10-3)

5. Garden City (7-2)

6. Syosset (8-1)

7. Manhasset (6-2)

8. Lynbrook (8-1)

9. Massapequa (7-2)

10. Shoreham-Wading River (7-3)

SUFFOLK

1. West Islip (9-0)

2. Ward Melville (10-0)

3. St. Anthony's (10-3)

4. Shoreham-WR (7-3)

5. Smithtown West (7-3)

6. Rocky Point (9-1)

7. Floyd (7-3)

8. Lindenhurst (8-2)

9. HHH West (8-2)

10. Mount Sinai (8-2)

NASSAU

1. Chaminade (9-2)

2. Garden City (7-2)

3. Syosset (8-1)

4. Manhasset (6-2)

5. Lynbrook (8-1)

6. Massapequa (7-2)

7. Cold Spring Harbor (7-2)

8. Farmingdale (6-3)

9. South Side (6-3)

10. Oceanside (8-1)

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

How’s this for a match up?

West Islip and Ward Melville are Long Island’s only undefeated teams, both nationally ranked and huge rivals. The Tuesday's contest, a rematch of last season’s county final won by West Islip, should decide this season’s Division I crown.

Excited yet?

This one will come down to whether Ward Melville’s stellar defense can contain host West Islip’s potent offense. Slowing down Nicky Galasso, Ed Plompen and Andrew Hodgson is not an easy task, but if any defense can do it, it’s Ward Melville (10-0, 7-0). Matt Spagnoli and goalie Steven Rastivo lead a smart and athletic unit that has allowed just less than three goals a game in its last six contests.

The problem for Ward Melville is if it cannot keep West Islip in check it is tough to see them outscoring them. Zach Pall and Cody Ferraro are talented offensive players and have some help around them, but Ward Melville is not winning and old fashion shot out.

I except this one to be close throughout with West Islip (9-0, 7-0) winning by two or three goals. Ward Melville will contain West Islip for a bit, but Galasso’s ability to get to the cage one on one will help the Lions create some distance.

I am certainly looking forward to it. Are you?

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Yesterday morning, I was at Commack for the Commack-Kings Park girls lacrosse game, which was played on what would have been Shana Kay's 22nd birthday.

Kay was a 2004 Commack graduate who tragically passed from a bout with viral encephalitis on July 3, 2005. This was the third straight year the team has played on her birthday.

Here is the story, and here is a link to the Shana Kay Memorial Foundation site.

Both Jane and Randy Kay, Shana's parents, and Jared Kay, her older brother, were very gracious to the guests, which included Shana's old coach, Jess Scott, who is currently out on maternity leave, numerous old classmates, and many friends.

The family has the attitude that they would rather celebrate Shana'a life than constantly be bogged down in grief. Of course they are still very saddened, and feel great pain over the loss of a child/sister, but they do an excellent job of remembering their daughter through things like yesterday's game.

You can read more from them, and others who were at the game yesterday, below...

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Circle April 2 on your calendar. Shoreham-Wading River visits Rocky Point in a match up of the only two team with undefeated league records in Suffolk Division II.

It is quite and interesting match up. Rocky Point just earned a very very impressive 11-5 win over Comsewogue on Thursday. Shutting out any team for a half is a feat, but to do it to a fine team like Comsewogue really opened my eyes. The win was Rocky Point’s first truly quality victory this season, outside of a solid 9-3 beating of Babylon early in the year.

Rocky Point will be extremely tough and could be the favorites out in Suffolk Class B if they get that kind of defense along with their potent offense.

Shoreham has found ways to win games this year and has challenged itself with a tough non-league slate. Its three losses are to Massapequa, Farmingdale and Mountain Lakes, no shame in any of those. Yet even in league Shoreham has needed plenty of late goals to snatch wins. Dave Malave scored on a pass from Mike Delia with 1:22 left in overtime to beat Sayville and Joe Lustgarten scored with 1:38 left in overtime off a feed from Malave for a win over Kings Park.

The game against Rocky Point may finally give us a better answer to how good Shoreham is. Coach Tom Rotanz does a great job and they have plenty of weapons, but if Rocky Point continues to play this well on defense I feel it will be very tough for Shoreham to match Rocky Point goal for goal. Rocky Point did score 11 times against an excellent Comsewogue defense. Shoreham will need to try to keep the game close and then rely on its experience of winning tight games.

I hope you are looking forward to the game as much as I am.

BY DARREN SANDS

A few days ago, you'll remember we posted on this blog statements by Franklin Zirkle after his team, East Chapel Hill, defeated Cold Spring Harbor. He said the win was a "huge win for North Carolina lacrosse."

I wrote in response that I thought it was somewhat unfair for Cold Spring Harbor be known as the "Long Island team" that lost to a team in another state other than Maryland. Long Island teams automatically have a bulls' eye on their back when they travel and, perhaps unfairly, get criticized when they lose to a team not traditionally known for lacrosse. Carolina, like Denver, California and Texas are emerging with some great young programs, and East Chapel Hill is one of them.

This was Zirkle's response, which he gladly agreed to publish in this space:

Mr. Sands:

In response to your posting, I thought the following information might be helpful for your edification.

First, let me state my utmost respect for Long Island Lacrosse. As a former college assistant coach who spent many hours on the L.I.E. listening to Howard Stern and Don Imus (nearly crashing several times into the guard rails from laughter), I have always admired the way lacrosse is taught and played in Suffolk and Nassau counties.

Franklin Zirkle
East Chapel Hill Lacrosse

BY DARREN SANDS

So we knew it would be Oceanside's first real test in its undefeated season.

Didn't know it would be a classic.

From our own Chris Mascaro:

Tom DeNapoli scored the game-winner 52 seconds into overtime on an assist from his cousin Mike DeNapoli for host Lynbrook (8-1) in an 12-11 non-league win over Oceanside. Tom DeNapoli finished with a goal and four assists, while Joe Vitale chipped in with four goals and an assist. Derek Akner led Oceanside (8-1) with four goals and two assists.

Lynbrook has given Nassau Class A all sorts of problems. Farmingdale, Baldwin and now Oceanside. Lynbrook has got to have a lot of confidence going into its league schedule.

Was anyone at the game? What was it like out there?

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Hello girls lax fans, we've got some goodies for you. First off, here is this week's girls lacrosse insider on Sara Sangiorgio, a junior at West Islip who lost her sister in a car crash January of 2007. You can read more about Sangiorgio by clicking the link below.

Sangiorgio is part of West Islip's rise to the top of Suffolk's Division I. The Lady Lions have just one loss, and it's to second-place Northport.

West Islip is the fifth-ranked team in this week's Suffolk top-10 (the third team from Division I). Its next two games - at Lindenhurst on Saturday and home against West Babylon next Wednesday - are against two top-10 squads.

Also in today's paper today was Marc Jiminez's story about Wantagh's Claire Petersen, who is among Long Island's assist leaders, and Shoreham-Wading River's 15-10 over Sayville.

The Lady Wildcats are a perfect 8-0 in Division II and 9-0 overall. Their game at home against Rocky Point one week from today will be a matchup of two undefeated teams and will likely decide the Division II crown. Both these teams have been phenomenal this season, and this game will be the renewal of a rivalry that is becoming the annual championship game for the division. It's also our Suffolk Game of the Week.

Okay, well you've seen our Suffolk and Nassau rankings now, so it's time to unveil this week's L.I. rankings (with an interesting tidbit about each team):

1. Garden City (Next two games are at Manhasset on Monday and at home against SWR a week from Saturday. Haven't allowed more than eight goals to a Long Island team this season).
2. West Babylon (only loss of the season is to Garden City. Shannon Smith has a Long Island leading 81 goals through 10 games, which is more than a handful of teams have).
3. Northport (came back from a 7-4 halftime deficit against Massapequa on Tuesday).
4. Farmingdale (two nice, close wins over North Shore and Rocky Point this past week).
5. Shoreham-Wading River (first non-league game was a success with a win over Bay Shore. Then followed with a business-like win at Sayville. The team has scored at least 13 goals in every game, but the team leader - Stephanie Anderson - has just 22 on the season. Seven girls have 11 or more, though).
6. Manhasset (solid win over St. Anthony's on Saturday).
7. Rocky Point (only loss was a 14-13 decision against Farmingdale).
8. North Shore (two losses this season were to Garden City and a tough one to Farmingdale earlier today).
9. West Islip (huge games loom against Lindenhurst and West Babylon).
10. Massapequa (tough loss to Northport after holding a halftime lead).

And to wrap up, here is a video of this afternoon's East Islip-Half Hollow Hills game, in which East Islip senior Ashley Olen scored a career-high nine goals.

BY DARREN SANDS

Check 'em out.

NATIONAL RANKINGS

1. West Islip (8-0)
2. Gilman (13-0)
3. Darien (7-0)
4. La Salle (18-1)
5. Ward Melville (9-0)
6. Manhasset (6-1)
7. Brother Rice (8-0)
8. West Genesee (8-1)
9. Delbarton (6-1)
10. St. Ignatius Prep (17-0)
11. Calvert Hall (10-1)
12. Syosset (8-1)
13. Georgetown Prep (14-2)
14. Chaminade (7-2)
15. Malvern (10-2)
16. Deerfield (7-0)
17. Mountain Lakes (8-1)
18. LaFayette (7-1)
19. Saint Andrew’s (22-1)
20. Lawrenceville (8-1)

NORTHEAST RANKINGS

1. West Islip (8-0)
2. Darien (7-0)
3. Ward Melville (9-0)
4. Manhasset (6-1)
5. West Genesee (8-1)
6. Syosset (8-1)
7. Chaminade (7-2)
8. Deerfield (7-0)
9. LaFayette (7-1)
10. John Jay-Cross River (6-2)

Chaminade did beat Manhasset Saturday, correct?

I mean, I think Chaminade should be higher up, but their loss to Yorktown doesn't bode well in terms of "sexiness," especially after Ward Melville pummeled them at home. Anyone want to chime in on these latest rankings from IL?

BY DARREN SANDS

I finally got to see Lynbrook play -- they probably haven't looked better all season than they did in a fast-paced 12-10 win over Baldwin on Tuesday. Joe Vitale had five goals including the game winner with just under six minutes to go.

I was very impressed with Vitale, and the play of both goalies. Mike DeNapoli is a tough kid. The kid was being tended to by the Lynbrook trainer and looked like a boxer. He had a gash about an inch long on his forehead that he got by reaching for the ball and taking a hard hit. He said his helmet pinched his skin. Make no sense? Hey, maybe he was a bit woozy. But he looked fine.

As for Baldwin junior Dominique Alexander -- look out for him next year. He is a raw talent with some nice natural ability to make plays with the ball in his stick. When he learns how to shoot more effectively he'll be good. Very good. He had two nice goals and both in the first half and a couple of assists. Oh, and and he's lightning fast. Rich Garguilo must be excited about his young guys.

Baldwin was without one of its starting poles, senior captain Eugene Clifford. He broke his collarbone in the surprising loss to Port Washington (huge win for those guys Tuesday: eight unanswered goals to beat Calhoun 13-12!). I wonder how much not having him affected the Bruins, but it was still a great game to watch.

For an 11 a.m. start, I can tell you guys that I haven't been up that early in a long time. But it was worth it. The sun, the kids, the fans -- it was perfect. Thanks to everyone who said hello and for the kind words about our game stories, Insiders and our blogs. We do this stuff you, the readers *cues the "Full House" music*

If anyone is going to watch Lynbrook play Oceanside Friday, shoot me an e-mail!

BY DARREN SANDS

Franklin Zirkle, East Chapel Hill coach, whose team pulled off a 7-4 win over Cold Spring Harbor over the weekend, had some pretty interesting comments following the game. This, according to the Chapel Hill News:

"This was not only a big win for our program, but a big win for lacrosse in North Carolina. Already this season, Chapel Hill played top-ranked Gillman (Md.) and Apex played Syosset from Long Island. We were finally able to beat one of the elite Long Island teams."

The rest of their story reads:

East Chapel Hill lacrosse coach Franklin Zirkle has been receiving congratulatory calls this week from Wildcat alums and others on Long Island after East's 7-4 upset of Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) last weekend. The only other loss for the Seahawks (6-2) was a 9-5 defeat by Syosset, New York's No. 3 team. CSH went on to beat Cardinal Gibbons, North Carolina's 13th-ranked team, 13-4 on Monday.

Isn't this a bit like if a Long Island football team winning a game against a school in Texas and saying, "This is a huge win for Long Island football"?

Is it really? I don't think so. Cold Spring Harbor had a long trip down and truth be told, this is not the team of last year -- you know, the one with the All-American goalie? Cold Spring Harbor is a good team. But would East Chapel Hill have won against them last year? Probably not. Would they win again in a game next year? Don't think so.

BY DARREN SANDS

Seemingly out of nowhere, the Sports Webcasting Network has this release:

Sports Webcasting Network (www.sportswebnet.com) has added The High School Lacrosse Game of the Week, an eight game regular season package, which will feature Long Island's top teams to its spring schedule.

The internet based media company launched its exclusive high school lacrosse coverage this past Thursday, April 17, when Smithtown West hosted Northport. The game, which is still available on-demand, has already received praise for its coverage.

Other confirmed dates include Holy Trinity @ St. Anthony's on Tuesday, April 29, Sayville @ Huntington on Tuesday, May 6, Darien @ Manhasset on Thursday, May 08, West Islip @ Smithtown West on Tuesday, May 13, Cold Spring Harbor @ Manhasset on Wednesday, May 14 and Ward Melville @ Sachem East on Thursday, May 15. Sports Webcasting Network is still in negotiations to add playoff action to the schedule.

"High School Lacrosse is a big addition to our schedule," said play-by-play announcer and SWN's Director Rob Goldenberg. "There has been a tremendous growth in terms of lacrosse's popularity nationally, and there is no question that Long Island is a hotbed for talent. For us it is a great opportunity to take advantage of the fact that we have an audience calling out for more coverage," he said.

For the diehards, we're sure this is welcome news.

BY RODERICK BOONE

While pulling into the parking lot right outside LaValle Stadium a little before 6 p.m., I couldn't help but notice how packed it was. People were tailgating and kids were running around with lacrosse sticks in their hands. There was no place to park.

With a such a lovely day and a nice warm spring temperature, the atmosphere had a distinct feel to it. When I walked inside, the stands were empty. Weird, I thought to myself. Guess those were mostly the cars of students who live in the nearby dorms.

But slowly, they started filing in and by the time we were underway, a record crowd of 5,723 settled in. And what a thrilling game they witnessed, as No. 20 Hofstra edged Stony Brook 14-13.

"It was great out there," Pride junior attack Tom Dooley said. "A ton of fans from both sides. You couldn't ask for a better game back-and-forth and we were just lucky enough to come out on top."

For the majority of the game, neither team could pull away. As Dooley indicated, it was it was a back-and-forth affair with the largest lead being a two-goal advantage until the Pride went ahead by three late in the fourth. Scrappy Stony Brook never went away, though, and made things interesting with a pair of fourth-quarter goals (including one with 1:35 left).

It was a tough one for Stony Brook (7-5), which has lost its five games by a combined nine goals. Hofstra coach Seth Tierney kept praising the fact the Seawolves kept coming at the Pride until there was no time left on the clock.

SBU coach Rick Sowell agreed with him.

"My guys don't know the word quit," Sowell said. "I'm very proud of them for that. I'm proud of their effort. We come to practice, we work hard, we play hard. Sometimes you do all that and you just don't win. Unfortunately, no matter how good you are there's always somebody who may be better. It's not for the lack of trying and I can sleep good at night knowing my guys are giving me all they've got."

Meanwhile Hofstra has to feel pretty good about the outcome. After losing at North Carolina Saturday, the Pride (7-5) talked about wanting some revenge against their rivals. SBU beat Hofstra in OT at the Pride's home digs last season and Hofstra didn't forget about it. Still, now the Hofstra players can talk a little trash, right?

"They got us last year so I really can't say much," said Anthony Muscarella, who led the Pride with a career-high six goals.

That's when Hofstra coach Seth Tierney chimed in.

"He's going to say, 'Good game.'"

Check out the boxscore of the game right here.

BY MARC JIMENEZ

In a girls lacrosse game between the two top teams in CHSAA, St. Anthony’s defeated rival Sacred Heart, 15-10, in the first of two regular-season matchups. This contest was close in the first half after Sacred Heart’s Lauren Tita (two goals) and Lindsay Corin scored back-to-back goals to tie the game at 6 with 2:24 left to play.

But just as this game looked like it would be a grudge match, All-American Jessica Russo (six goals and one assist) and Courtney Bradley (three goals and one assists) each scored in the closing minutes as St. Anthony’s closed out the half on a 3-0 run and never looked back.

“I came into this game so fired up,” said the Northwestern-bound Russo. “After last year’s [15-13 loss in the CHSAA championship game], we really wanted to get back at them. We came into this game with a lot of determination and purpose. Sacred Heart has been one of our rivals. This [win] is a turning point for us in our season.

Both teams will square off again on May 12.

LONG ISLAND

1. West Islip

2. Ward Melville

3. Chaminade

4. St. Anthony's

5. Manhasset

6. Garden City

7. Syosset

8. Shoreham-Wading River

9. Smithtown West

10. Lynbrook

NASSAU

1. Chaminade

2. Manhasset

3. Garden City

4. Syosset

5. Lynbrook

6. Massapequa

7. Cold Spring Harbor

8. Farmingdale

9. South Side

10. Oceanside

SUFFOLK

1. West Islip

2. Ward Melville

3. St. Anthony's

4. Shoreham-Wading River

5. Smithtown West

6. Floyd

7. Lindenhurst

8. Half Hollow Hills West

9. Rocky Point

10. Comsewogue

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed a full weekend of lacrosse. In girls lax, there was an abundance of non-league matchups, which helped cement these rankings:

1. Garden City
2. West Babylon
3. Northport
4. Farmingdale
5. Shoreham-Wading River
6. North Babylon
7. Manhasset
8. Massapequa
9. Rocky Point
10. North Shore

...which we unveiled in this post a few days ago.

On Friday night, Farmingdale handed Rocky Point its first loss of the season. Then Manhasset defeated St. Anthony's on Saturday as part of the Lacrosse Day of Champions. And yesterday, Shoreham-Wading River played its first game outside of Division II and beat Bay Shore on the road, 14-9.

A couple of conclusions from these scores: First, both Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River are two very talented teams, and the Division II title will — yet again — come down to their game at SWR on May 1. Next, St. Anthony's is a very good team, but not quite ready to break the Suffolk top-10.

They proved they are the best CHSAA team around yesterday afternoon, and they have some impressive wins over Cold Spring Harbor and Ward Melville. But a tie with Kellenberg and losses to Massapequa and Manhasset keep the Friars on the outside looking in for now.

This week's rankings will be unveiled in the girls lacrosse insider on Thursday. So be on the lookout. That day, we'll also post the new L.I. rankings here on the blog.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Chaminade left not doubt they are Nassau’s best team right now. The Flyers totally out played host Manhasset yesterday in an 11-5 win during the Lacrosse Day of Champions to honor Sgt. James Regan yesterday. Chaminade took an 11-2 lead with 5:20 left in the game on a goal by Matt Johnson. It defense and goalie Nolan Hickey held Manhasset scoreless for 43 minutes from the first to fourth quarters. Hicky made 13 saves.

“This is as well as we’ve played as a team in every aspect so far,” Chaminade coach Jake Moran said. “Nolan played his best game today.”

The outcome will have a major impact on the national rankings. Manhasset entered the game 6-0 and ranked second my STX/Inside Lacrosse. Chaminade (7-2) was in the number 20 spot.
The Indians were not crisp on offense and seemed a bit rattled by a more physical Chaminade squad.

“They outplayed us at the midfield without a doubt,” Manhasset coach Bill Cherry said.
Manhasset played with out Jeff Molinari, who is not completely recovered from a concussion and Matt Gibson scored two goals in his return for Chaminade.

I didn’t think this game would ever be possible for us to play Manhasset,” Chaminade defender Bill Coughlin said. It means something, but we still have a lot of big games ahead.”

On Jimmy Regan and the Lacrosse Day of Champions:

“Everyone is out here for such a good cause remembering Jimmy Regan and the things he’s done for his country. The fact that we can come out here and help that cause and do something positive is something we love to be apart of.” - Matt Danowski, Duke attack

“The Long Island lacrosse community cares about the right things. They care about people. They care about the game itself and it’s obvious today." - John Danowski, Duke coach

“He was just a great human being. He was a competitor, I guy whether he was in the line up or out the line up was all about his teammates." - Joe Alberici, Army head coach

“It was an absolute honor to play in this game for Jimmy Regan. This atmosphere is second to none. I’d know of a game that I’ll play in that will be a better atmosphere.” - Adam Fullerton, Army goalie

“He made other people better by being unselfish and out working people. He used his god given ability to the utmost." -Jack Moran, Chaminade coach.

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

The "Lacrosse Day of Champions" will take place at Manhasset High School tomorrow in honor of Sgt. Jimmy Regan, of Manhasset, who died last year in Iraq.

No. 9 Army will play No. 1 Duke at noon, followed by Chaminade-Manhasset boys and then Manhasset-St. Anthony's girls. Proceeds will benefit the Lead the Way Fund. The games will be televised on ESPNU.

I will be covering both Duke vs.Army and the Manhasset vs. Chaminade. Any thoughts on who will win either of the games. My picks are Duke and Chaminade.

BY DARREN SANDS

Not according to a story by our sister paper (for now), the Baltimore Sun.

The Sun's Childs Walker reports that, "US Lacrosse hopes to move its headquarters from Johns Hopkins University to a new waterfront development adjacent to Fells Point."

"This is a project meant to stay in Baltimore," said Gary Gill, a Baltimore-area developer and board member of the US Lacrosse Foundation. "This is our shot."

Gill warned that if Maryland does not secure the project, other cities, such as Denver or Syracuse, N.Y., might want it.

With the rich history and history of the sport here, why not Long Island?

Nearly $ 7 million of the $25 million it will take to build the new waterfront facility, Walker reports, will be asked from the state of Maryland and city of Baltimore -- and I watched The Wire, good luck with that. Should the proposal fall through, what are the chances a group might try to get US Lax to come to New York, the countries' largest media market?

Just a thought. I mean, seriously, Denver? Syracuse?

BY DARREN SANDS

That used to have a ring to it: "Undefeated Patriots".

*sigh*

But for Ward Melville (8-0), the statement still rings true. It coasted past Smithtown East yesterday, 11-4, in a game that was never in doubt and was essentially a tune up for Saturday's showdown with Yorktown.

Yorktown, meanwhile has already beaten St. Anthony's and Chaminade. Ward Melville could be one loss away from the talk of New York state about this being a "down year" for Long Island Lacrosse. Spare me.

But you had to know it was coming. Check out this entry from The Journal News blogger Joe Lombardi which asks, "Can Yorktown pull off a Long Island sweep?"

I've heard from a scout that Yorktown is very good. Can Ward Melville pull it off and stay in the mix?

BY JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Bellport played in the day’s most interesting game. The Clippers saw a three-goal lead evaporate when Peter Popovich scored his second goal with 1:12 left for East Islip.

Then it got worse.

A penalty put Bellport down a man for a minute, but its defense and goalie held strong.
Kevin Grady made two of his 20 saves in the final minute as Bellport hung on for a 7-6 win over East Islip in Suffolk Division I. He made six saves in the fourth.

“We felt this was a must win for us,” Bellport coach Tony Petillo said. “They went 7-6 with [Ward] Melville and we didn’t know what to expect. There were a few pressure situations and the kids responded.”

Bellport (3-3), coming off a 9-4 loss to Northport, saw Matt Fitz score all three of his goals in the second half including one with 2:22 left to give it a 7-4 lead. Mike Esposito added two goals and an assist.

Give a lot of credit to Bellport for not being overcome by the momentum East Islip (3-3) was building at the coaching staff for using timeout to settle their kids done.

“We had to call a time out and we made sure the kids knew the guys they have to pay attention to and if there was a turn over how to get it the ball out of our end so we can run out the clock,” Petillo said.

BY MARC JIMENEZ

Mary-Kate Sivilli set a New York State record with 12 assists as Glenn cruised to a 21-11 victory over winless Southampton in Division II on Thursday. Sivilli, a sophomore, broke the previous record of 10, which was set by Abbie Gowen of Amherst High School (Section VI) in 2007.

"I was really excited when I heard I set the state record," Sivilli said. "Before the game coach [Marianne Lilli] told me to try to get the other girls involved. I was really excited when I heard I set the record. It’s a really good feeling to have this. I didn’t even know they kept records for assists."

Sivilli, who scored three goals, notched 10 assists at the half and thought she could have gotten as many as 15.

“My job is to score, control the game and get everyone involved,” she said.

Sivilli has been doing that all season. She has team highs of 37 goals and 34 assists for Glenn, which has won three in a row.

BY CHRIS MASCARO

Hey everyone, be sure to check out this week's girls lacrosse insider by Marc Jimenez on Division coach Lisa Scansarole, who recovered from a horrific accident and has been a great inspiration to her team.

Also, check out my sidebar on yesterday's West Babylon-Northport game, which turned out to be a classic.

In the story, I mentioned a crucial assist Shannon Smith made off of a forced turnover, and you can see that play on the video from yesterday's game at the 1:20 mark (you can also see Shannon's N-Zone athlete of the week video here).

Quite an impressive play by the All-American senior.

Aside from Smith, the one thing that impressed me about West Babylon was the contributions of its role players—Chelsea Retaleato, Jocelyn Dawson and Katie Harrison, who have done a nice job playing off Smith this season.

Along with the insider is, two players of the week from each county and team rankings.

Speaking of which, here are our combined Long Island rankings...

1. Garden City (8-0)
2. West Babylon (7-1)
3. Northport (5-1)
4. Farmingdale (5-0)
5. Shoreham-Wading River (7-0)
6. North Babylon (6-1)
7. Manhasset (5-1)
8. Massapequa (6-1)
9. Rocky Point (7-0)
10. North Shore (7-1)

*Note: West Babylon's and North Shore's only loss is to Garden City, while Northport, North Babylon and Massapequa only lost to West Babylon. Manhasset fell to Notre Dame Prep in Maryland in its season-opener.

Feel free to chime in with your top-10.

Click below to see each county's top-10 from this week's insider...

BY DARREN SANDS

This week's rankings can be found here.

Garden City dropped out from their spot at No. 16 after losing to St. Paul's. Of course, they narrowly beat Wantagh which makes you wonder if they move down was justified.

West Islip (7-0) and Manhasset (5-0) are the No. 1 and 2 teams. West Genesee (5-1), the previous No. 1, lost to some school called Baldwinsville, 6-5.

Chaminade (5-2) fell from No. 9 all the way to 20. Syosset moved up to No. 17 from the 24th spot after disposing of Plainview JFK and Hicksville.

I'll get to see Ward Melville (6-0) Thursday against Smithtown East. Ward Melville is ranked 16th.

I still think Chaminade, when healthy is better than Manhasset. We'll see what happens Saturday, as it's bound to affect a lot of rankings, including ours!

BY DARREN SANDS

Garden City has not played up to its potential of late, but boy, there goes Wantagh, playing another team tough.

Sure, Garden City beat Wantagh, 3-2 last night. They got two goals from one of their most consistent players in Dan Savage, but after that, just one goal from Kevin Rose. Sloppy game or not, Wantagh played a tough game from what we're hearing, which raises a necessary question:

How good is Wantagh?

We know they beat Class C power Rye, 9-2. They lost just 7-6 to Massapequa. Now they lose a close one to Garden City and its got me thinking that Class B is probably more balanced from top to bottom than we thought at the beginning of the season. They could easily be 6-1 heading into a somewhat easy Class B schedule, save for a loss in the first game of the season to Long Beach. South Side is another team three one-goal losses.

Which is fine by Lacrosse fans here, where the playoffs promise to be some of the most special in a few years.

Playoffs??!

Long Island

1. West Islip

2. Chaminade

3. Manhasset

4. Ward Melville

5. Garden City

6. St. Anthony’s

7. Syosset

8. Half Hollow Hills West

9. Shoreham-Wading River

10. Lynbrook

Suffolk

1. West Islip

2. Ward Melville

3. St. Anthony's

4. Half Hollow Hills West

5. Shoreham-Wading River

7. Comsewogue

6. Smithtown West

8. Rocky Point

9. Floyd

10. Lindenhurst

Nassau

1. Chaminade

2. Manhasset

3. Garden City

4. Syosset

5. Lynbrook

6. Farmingdale

7. Cold Spring Harbor

8. Massapequa

9. South Side

10. Oceanside

BY CHRIS MASCARO

They came into the season as the 12th seed out of 21 teams in Suffolk's Division I, but the Lady Bulldogs of Lindenhurst have started the season off hot, and found their way into my Suffolk top-10 last week.

Lindenhurst (4-1, 2-1 Division I) picked up its first loss last Tuesday against North Babylon, but bounced back yesterday afternoon with an 11-9 win over Sachem North and its honorable mention All-American goalie Jaclyn Pandolf.

The win was a nice piece of revenge for the Lady Bulldogs, who lost 5-4 against Sachem North last season in monsoon-like conditions, according to Lindy coach Ralph Viggiano. The loss ended up being the game that kept the Lady Bulldogs (6-8 last season) from making the playoffs for the second straight year.

Skeptics would say that Lindenhurst hasn't beaten any upper echelon teams yet, which is partially true. But looking ahead at the schedule, this team should finish at least 7-7 or 8-6 this year, which should be good enough for a playoff berth.

Viggiano agrees.

"I don't know if we can pop that top bubble, but we'll be in that middle group," the coach said.

Viggiano's team has started strong behind senior Meg Brown (17 goals, 12 assists), junior Nicolle Moran (16 goals, 11 assists) and senior goalie Kayla Hazelton (41 saves).

Lindenhurst may not be in the top-10 all season, but the squad should be around come playoff time.

Its first true test will come next Saturday at home against West Islip.

-One more thing before I go. Check out the game Shannon Smith of West Babylon had yesterday.

She is averaging over 8.5 goals per game, and with 10 regular season games left, Smith is on pace to finish with 145 goals, which would shatter her own state record of 129 goals in a season that she set as a sophomore.

Also, check out the L.I. scoring leaders. Smith has 60 goals and the next closest girl - Erin Fitzgerald of Mount Sinai - has 45. The next closest to her - Rosie Corcoran of Sacred Heart - has 37. Simply amazing.

A HUGE game for Smith and Co. looms tomorrow afternoon against first-place Northport (5-0, 4-0 Division I).