Long Island Lacrosse

BY DARREN SANDS

Let's go folks! We're live at Hofstra for the Class A Long Island Championship. Syosset needs to score quickly, early and often to stay in the game. The question for me is can they hold off West Islip's firepower to give themselves a chance heading into the second half? In my opinion, Syosset has the hottest defense and the hottest goaltender in Long Island. Will it be enough? Questions, questions, questions. Time for some answers!

Here we go!

SYOSSET (16-4) ADVANCES TO THE NYS CLASS A STATE SEMIFINAL AGAINST YORKTOWN TOMORROW AT HOFSTRA.

FINAL -- 9-6

GOALS Galasso scores. Nine seconds later, Plompen scores. With 1:07 left, Syosset leads, 9-6.

GOAL Jeff Cohen again. Sick. Clears everyone out and tip-toes the crease from the X and just sticks it past Zaremba. There are just over three minutes left in this game, and it's most likely over. West Islip has already begun to throw their helmets and sticks in disgust. Syosset leads, 9-4.

GOAL -- Cohen answers with a fast break goal in the top left from a slim angle on the right side. If you've never played, you probably don't know how hard a shot that is to make and when its on the cage, how hard it is to stop. Huge goal. WIth 4:16 remaining, Syosset leads, 8-4.

GOAL -- Plompen from Braddish with 8:48 left and the West Islip fans are into it now, to say the least. Syosset leads, 7-4.

GOAL -- West Islip scores 23 seconds into the fourth after Syosset was called for an illegal procedure. Nicky Galasso gets the credit, and Syosset now leads, 7-3.

END OF THE THIRD QUARTER -- Eight saves for Evan Cohen. The Braves are twelve minutes away from history, shocking the entire state lacrosse community, and reaching the state championship in Class A.

GOAL -- Cohen found Leverne for lacrosse's equivalent to the three-pointer, right in the top right corner. With two seconds left in the third, Syosset leads, 7-2.

GOAL -- I swear I'm not making this stuff up. Matt Albert, Syosset's faceoff specialist, bounces one in past Zaremba as Syosset goes ahead, 6-2.

GOAL -- Leverne sticks one with 5:08 remaining, and now Syosset leads, 5-2.

Remember what I said I about goaltending? Cohen makes a HUGE save on a man-up shot by Ed Plompen with six-and-a-half minutes remaining. Jared Leverne of Syosset was called for a slashing penalty. By the way, West Islip hit two pipes on the same possession. Could have easily been tied up.

GOAL -- West Islip's Braddish bounced a shot in front of the cage and closed the Braves lead to two with 7:02 left in the third quarter. Syosset leads, 4-2.

Cohen, still in the game, makes a big save up top off a shot from Nicky Galasso after trying to clear one and getting the ball checked out of his stick. Just under ten minutes left.

HALFTIME -- Syosset leads here, 4-1. As Chaminade coach Jack Moran told me, a three-goal lead is nothing to West Islip. I just told Joe Staszewski that if coach John Calabria is smart he gives a halftime speech as if his team is down by three goals. Sam Jakimo is warming up in the cage. Personally, I don't think he'll see any time. Remember, Jakimo and Cohen have been splitting time all year up until the playoffs. Cohen has had the hot hand. We'll keep you updated.

GOAL -- Cohen on a similar goal to his first, left-handed and going to his left. Right out of the gate of the next possession, West Islip's defenders seemed to get a little more physical with Cohen and he met the turf for the first time. With just under four minutes to go in the half, Syosset is ahead, 4-1.

END OF FIRST QUARTER -- West Islip has gotten off five shots, but Syosset has possessed the ball for far longer. Speaking of, when are they going to start keeping time of possession stats for lacrosse? Is that going to come with the shot clock? Anyway. Another note, in addition to the TV timeouts, the league has mandated "water timeouts" in which the players are allowed to, you guessed it, drink water. It is not as hot as it was for the past three days but warm all the same.

GOAL -- Weird goal. Cohen unloads on a lefty shot from way out, it deflects off of someone -- we don't know who -- close to the cage, and bounces past Zaremba into the cage. Syosset leads, 3-1.

GOAL -- Wachler from in close on a nice fake move. Zaremba had no chance. Syosset leads, 2-1.

GOAL -- Ridiculous move on one of those one-handed, inside move dodges by Nicky Galasso. Tied, 1-1.

GOAL -- Jeff Cohen, from Adam Wachler. Is this the quick start I thought Syosset would need to win this game? Syosset leads, 1-0.

West Islip's Ian Braddish lets loose on a shot from up top, huge save by Cohen. Same possession, another shot by Messina up top, another save by Cohen. Could easily be 2-0, West Islip, but it's not. Goaltending is paramount in championship games.