Boys End of Summer Recap
As the summer lacrosse season comes to an end, we want to acknowledge the incredible growth and success of all of our boys teams..
FLG 2020 – Casey Reynolds
2022:
The future of FLG started the summer surprising their coaches with strong showings in games at the Spring Shootout. As the summer continued to progress, so did the athletes and the team. Everyone exceeded expectations and, with kids improving in leaps and bounds, the 2022 boys looked like a different team by the end of the summer. Heart and hustle were never a problem for this team. Each game they gave it their all and really made Coach Kennedy happy. “Amazing!! Getting better every week,” remarked Coach. The little guys were a prime example of what happens when you work hard every day.
The most consistent player was Jason Kozak who was not only a leader on the field, but a leader off the field as well. James Rossellon, James Teadore and Aaron Daversa also delivered for the team each week and set great examples for the rest of their teammates.
2021:
The 2021 boys found themselves fighting hard every week. Each game, effort and determination drove the team to overcome obstacles and deficits. The boys finished the summer with their best game the entire season, beating LB3 in overtime, a team they had previously lost to in the tournament. The win showcased the strong work ethic the kids showed all summer. “The second LB3 game was the best the team has played all year,” said Coach Benazzi, “it was an awesome game to coach, watch, and play.”
The most consistent aspect of the team was their defense; they delivered week in and week out. The offense found inspiration from players like TJ Roszko and Nolan Garcia on the attack, while AJ Pascarella, Steve Pidejian, Brian Connelly, Brian Russell and Kyle Carney controlled the center of the field. At the end of it all, the 2021 Boys team showed incredible growth as athletes and young men.
2020:
At the beginning of the summer, the 2020 boy’s team had some strong showings and quickly figured out how to play with each other and come out successful in games. In their final stretch of the summer, they won the championship at Harvard Crimson Classic and had a strong third place showing against tough competition at the FLG in 3d tournament. They finished these two tournaments with an overall record of 8-2 — an incredible result.
Defensive forces Tim Barrett, Brian Mack and Jacob Bruno held the team together and provided a strong base. Through the midfield, Jagger Kuhner and Liam O’Donohue were strong leaders pushing transition and starting offense. Attackman Christian Sullivan finished the ball well and was the main scoring threat for the team. Altogether, the team improved each week and had fun while doing it. They fought hard together and relied on each other to push through the tough times and enjoy the good times. The friendships forged on this team will last a long time and we hope everyone returns for tryouts in the fall.
2019:
The end of the summer marked the best the 2019 boys have played this season. With each week better than the last, the boys really showed progress and growth. The coaches were amazed at how much the team improved throughout the summer. “The progress was definitely noticeable, and that’s what matters,” said Coach Will Kogel.
Standout performances at the FLG in 3d tournament came from Buck Andrea, who has matured as a player and a young man, Alex Racanelli, called a “brick wall in net” by the coaches, and Mike Kelly, who has improved drastically and is one of the team’s strongest two way midfielders. Louis Perfetto had a presence all over the field, both as an offensive threat at the midfield and X attack, and as a defensive block shutting down opposing midfielders. The effort was the best of the summer and the boys did a stellar job finishing the summer. We hope to see everyone at tryouts this fall.
FLG 2018 – Nolan Pappas
2018:
The 2018 boys found their stride as the summer of lacrosse came to a close. The boys performed best in tight situations, the team delivers when the game is on the line. The NXT Cup showcased the talents of Jack Tiedemann, Chris Mormile and James Amorosana, who always go 110% no matter what the situation is on the field. The same went for FLG in 3d; the team picked up where they left off and played strong defense and cohesive offense all weekend long, finishing the summer with their best game to date.
The key to the success on the field was the bonding time off the field. The boys came together and finished the season off right. Standout performances came from Matt O’Brien, Jack Tiedemann, James Amorosana, Matt Miller, Brandon Meir and Kyle Steinbach. “Overall, our team got better every week,” remarked Coach Winkoff, “they were a pleasure to coach and a great group of kids.” We hope to see all of them return next year.
2017:
The 2017 boys had a grueling summer, but were able to grind through and finish with all positives. “The team had a tremendous summer together,” said Coach O’Connell, “we showed tremendous ‘grit’ winning some very tough, close games.” The team became very close due to the intense schedule. With every athlete leaning on one another, the season became a group effort rather than an individual one and the team secured an impressive fourth place finish at the U15 Nationals and a 4-1 record at FLG in 3d against excellent competition.
The summer provided insight to what is to come from this team, and the future is bright. Over the weekend, Shayne Gallagher and Jared Strauss dominated the midfield while Brian Schindler was a wall in cage. The defense was stout behind Nolan Parisi, Kyle Higgins and Tommy Whelan, while on the other end of the field, Dominic Pizzulli and Christopher Gray ran the attack. Possession was huge with the Joes (Miller and Grimm) dominating at the face-off X. Immediately after FLG in 3d, we saw standout performances by the aforementioned as well as Brian Schindler and Lucas Ciriello. The efforts by everyone sparked interest from schools like Binghamton, Fairfield and more. As we look ahead to next summer, we hope to see everyone ready to go at tryouts.
2016:
One of our most successful and driven teams of the summer was the 2016 boys. Characterized by their hard work, relentless effort and unselfish play, the team finished 20-5-1 with athird place finish at the IL Invitational. The team thrived with strong coaching by Coach Tower and Coach Hedstrom, fully buying into the concepts and game plans of both coaches.
At 3d, the team had a number of standout players including Dan McEntee, Kyle Thornton and Larry Galizia, Rob Johnson and Brandon Croteau on the defensive end. Kevin Pastier, Eric Zimm, Seth Obadia, John Constant and Christian Athanasian are continuing to improve their games and get comfortable playing together. Fellow midfielders Joe Carney, Chris Rogers, Will Renz and Alex Alacqua are true leaders through the middle of the field. The possession game was won by CJ Mazzocchi all weekend, a force at the face-off X.
The team carried on their relentless play to the IL Invitational and stood out among the competition as one of the best in the 2016 division. Despite a long weekend, they managed to step on the field with unmatched intensity at every game. The team delivered in every aspect, leading them to their third place victory. “We are extremely proud of our team efforts this entire summer,” said Coach Tower, “these young men have tremendous futures in front of them and Coach Hedstrom and I really enjoyed coaching them.” We look forward to continue watching the 2016 players grow and hope they find the right schools for them.
2015:
The 2015 team worked hard as they gained exposure at many premier showcases . Coaches were intrigued by our 2015 team at each tournament as they continued to impress everywhere they played. The team played hard and really helped get one another recruited. Throughout the summer, Jared Warner, Nicholas Orlowski, Nick DeLuca, Ryan Kelly and Daniel Doreste really showed that there are still strong recruits in the 2015 class. With the upcoming season quickly approaching, we hope they continue to get recruited and find the right school.
Each individual will have countless memories from this summer lacrosse season. We are happy to say that these fine young men have played and represented our club, and we look forward to following them as they find their school and continue playing.
Committed
The FLG Committed Team made their mark this summer at Be the Best Tournament. Against the toughest of competition, this team rose to the top finishing with an impressive and well deserved championship! They continued their winning ways at Hofstra, though riddled with injuries this team made it all the way to the semi finals. The Committed team concludes their summer up at Lake Placid. We look forward to watching these “Studletes” compete in their last tournament representing FLG!
