“8-5, 8-5,” The score of both Long Island Championship losses to Ward Melville. Word has it, Massapequa Assistant Coach, Mike Powers, has “8-5” as his screensaver as an incessant and painful reminder of how close the Chiefs have been the past two seasons. Coming off a tough loss in the 2018 Long Island Championship to Suffolk County foe Ward Melville, who went on to win the New York State Championship in Class A, “Pequa” is ready to prove to the world that they are a force to be reckoned with in 2019.
When asked to describe this year’s squad, Head Coach, Tim Radomski stated, “these boys are unselfish, no ego… they play for each other, they love one another.” This type of camaraderie is what Coach Radomski believes will propel the Chiefs this season.
Radomski gives a great deal of credit for Massapequa’s success, to his “Hall of Fame Coaching Staff”. Keeping it in the family, all of the coaches under Radomski are Massapequa alumni. Striving for perfection, the Chief’s coaching staff runs competitive, high intensity practices. George Powers continues with the Chiefs in 2019. George’s pursuit of perfection pushes this team each season towards Championship status, and therefore, no stranger to winning. Coaches Tom Maloney and Mike Powers do a great job leading the offense. Their organized motion allows Pequa to generate high percentage shots on goal and create a high-octane style of play. Hopkins and Pequa alumni, Eric Schneider, returns to work with goalies in 2019.
Tim Radomski was the head JV coach for 18 years. Ten years ago, the big guy took over the Varsity program. Going into 2019, Radomski’s goals have not changed. He wants his Seniors to be prepared for the next chapter of their life. Coach Radomski really cares about his players off the field. He is always making sure they’re doing the right thing in the hallways, in the classroom, and outside of school. Coach Radomski has known this group of Seniors for a while. It’s a special group with some serious talent and leadership.
Starting with the midfield, Massapequa returns one of the best senior face-off specialists, two-way midfielders, and fire-starters in Nassau County. Angelo Petrakis (Cornell), Garrett Gibbons (Maryland), and Sam Lutfi (Hofstra) are all on a mission to make this their year. Possessions will be no problem for the Chiefs as long as Petrakis takes control over the face-off X. A tough kid, and a great athlete, Petrakis is a football and wrestling stand-out. Another leader and absolute beast in the middle of the field is Garrett Gibbons. Gibbons is the guy that has no problem being a grinder and getting the job done for the Chiefs on both sides of the ball. Sammy Lutfi is coming into his Senior season feeling better than ever. The Chiefs won Counties last year without Lutfi suiting up. His presence in 2019 could be the spark Pequa needs to get off Long Island and into the State Tournament. Another key returner at the midfield is Albany commit, Logan Tucker. Tucker is a dynamic two-way midfielder who is lethal on the offensive end. He has tremendous vision and is a very good decision maker. We Should expect a breakout year for Tuck in ‘19. Senior leadership spreads further into the offensive end as Massapequa brings back Colin Gleason (Siena) and Thomas Greenblatt (Binghamton) on attack. Gleason is very underrated and will definitely put up numbers this season as he is a big-bodied goal scorer. Greenblatt is tremendous around the crease. His hand eye and ability to put the ball in the net will allow Pequa to manufacture more goals in 2019. With the midfield initiating and these two scoring, Massapequa has some talented pieces on the offensive end of the field.
On defense, Massapequa brings back Blue Devil bound Kenny Brower (Duke), who is regarded as one of the best players in 2019 class. Brower, who originally grew up in Massapequa, attended Kellenberg Memorial until his Junior year. Brower enjoyed his time at Kellenberg, but felt Massapequa was a better fit. Brower really wanted to play with the kids who he grew up with his entire life. When you start reciting the qualities that make-up a great defenseman, put a checkmark next to each one of them when talking about Brower. He has a great stick, great feet, he’s tough and very physical, while also playing great off-ball defense. Accompanying Brower on defense will be Senior Steve Caramelli, AJ Pilat. In net, Joe Moran (Air Force) will get his time to shine.
Besides a stellar Senior Class, the Chiefs team has a tone of depth. Coach Radomski said, “our third midfield is capable of starting on other teams.” Massapequa’s sophomore class really stepped up big during the 2018 postseason run. At the end of the day, Coach Radomski wants the best athletes on the field, and he has a lot of them. The youth in Massapequa will make a name for themselves just as their 2019 Senior class has.
For the season ahead, the Chiefs will be respecting all opponents, while fearing none. With a tough non-league schedule as always, the Chiefs will be facing-off against powers such as Chaminade, St. Thomas Aquinas of Florida, and Fairfield Prep. When talking to Coach Radomski about his non-league schedule, he said, “These games will allow us to workout the kinks and give our players a chance to win some big games before conference play. Our difficult non-league schedule gives our program a chance to build momentum before facing Nassau Class A rivals, such as Syosset and Farmingdale.”
Be sure to track Massapequa’s success all season long by following FLG Lacrosse on instagram @FLGLAX
Key Losses
Tim Ley (2018, Boston University)
Griffin Hawthorne (2018, Notre Dame)
Mike Venezia (2018, Lehigh)
Brian Lenaghan (2018, Bowdoin)
Matt Weigand (2018, UMass)
Key Returners
Angelo Petrakis (2019 FOGO, Cornell)
Kenny Brower (2019 D, Duke)
Garrett Gibbons (2019 M, Maryland)
Logan Tucker (2020 M/A, Albany)
Thomas Greenblatt (2019 M, Binghamton)
Colin Gleason (2019 A, Siena)
Steven Caramelli (2019 M)
Sam Lutfi (2019 A, Hofstra)
Key Games
Vs. Syosset
Vs. Farmingdale
Vs. Manhasset
Vs. Chaminade
2018 Honors
Thomas Greenblat (2019, All-Conference)
Christian Moreno (All-Conference)
Logan Tucker (2020, All-Conference)
Colin Gleason (2019, Honorable Mention All-County)
Garrett Gibbons (2019, All-County)
Angelo Petrakis (2019, All-County)
Playoff History
Over the past ten years,:
Massapequa has been to the Nassau County Finals for the past 9 years,
Won 4 Nassau County Titles
2014 Class A New York State Champions
Notable Alumni
Matt Zash
Craig Berge
Ian Kirby
Marino Brothers
Jaeger Brothers
Schneider Brothers
Cynar Brothers
