Massapequa Boys Lacrosse Advance to Finals With Win Over Syosset

The Massapequa boys lacrosse team continued their run to the Class A championship with a 10-3 win over Syosset in the semifinals on Thursday afternoon at Hofstra University.

The second-seeded Chiefs (14-3) shut the third-seeded Braves (10-7) out in the second half to collect their second win of the season series and earn a trip to the finals.  

Jamie Shand led Massapequa with three goals and two assists and Dylan Sheehan added a goal and two assists in the win.  

Dan Muller struck goal first for Massapequa, but Ryan Hunter answered for Syosset to tie the game at 1-1. Massapequa came back strong to score the next three goals, including two by Shand, to end the first quarter ahead 4-1. 

Syosset cut the lead to 4-3 following goals by Robert Storrie and Taylor Kalbacher within the first four minutes of the second quarter. Massapequa led 5-3 at the half following a goal by Sheehan.  

Ian Lukaszewicz put in two goals, including one off of a breakaway started on a turnover forced by Shand, to help the Chiefs grow the lead to 8-3 after three quarters.  

Syosset could not manage many shots on goal, largely in part to the goalkeeping by Joe Danaher, who had 11 saves, and the defensive unit led by Rob Enright and Rob Chiocco. Massapequa put in two fourth quarter goals as they held Syosset scoreless for the final 32:06 to close out the 10-3 win.  

Heroes: Joe Danaher and the defense deserve honorable mention in the win for their work in containing the Syosset offense from start to finish.  

Turning Point: The second goal by Lukaszewicz assisted by Shand gave the Chiefs then their biggest lead and shifted momentum drastically to their sideline.  

Quotable: “Our defense played great and [Rob] Enright shut down [Ryan] Hunter and Joe [Danaher] made some big saves when we needed it,” Massapequa head coach Tim Radomski said. “Our offense came out in the second half and scored some goals, but like they say, defense will win championships.”    

“We have 16 seniors on our team and it is a tough way to go for them especially, but you’ve got to give the credit to Massapequa,” Syosset head coach John Calabria said. “They play really hard in every minute of every single quarter and they deserved it. They beat us and were better than us today.”  

Bottom Line: Massapequa needed a second half comeback to defeat Syosset the first time around, but stellar play on both sides of the field decided this semifinal match up well before the final whistle. The Chiefs will now be featured in a rematch of the 2010 County finals next week against the Dalers of Farmingdale.  

Key Stat: Syosset scored three goals in the first 15:54 and none in the final 32:06.  

Who’s Next: Massapequa vs. Farmingdale, May 31, 3:30 p.m. (Hofstra University)  

Box Score: 

Goals-Assists: S: Hunter 1-1, Kalbacher 1-0, Storrie 1-0, Diaz 0-1. Totals: 3-2. M: Shand 3-2, Pellizzi 2-0, Lukaszewicz 2-1, Sheehan 1-2, Tralongo 1-0, Muller 1-0, Kirby 0-1. Totals: 10-6 Goalies: S: Feit- 12 saves; M: Danaher- 11 saves.