2022 HERALD High School Lacrosse Preview
EAST MEADOW Two new pilots for Jets By BRIAN KACHARABA
men who are stepping up and we hope to have everybody healthy,” Susko said. “Spinola and Surless are going to run the offense. That’s new era for both East our meat and potatoes right there Meadow lacrosse teams has and hopefully we will just keep begun. getting better every day.” Assistant coach and lacrosse Susko is also high on junior lifer Tom Susko takes over the helm Fernando Flores, who starred on JV for the boys’ team in place of Steve last season. D’Argenio, who is now an assistant Senior middie Sal D’Amico at SUNY Purchase. Susko will be is strong on faceoffs and defense tasked to turn around a team that and is one of the better ground struggled to a 2-10 mark in 2021 ball players. He will form a tandem because of injuries, illnesses, and with Brandon Kebreau and versainexperience. tile junior Mark Reyes. “We tell the boys every day is To help a defense that alyou’ve got to work hard, do your lowed almost 13 goals a game, job, and hopefully everything else senior Kyle Nacionales was moved will fall into place,” Susko said. “A from attack to the long pole on lot of them are working hard. All the back end and will join a group winter, they came down on their that also includes Jack Egan, Nick own time and hit the wall and we Spinato and Nicholas Longardino. did all stickwork trying to get them Senior Eddie Michels takes over in to get better.” goal. The Jets scored just 63 goals in 12 games last year and 43 of East Meadow those tallies came from graduating seniors. Seniors Patrick Spinola (14 seeks elusive win goals), Brian Surless and Brendan The girls’ team will also have Doheny (3 apiece) are the only re- a new coach that is familiar in the turnees that found the back of the district in Nicolette Tortorici, who net last season and are expected also took over the girls’ soccer to be the main sources of offense team last fall. Tortorici is a former this spring. standout lacrosse player at Deer “We have a few young Park who also starred
A
Pat Spinola
on the nationally ranked SUNY Cortland team five years ago. Tortorici inherits a team that has lost 18 straight games dating to 2019 – including an 0-14 mark in 2021 – as well as last season’s top two scorers and starting goalie to graduation. But she said the current squad is embracing the nurturing and tough love approach she and her coaching staff displayed so far. “They know how serious I am and how cutthroat I am,” she said. “During tryouts, we ran them to the ground with testing and stuff like that. I think they’re excited because they’re finally really being taken seriously. I think the coaches in the past didn’t have too much lacrosse experience.” Senior Lindsay Solenski (29 goals, 5 assists) and junior Isabella Pota (25-10) lead a strong midfield corps and senior attack Gina Giambald (10-3) is expected to provide even more scoring. They are expected to lead the Jets again. “Lindsay reads the field so well,” Tortorici said. “Gina is super, super fast [and] reads the plays really well. She’s a lefty on our attack, so she’s going to be a huge threat down low and Bella is super aggressive and she has a great reading of the game.” Junior Kelly Stump and sophomore Alexis Chew are expected to get more playing time this season and could also be vital parts of the offense. The defense allowed over 15 goals a game last season and Tortorici is hoping seniors Cassandra Stump, Ashlee Sjoholm, Paige Gewirtz, Nikki Turissi and junior Ava Lanza can help lower that number. Sophomore Dynasty Ramos, who played on the football team last fall, is the new goalie.
Lindsay Solenski
Conference Schedules BOYS
April 14 27 30
Farmingdale Uniondale @ Plainview
4 6 11 14 19
@ Valley Stream Oceanside Syosset @ Freeport @ Hempstead
May
5:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 4:45 p.m.
GIRLS March 30
Plainview
4:45 p.m.
1 5 8 12 27
@ Oyster Bay MacArthur @ Mineola Hewlett @ Floral Park
5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m. 5:15 p.m. 4:45 p.m.
2 6
Division @ Mepham
5:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m.
April
May
Photos by Donovan Berthoud
16 — April 14, 2022
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