Well, here we are.
Almost.
This week, we are conducting our balloting for LaxLessons.com regional coach of the year.
That voting lasts till midnight on Saturday.
Then, we will open voting for our regional player of the year, which will conclude July 19.
Now though, here is the 2009 LaxLessons.com all-region team. Be sure to check out the honorable mention selections as well.
LaxLessons.com hot topic threads:
Final LaxLessons.com Top 25 regional rankings
Here is the breakdown of the team by position.
Attack 4
Midfield 4
Attack/midfield 4
Defense 6
Goaltenders 2
Total 20
Now, without further ado, here is your 2009 LaxLessons.com all-region team:
Attack
Nicky Galasso, West Islip: The rising senior, who has orally committed to North Carolina, played his best in the Lions’ biggest games. He had three goals and an assist in the Class A state semifinals against Yorktown after a five-goal, two-assist performance vs. Hicksville in the Long Island championship game. He then had four goals and four assists in the state finals against Orchard Park as West Islip won its third championship in the last four years.He ended the season with 71 goals and 65 assists.
Connor English, Manhasset: There may be no program as tradition-rich anywhere as Manhasset, and no player in that proud history has enjoyed as memorable a career, capped by his epic nine-goal outing in state finals vs. LaFayette. The University of Virginia-bound English tied a school record with 81 goals this season.
Matt White, Ridgefield: White scored the winning goals in the two biggest games of the season beating Darien during the regular season for Ridgfield’s first win over the Blue Wave since 1984 and again in the FCIAC final as the Tigers won their first-ever county title. Is he the best player in county history? A better question may be who’s better?
Kevin Interlicchio, Yorktown: The Hopkins-bound junior scored with just under a minute to go in regulation to avert a big upset and Yorktown went on to beat Lakeland/Panas for its 28th sectional title in 30 years. He enjoyed one of the most prolific starts to a season in area history, racking up 19 goals in Yorktown’s first three games, including eight against St. Anthonys.
Attack/midfield
JoJo Marasco, Somers: When it comes to athleticism, stick skills and shooting ability, the Syracuse-bound star and all-time leading scorer in Somers history is as good as it gets. Question Does he play attack or midfield at ‘Cuse? Will he wear No. 22 at ‘Cuse? Stay tuned for answers to both.
Ian Braddish, West Islip: He’s the whole package and as complete a player as you’ll find. Look for Braddish to make an immediate impact at North Carolina next season.
Nick O’Reilly, South Side: The Virginia-bound O’Reilly, the all-time leading scorer in school history, ended his varsity career with nearly 250 career points and had seven goals and five assists in an 18-10 win over Glen Cove in the first round of the Nassau Class B playoffs.
Brendan Walsh, Ridgefield: A clutch performer and big-game player, Walsh won’t have to travel far to continue his exploits. He’ll be playing at nearby Fairfield University..
Midfield
Jeff Froccaro, Port Washington: As complete a midfielder as you’ll find. He scores (finishing the season with 55 goals and his career with 139), wins faceoffs and excels on defense. He could start right away at Princeton.
John Ranagan, Yorktown: A towering presence on the field, the Hopkins-bound Ranagan is a bull in a china shop whose presence on the field is felt at all times.
Thomas Schreiber, St. Anthony’s: You’d be hard-pressed to find a harder, more accurate shot from a midfielder anywhere. Though he still has another year of varsity competition, his college choice is sealed. Princeton.
John Bolton, Darien: The Lafayette-bound midfield carried the Blue Wave offensively during their run to a fifth straight state title a rare feat for a midfielder.
Defense
Thomas Keith, Syosset: Adept with superb stick skills and field vision, look for Keith to have an opportunity to step right in at Division I finalist Cornell.
John Fennessy, Yorktown: He’s got the athleticism, aggressiveness, size and strength to star at Towson. Not bad for someone who’s just been playing the game for four years.
Brad Cappellini, Manhasset: As good a takeaway defender as you’ll find. The technically sound Cappellini is headed to Harvard.
Matt Gorski, Darien: An agile and fundamentally sound defender, the Ohio State-bound Gorski provided senior leadership for the Blue Wave.
Ethan Fox, Yorktown: A savvy student of the game with superb stick skills, look for Fox to make a major impact for former Yorktown ‘Husker Scott Nelson, now starting his second year as the Red Foxes’ coach.
John Bello, Somers: The lone junior on the all-region defensive team, Bello could be the premier defender in Section 1 next season.
Goaltender
Luke Haggerty, Clarkstown South: A human highlight reel, Haggerty is an unrelentless stopper who has already mastered the other key aspects of the game.
Rob Bellairs, Plainedge: Agile and athletic, Bellairs is good enough to gain playing time for a Hofstra team that is already loaded at the goaltender position.
Honorable mention
Attack
Dante Fantoni, St. Anthonys; Greg Petre, Somers; Ryan Fitzgerald, Putnam Valley; Rob Santangelo, Rye; Mike Daniello, John Jay; Tyler Perrelle, Mahopac; Colin Scott, Ridgefield; Peter McMahon, Wilton; Eddie Loftus, Syosset; Cody Ferraro, Ward Melville; Nick Trizano, Iona Prep.
Midfield
Will Stewart, John Jay; Erik Pfiffner, Somers; Andrew Hodgson, West Islip;
Colin Tullgren, Somers; Forrest Walter, John Jay; Matt Baker, Ridgefield;
Cole McCormack, Rye; Jimmy van de Veerdonk, Putnam Valley; Jeff Molinari, Manhasset; Steven Murphy, Floyd; Dominique Alexander, Baldwin.
Defense
Geoff Stearns, John Jay; Derek Katchis, Greeley; Joey LaSala, Wilton; Eddie Schurr, Somers; Donald Keough, Rye; Jameson Pickel, John Jay; Mike McCormack, West Islip; Brendan Brunelle, Yorktown; Maxx Meyer, Half Hollows Hills East; Derek Katchis, Greeley; Ben Strauss, Lynbrook.
Goaltender
Michael Bonitatibus, Yorktown; Andrew West, Darien; Brendan McCrudden, Putnam Valley; James Fuller, Wilton; Johnny McGuigan, Mahopac; Kyle Feeney, Greenwich; Luke Robinson, Fox Lane; Chris Longo, Somers; Eric Schneider, Massapequa; Chris Moffa, Fordham Prep, Nick Longo, Shoreham-Wading River, Ryan Alexander, South Side.
Reach Joe Lombardi at joe@laxlessons.com.
LaxLessons.com all-region team balloting:
Posted In: General
Excellent selections and great writeups on each of the kids selected, Joe. What a group of players. I think they could beat Syracuse as a team!
Speaking of Cuse I know they’re loaded but I’m surprised they didn’t sign any of these guys except Morasco. Is it because they didn’t recruit anyone else or weren’t able to? Another couple of schools that didn’t recruit this area well are Maryland and Albany.
Nice to read all about my boys Matty White and B-Walsh. I now urge everyone to vote for Coach Colsey as coach of the year and next week for Matty for player of the year!
IMO only 2 options for POY are Galasso and English – you need to win it all.
PS – Did Ian Braddish ever run @ attack this season? I don’t think so.
Agree that Colsey has to be coach of the year. Cherry did a nice job at Set but didn’t have to contend with the injuries that Colsey did.
Braddish is one of the four attack/middies – players who could play one or both of those positions. He played middie this year and is outstanding and a very worthy selection.
Keeler – if you look I started my post with IMO – that means IN MY OPINION.
Guess it could be like Lebron – MVP but has yet to win anything!
I agree that Colsey is COY.
LI Guy – That was nothing against Braddish. I know Marasco and O’Reilly played both positions during the season. Didn’t think Braddish played attack at all so was confused about the designation that’s all.
Can anyone give more info on Bolton from Darien’s style of play/ strengths etc. It would be great to see Lafayette get out of the Patriot Cellar, hopefully more solid recruits in the future will help.
NY Shootout (sponsored by Nike I think)
Here’s a post on the Shootout:
Disappointment among sports enthusiasts reigned all across New York when the 2009 edition of the Empire State Games were officially cancelled.
Lacrosse was especially hard hit, since college coaches from around the country used the Games to both find hidden gems on the rosters of the teams from around the state, and to validate signings already made. From the perspective of the student athlete, making the team and playing in the Games is a huge step in getting your name and playing abilities known to these coaches. Huge in that it can lead to a coll ege scholarship, full or partial, or at the very least, an extended lacrosse career after high school. Kids who have been playing lacrosse since before they could read never want it to end.
Recognizing the vast hole left in the New York lacrosse community by the cancellation of the Empire State Games, lax leaders from around the state, led by NYS Boys Lacrosse Chairman Tom Hall, have announced the New York Shootout – presented by Nike.
To be held July 25 at Henninger High School in Syracuse, the New York Shootout will bring together eight select boys high school all-star teams from around the state to compete with the spirit of the ESG’s in mind. Teams will be from Buffalo (Setion 6), Rochester (Section 5), Central (Section 3), Southern Tier (Section 4), Albany/St. Lawrence (Sections 2 & 10), Hudson Valley (Sections 1 & 9), Nassau (Section 8), and Suffolk (Section 11).
Like the ESG’s, areas from around the state with long years of lacrosse tradition will get to compete for bragging rights for a year. Players will have to have been in grades 9-11 for the spring of 2009 to be eligible, and each team will have its own tryout rules.
It’s the differences from the traditional Empire State Games that might make this tournament a nice change of pace, albeit one forced upon us by the bugeteers in Albany. Obviously, a one-day tournament will be different than the four days usually covered by the ESG’s. Player conditioning and team depth will go a long way i n determing the eventual winner. But what may turn out to be most interesting is that traditional Empire Teams will be divided in slightly different groupings. For instance, the Island will have two sections competing (8 & 11), with players who usually have to compete against each other for spots on the Long Island ESG team.
And the Southern Tier team will get to fully represent their region, instead of being divided and fighting for roster spots on the Western and Central teams.
As a lacrosse fan, and I hope I speak for players and fans from all over the state, the men and women putting their time and effort into providing this summer replacement tournament should be saluted, as should Nike for their sponsorship.
So mark your calendar for July 25th if you love to watch the best high school lacrosse played anywhere.
Her Joe
Great job! I think no matter what coach you give COY to this is their dream team just phenomenal
Does anyone know anything about who made the Hudson valley team?
Laxrat,
Yeah would love to see a roster as well.
As this was kind of a “last minute” arrangement I know some kids had conflicts and couldn’t try out but sure they’ll come up with a strong team
I heard they picked Nassau and Suffolk teams for the Nike Shootout but the Hudson Valley roster hasn’t been finalized since tryouts ended Thursday.
Does anyone have the Section 8 and 11 rosters they can post here?
Sweet Lew From Somers: Coach of the Year Hands Down. had to deal with transition, and a lot of skeptics. Got those kids playing hard! Even though he had some talent, that is not a given to Winning the Section Championship!!!!
Hey Joe – How did you come up with the Attack/Midfield names? I have no problem with any one in that group but was curious. For example, O’Reilly received only 4 votes for attack and 5 for midfield so I assume it wasn’t just vote totals. Just a subjective thing on your part? Thx.
Taz –
The four attack/midfielders on the 20-member roster are probably the most versatile players of those selected. I have always felt just about any midfielder can play attack, but not many attackmen can play midfield. In selecting the four players here, the voting was important, but so too was having attackmen with the quickness and athleticism to play midfield and midfielders with the stick skills and shooting ability to play attack. O’Reilly’s vote totals were split between attack and midfield and for good reason he is very capable at playing either spot.
Appreciate the reply! All great choices.
Joe –
It Would be interesting to look back on this list in one year to see how these guy’s games translate to the next level.
Count me among those who don’t get your attack/midfield group. I can’t speak for the othera but I know Walsh only played midfield. Morasco played both against Ridgefield. Quite a player.
Joe explained his rationale a few posts above – sort of his (their) take on versatility in the case of Braddish and Walsh – Marasco and O’Reilly played both at times throughout the season.
I disagree with Joe’s opinion that most any midfielder can play attack. My observation has been that in college, and especially in top notch programs, you are much more likely to see an attackman moved to midfield than vice versa.
Interesting comments. If you look at the composition of any team, there are always more middies than attackmen for the reason that you do rotate middies more than attackmen and because midfielders are more versatile than attackmen.
In other words, nearly all middies can slide over to attack. There are many attackmen, however, who do not have the speed or athleticism to play midfield.
It’s not my opinion. It’s a fact. Simple as that.
I agree with FranklyScarlett that JoJo Marasco is the prototypical attackman/midfielder. After playing mainly attack all season, he started at midfield in the sectional final and played as if he had been there all season. Why? Because he has the speed and athleticism to do it, which many if not most attackmen do not possess.
As for the attack/midfield group, I don’t quite get what you may not get. This group is basically standout midfielders who can also play attack or standout attackmen who can also play midfield. With a 20-member team, as noted, it’s important to have a higher concentration of middies than attackmen. So these four are versatile enough to play either attack or midfield in other words the type of players every successful team must have in addition to those who strictly play attack and midfield.
Joe – First I have no problems with the designations or the players you picked. In fact, both White and English also played midfield at times and while I don’t think Galasso actually did, I’m sure he could!
Yes it is a fact that there are more middies on a team in general, largely because you play more midfielders in a typical game. That does not make it a fact though that nearly all midfielders can slide over to attack. THinking of the bigger programs I can think of numerous examples of HS attackmen being moved to midfield – Conor Ford, Tom Palasek @ Hopkins, Steve Giannone, John Haldy, Garret Ince @ UVA, Chris Schuville @ Georgetown, Grant Catalino @ MD, etc. I’m sure there are some who have gone the other way but I just can;t think of any right now.
mikey b as an honorable mention, come on now. Way better than belairs and haggerty. thats the only problem i have on this list
Ytown –
It was a very close race in the fan balloting between Haggerty, Bellairs and Mike B. in that order, with Darien’s Andrew West right there.
Here’s how the final vote tally:
Luke Haggerty, Clarkstown South, 70
Rob Bellairs, Plainedge, 68
Michael Bonitatibus, Yorktown, 67
Andrew West, Darien, 67
Taz –
Good point about the attackmen moving to midfield. All those guys you mentioned have the athleticism and speed to do it. As a rule though, that’s usually not the case. There are many more players out there with a good shooting ability and stick-handling skills than athleticism and speed. So in a nutshell, what I’m saying is that all the attack/midfielders could easily just be midfielders. So maybe a clearer way to look at those four are among the eight midfielders selected to the 20-player roster.
Anybody like Christian Doller of Sayville for coach of the year? Heck of a season for the Golden Flashes.
Joe – Connor Ford now loves you – it;s the 1st time anyone referred to him as athletic! 😉
Taz –
If you’re referring to Conor Ford of Hopkins, I’m definitely not the first to say that. Looks can be deceiving. He was an all-state soccer player in high school. He also played hockey.
Write him in ‘Cuse. I can’t believe we don’t have one write-in vote yet for coach of the year yet. Folks were writing in players left and right in our position balloting.
It should be noted though Doller was ejected in the second quarter of the LI title game vs. Garden City after riding the officials.
Hey ytown
Have you ever seen Bellairs play i am sure you have not and for that matter since CS is not on your sch have you ever seen Haggerty play probably not both made AA i am suprised the voting was that close the two best goalies were picked know what you are talking about before you make a ridculus statement Please!
Joe – I believe Doller (and 1 player) had to miss the following game (Downstate final) because of the ejection.
The coaches don’t have any write in votes because their parents aren’t on the blog! 😉
And I hear ya re Conor Ford – talk about a player who was so much better than he looked just standing there. What a shot!
Looks like they are a few write ins for coaches now, including Hopper of WM, who deserves to be included.
Joe’s point about middies being able to play attack is a great one. When I tried out for Emps the coaches said they keep 11 middies and just 4 attackmen because any middie good enough to make Emps could play attack but few attackmen could run and bang for gbs in order to play midfield. That’s pretty obvious I thought. Taz maybe your thinking of women’s lacrosse?
Joe ,
Fantastic job as always. I would be interested to see the voting breakdown for the Middies as well as the D. Might you have that as well?
Talk with you soon.
Cuse any surprises stand out to you?
JustReLaxN –
Sure. Just check the entire thread posted before this one with the breakdown by position.
Here’s the link:
http://laxlessons.com/blog/2009/07/final-all-region-vote-totals-by-position/
Beach – Cute! Which team did you try out for? For at least the last 2 years the LI Empire team, which won the gold both times, carried more attackmen because their coaches felt the attackmen could play either, not vice versa. As a result in 07 Anthony Biscardi, Matt Cannone, Matt Gibson, Sean ROgers, and Dan Savage were all attackmen on their HS team but midfielders on the Empire team. In ’08, Connor English and Nick O’Reilly both played midfield on the Empire team.
Just Re – see below:
Midfield
Jeff Froccaro, Port Washington, 92
John Ranagan, Yorktown, 72
Thomas Schreiber, St. Anthonys, 33
John Bolton, Darien, 18
Ian Braddish, West Islip, 18
Will Stewart, John Jay, 12
Brendan Walsh, Ridgefield, 11
Drew Belinsky, Manhasset, 11
Erik Pfiffner, Somers, 9
Andrew Hodgson, West Islip, 7
Colin Tullgren, Somers, 5
Forrest Walter, John Jay, 5
Rob Lombardo, Somers, 5
Matt Baker, Ridgefield, 5
Cole McCormack, Rye, 5
Nick OReilly, South Side. 5
Jimmy Vande Ver Donk, Putnam Valley, 4
Matt Deiana, Somers, 3
Chase Thompson, Mahopac, 3
Collin Parkhurst, Hen Hud, 3
Dylan Haas, Somers, 2
Duncan Morrissey, Ridgefield, 2
Peter Crisara, Irvington, 2
James Bryant, White Plains, 2
Jeff Molinari, Manhasset, 2
Jordan Fried, Greeley, 2
Robby Cegielski, Somers, 1
Doug Tesoriero , Syosset, 1
Joey Porcelli, Yorktown, 1
Giuseppe Rice, Peekskill, 1
Stefan Carpentieri, Byram Hills, 1
R.J. Medeo, Byram Hills, 1
Total votes: 338
Defense
Thomas Keith, Syosset, 133
John Fennessy, Yorktown, 83
Brad Cappellini, Manhasset, 60
Matt Gorski, Darien, 57
Ethan Fox, Yorktown, 56
John Bello, Somers, 42
Geoff Stearns, John Jay, 34
Derek Katchis, Greeley, 34
Joey LaSala, Wilton, 33
Eddie Schurr, Somers, 14
Donald Keough, Rye , 8
Jameson Pickel. John Jay, 8
Mike McCormack, West Islip, 8
Brendan Brunelle, Yorktown, 8
Jon Mirra, Ridgefield, 4
Brett Cabriele, Yorktown, 3
Hunter Bastian, Greeley, 3
Chris Jackson, Iona Prep, 3
Andy OMeara, Lakeland/Panas, 2
Corey Caputo, Darien, 2
Brian Winterfeldt, Calhoun, 2
Chris Wood, North Salem, 2
Robert Keough, 1
John Mclean, Putnam Valley, 1
Total votes: 601
Every Hudson Valley ESG team the last 10 years has taken 3 times as many middies as attackmen for the reasons Joe and Beach Lax said. If LI ESG team didn’t it must have been because their attackmen had the stick skills and shooting ability needed to play attack along with athleticism and endurance needed for midfield which is a rare combo for attackmen and maybe why LI is so good. As a rule though few attackmen have the skills to play midfield at the HS level.
Joe:
For what it is worth, Joe, I have to dis-agree somewhat…playing attack means a lot of different things…can the typical middie play X, where you not only have to dodge, but you have to see the whole field? What about crease? Taking the pounding of (usually) much bigger interior defensemen, and still get the shot off? (and yes, the kid plays attack)..although I think the switch quite plausible, middies that are grip and rip it types may not be so succesfull the first time they play attack
Bear –
Absolutely correct. There are some middies who just don’t have the stick skills or shooting ability to play attack – often players who are relatively new to the game.
But in lacrosse, there are a lot more players with stick skills and shooting ability than there are athletes. That’s why athletes are in such high demand by college coaches these days.
Assuming though a middie does have shooting ability and good stick skills (as most at the top programs do), it’s a lot easier to move that player it is to attack than an attackman who does not have footspeed or the overall athleticism and endurance needed to play midfield.
Teams that do have attackmen that are athletic enough to move to midfield are rare but obviously among the elite teams.
I can’t recall ever speaking to a coach who told me that they felt nearly as comfortable moving attackmen to midfield as midfielders to attack. Are there some attackmen who can do it? Of course. But it’s not nearly the number of midfielders who can slide over to attack. Not even remotely close.
Joe:
just cause I like a debate, I think you can take the superior athlete and play them anywhere on the field..not really disagreeing too much, but many attackmen would also tell you that dodging from the top of the box with a shortie on them is way easier than trying to take a long pole inside, with another pole ready to slide at any minute…I think the main factor to me anyway is that you will likely only play 3 -5 attackmen in any game, and more like 10 middies in any game..
Bear –
I agree, but most teams put their superior athletes at midfield not attack. I do agree most teams run at least two middie lines while maybe subbing one attackman, so sure, that’s a big factor as well. But again, I have not had a single coach ever tell me they feel nearly as comfortable moving an attackman to midfield as a middie to attack in general terms. If there is one out there, please speak up. I’d be interested to hear.
JustReLaxN,
Initially I thought Joe’s approach to this poll was risky due to the possibility of it becoming a popularity contest, but in the end his approach was proven correct for I see no glaring omissions. And I suspect this type of system will become the benchmark for future polls on this site.
I know some people were upset by Bonitatibus not being one of the two, but while he didn’t have a bad year I think the two guys who got the nod were very deserving.
I also like the idea of attack/midfield because to narrow this down to just four guys apiece for each position is very difficult and if we want to be representative we can’t have a guy like Marasco or Interlicchio not on the team just because he finished fifth in the voting. It’s very fair.
I found the notion of middies being able to play attack due to athleticism very interesting. I understand the points made by many people, but I do not agree. I believe attack is a very unique position that only a certain type of player can play. It’s all about hands. Some great middies and I mean GREAT can get away with playing their position being primarily one-hand dominant. I do not believe that can happen at attack. The best players are equally adept with both. We’ve seen great middies this season dominate with just a left or right, but, for the most part, the top attackmen are lethal from both sides.
On the flipside, I think more attackmen could play middie, but I think the game is designed so that the middie is the most conditioned athlete on the field. That’s not to say attackmen are lazy or not tri-athletes, but I think the vast majority of them are built hands first and then ankles, meaning quick movement — as opposed to being able to run a marathon at a moment’s notice, which the best middies seem to have to do because only a chosen few teams in our region actually have three solid middie lines. So, depth is conducive to individual athleticism as it pertains to where you put your best athletes on the field.
That’s just my $.02, but I think it’s fair.
Joe,
For whatever reason I can’t write in anyone to the polls. I don’t know why other than to say once I write in the name and hit enter or check the box, it doesn’t take. I’ve always had this issue. It’s probably an easy fix, but in the interim if someone on the site could write in Christian Doller of Sayville I would be highly appreciative.
Joe – are you talking HS? or HS in to college? or college?
Personally, I think each position has its own unique skills, with neither being “better” than the other.
As cited above the LI Empire team has done it repeatedly – Pete Mitchell and Chris Deeks
For HS in to college, Pietramala, Starsia, Tierney, Corrigan have all moved HS attackmen to midfield
While in college Pietramala and Cottle have done it.
I did think of an example of a college midfielder being moved to attack – Ned Crotty.
Damn Cuse – that was a really well thought out comment!
Joe,
Maybe in general middies are larger and faster in a straight line than attackman but i wouldn’t as much consider them better athletes than different types of athletes. Dodging from the top takes more straight line speed and power while dodging from behind takes much better change of direction and body control. On the other side the shooting aspect that you were talking is also not necessarily better from middie or attack but just different. At middie a great shot on the run is one of the best tools you can have while for an attackman being able to shoot around people and get off shots with pressure on you is more valuable. Think of a player like John Ranagan who just barrels his way down the field and runs through or past players before taking a shot on the run before the slide can get there. This kind of player while very useful at middie would not be nearly as effective at attack where the defense has more time to slide since the dodge is coming from behind (don’t get me wrong I’m sure Ranagan would be quite dominant at attack in high school but in college i don’t think he would have a chance). Compare him to KI who is more shifty and takes many of his shots around defensemen or in tight spots. Then you have players like Marasco who can do all of these things. I guess the point of this rambling is that it’s not as much position specific as who can switch where as it is player specific. I also think the reason that you see more middie’s switch to attack when they get to college then vice versa is that in High School middies are much more valuable especially on a team where that player is much better than everyone else. Again think of all of the things that Ranagan does for his team. Now there are some players who may be better suited to play attack but the team needs them in the clearing game or on defense. A good example of this is Jay Lucas from a couple of years back on Fox Lane. A great attackman who was clearly an attackman who played middie his senior year because of how bad Fox Lane was they needed him in on the action everywhere. Sorry about how out of hand this post got but I just wanted to put in my 2 cents about the issue.
Very interesting feedback. Just to expound on my initial premise, I was referring to the high school level, because the discussion started in reference to the all-region team.
At higher levels, you do have many more athletic attackmen who are able to run about and down the field, get ground balls and in some cases, even take faceoffs. There are even a few at the high school level. But of course, those are the special players.
Again, the main point in understanding why every coach I’ve ever spoken to on the subject and I can’t even count the number say they feel middies can slide to attack much more often than attackmen to midfield is this simple premise. There are not nearly as many athletes on the field as there are players with shooting/stick-handling skills for most teams.
In order to play midfield, you have to run. You have to have endurance. You have to hit. The number of players with those capabilities playing attack is far less than the number of midfielders with stick/shooting skills who play midfield.
‘Cuse – appears you fixed the write-in issue as I see Christian Doller of Sayville written in.
Well I may go back and read Cusey’s whole comment but let me pack a lunch first! I thibk what he’s saying is there aren’t many attackman athletic enough to play midfield in Section One except like Joe-Joe and Mikey D. And they’re both going to Cuse.
WAIT … I should say both COULD be going to Cuse. Its not definate yet for Mike.
Hey Cuse,
Just playing devils advocate but that guy who scored the game winning goal for cuse in the championships (Jameson something maybe?) seemed to be very one handed. I do agree with your post though.
I’m happy for all of the players who were selected for the All-Region team. The cream certainly has risen to the top for that group.
I’m fairly certain that isn’t how it looks for the Region’s Coach of the Year thus far, however. If it’s a personality contest I can understand that, but there is no argument on the merits for Roy Colsey to be the outstanding Coach in this area, ahead of the likes of the coaches from West Islip and Manhasset (NYS Champions), Fairfield Prep and Darien (Connecticut Champions) and a number of men who had unexpected success with a lot less talent than Coach Colsey inherited from other coaches this past season. Winning the 1st FCIAC title in the school’s history is a tremendous achievement, yet hardly the sort of thing that shoots a guy to the top of an elite list all by itself. For what its worth, Connecticut coaches voted the head man at Westhill the FCIAC COY award and the Class L and CT State COY went to the head coach at Newtown HS. Those guys have been and continue to build programs. The measure of Coach Colsey will be when the AAs come up through the ranks of the program he’s spoken of putting together, just as Scott Craig and Bill Cherry, for two, have done. This is not that year. Being a state semi-finalist, one rung below where the previous season’s team ended up, doesn’t quite measure up to the achivements of others, in my view.
I voted for Scott Craig of West Islip HS. They may have more talent than anybody, talent that Craig has been directly involved with for a long time. The overriding reason I chose him is that they accomplished all they set out to do, save having an undefeated season and #1 national ranking. They didn’t take anyone for granted and didn’t let press clippings distract them from their #1 goal, winning NYS Class A, perhaps the most difficult State championship to win in the country. That in my view is the background a LaxLessons Region Coach of the Year should have.
Just to clarify Purple Reigns interpretation of my comments, I think there are more than just a handful of area players that could make the switch from attack to midfield. I think there are far less middies that could make the transition to attack, for the reasons I discussed.
Joe and I disagree on this, but I think we both make good points.
But, like Reigns said, you get yourself an exceptional attackman that is the complete package and I think his transition to middie would be smooth. I just don’t know if I could ever envision John Ranagan, arguably the best middie in our area, being a successful attackman. I’m sure some of the top middies in our area could do it, but I think it would be a much more difficult transition than an athletic, talented attackman running on a middie line.
Lax brought up a good point about Jamieson of ‘Cuse, but I was talking only about high school players. I think players get weeded out in college from the word go. Weight training plays a huge role and let’s not forget the vast majority of these kids have not yet reached their true growth potential as high school players.
So, I’m just sticking to the high school game.
Syracuse I think you effectively made my point. It does take an exceptional attackman who is the complete package to play midfield because of the physical and athletic demands of the position. However, any midfielder with sufficient stick skills and shooting ability can play attack. That’s the whole point.
In addition to the fact teams run more middies than attackmen, that is why teams are made up of more midfielders than any other position – because of their versatility.
But the verdict has already been decided on this one, folks. We can exchange our thoughts (as we have – and it’s been an interesting discussion), but what is actually going on at teams throughout the area is really what matters.
Let me say this again. One more time. I have yet to speak to a high school coach who thinks an attackman can slide to midfield anywhere nearly as effectively as a midfielder can move to attack. Not one. If there is one out there, I would like to hear their thoughts, as I said. Frankly I don’t think there is and if anyone knows of one, please post that info too.
Maybe a better question for those who feel passionately about this is why don’t any high school coaches feel the same way?
Joe – I’m ready to move on BUT do you read the posts? Twice above I’ve listed HS coaches from LI who played attackmen at midfield and not vice versa. Pete Mitchell and Chris Deeks) You can add DiPietro from South Side who played O’Reilly who had always been an attackman at midfield…Likewise Cherry from Manhasset who played English at midfield at times but never moved a midfielder to attack. Dennis Bonn from CSH played Switala, a dedicated attackman for his entire career at midfield this year. Floral Park also did it a few years ago with Chris Ford. Maybe the verdict has been decided in Hudson Valley but definitely not so on LI.
I’m done with this.
Taz –
I was not referring to specific instances. There are plenty of those. (And I most certainly do read all the posts often several times over for my entertainment pleasure.)
Like I said, if you have an athletic attackman with good speed, you know he will be very effective as a middie. I would say just about every coach has played an attackman at midfield at some point. Far many more play middies as attackman, though. But that’s not the point or what should be debated because as I said, that ship’s left the dock. The verdict is already in.
My question is – can anyone name a coach who feels that, generally speaking, an attackman can slide to midfield easier than a middie can move to attack? That’s the question I’m waiting to hear an answer to. Because as I said, not one coach and I’ve talked to scores of them on this subject has expressed that viewpoint to me.
Assuming no one can, let’s hear thoughts as to why not, if the feeling is that attackmen are more effective as midfielders?
Joe,
I don’t know if I made your point completely. I certainly backed up what you were saying on the attack to middie angle, but I also emphasized my opinion about needing to be exceptional skills-wise to make the transition from middie to attack. Not just good or acceptable stick skills, but tremendous skills are required. Ranagan is my best example. I don’t think he could do it.
Matt White is the best example of what the future of this game will be about. I think five years from now conversations like these will be moot because all 10 players on the field will need to be exceptional both athletically and skills-wise to survive.
This has been a good conversation, for sure.
Taz — I have been known to put together a coherent sentence from time to time 🙂
Cuse – but I like you better when you’re rambling! 😉
Yes indeed, very interesting conversation.
I think you hit it on the head, ‘Cuse, when you say this is where the game is headed. In fact, I know you did, because it is. Each year we see more and more athletes on the field.
I guess this whole discussion began with a definition of the phrase “attackman/midfielder.”
In my mind, “attackman/midfielders” are the best players on the field. They have the shooting ability and stick skills to play attack and the athleticism, endurance, speed and toughness to play midfield.
Right now, in the high school ranks, there aren’t a lot of players who truly are attackman/middies, however. In the college ranks, there are a good amount and it’s only going to increase. In colleges and at all levels.
No more rambling from me. From now on it will be clear and concise analysis with all of my facts straight.
I swear. 🙂
Lax,
Very valid points as usual from you!
Jay Lucas. A great player. His superior skills just stood out so much on the field. I know he left UMass and heard transferred to Ithaca but could not find his name on the roster this season?
What’s up with him??
SL –
Jay enrolled at Ithaca last semester. There’s a nice little Fox Lane connection at IC now. Goalie Luke Robinson will be a freshman there. One of Lucas’ football teammates, QB Mike Mathews, also transferred to Ithaca from Delaware.
Also, speaking of former UMass players, look for former Clarkstown South star Christian Haggerty at Quinnipiac University next season. Chris is coaching WestRock’s new U-13 team this summer along with Rob Miller.
Jay Lucas played 4-5 games foe Ithaca last year
Joe/lax watch
Thanx for info on Lucas
Joe,
Would love to see the HV roster for the upcoming Nike NY games?
Thanks
Would also like to see Nassau and Suffolk list.
On a seperate note, there is a GREAT summer league in Nassau LI where the teams are made up of a combination of MLL, college, and a small # of incoming college freshmen.
What’s the name of the league? Where do they play their games?
Not sure. Games are at Denton Ave Tully Field at night. I was jogging on the track and just happened to see some of the last game. Some players I recognized were Pat McCabe, Vinny Sombrotto, Rob Parnell, Connor English, Kevin Ford, Brad Capellini, Dom DeNapoli.
Joe ,
Now that we know there will be No ESG this year, Is there any talk of a federation tournament with the best players from each section competing Similar to the way they do with the ESG, any word on if they would ever have a broader tournament that would consist of other regions such as P.A. M.A. C.T. M.D. just for an example. I undersatnd that schools further south finish earlier than we do here, But I suspect something could be worked out. And what a great tournament it would be. Regardless if it were by class champion or an allstar team. Imagine the excitement and fun. And yes money it could generate. Have a great day
JustReLaxN –
There are a few showcase tournaments in which there will be players from several states. A few of the bigger ones coming up are at the Showtime Lacrosse National Recruiting Spotlight at WestConn in Danbury, Conn., next Monday through Thursday. There will be 160 players involved. Games will be played each day from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
Then there’s the annual Battle of the Hotbeds July 26-29 in Delaware. (This may be the premier event nationally in July.)
With no Empire games this summer, an event has been added in New York as we’ve noted.
It’s the New York Shootout presented by Nike on Saturday, July 25 at Henninger High School in Syracuse. It’s for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Teams participating will be: Hudson Valley (sections 1 and 9), Nassau (Section 8), Suffolk (Section 11), Central (Section 3), Southern Tier (Section 4), Buffalo (Section 6) Albany/St. Lawrence (sections 2 and 10) and Rochester (Section 5).
Joe,
Another big one is Tri-State National at Mercer County Park this Friday to Sunday.
NY Shootout
When do you think you’ll be able to provide us with the rosters?
Thanks
Joe,
Thanks for the update, I would be interested in rosters as well.
Cuse do you know anything about the tourney’s Joe was speaking about? and if any of the Local teams will have players represented?.
Thanks
And Joe,
Again great job as always.
I don’t have any of the complete rosters yet for the Nike Shootout. My understanding is because it’s the same weekend of Hotbeds, several players on summer league teams opted not to try out so they can play at Hotbeds.
I do know that there are eight or nine players from Yorktown on the Hudson Valley team. The two goalies are Chris Longo from Somers and Derek Koelsch from Yorktown. Among the top middies are Shawn Honovich of LP and Cole McCormack of Rye.
Thanx Joe.
Also hear Briggs Barton (rising Jr, Attack) and Bonsall (rising Senior, D) from Rye on team.
Just ReLaxN,
I know Cole McCormack of Rye will be playing for the Long Island Sting (Sting Black) at Tri-State. Black will be playing in highest “Senior AA” tournament bracket along with top 10 ranked summer clubs including , Dukes, LI Express, Top gun Fighting Clams
Most of the John Jay kids will be at Hot Beds but did any JJ kids try out for the Hudson Valley team?
john ranagan actually switched from attack to midfield sophomore year of hs
Excellent selections. I wouldn’t change a thing.