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Zac Koufakis and the Manhasset Indians picked up a huge 14-13 win at Darien on Saturday. (Photo by Newsphoto.com. See more photos from this game at http://tinyurl.com/d2sw86.)

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His goal started a 6-0 run that wound up deciding what’s been one of the most talked about games of the season.
Manhasset senior Zac Koufakis snapped a 4-4 tie when he scored off a rebound late in the third quarter. The goal started a 6-0 run that wound up being the difference in the Indians’ 11-5 win at John Jay on April 4.

The game sparked quite a bit of post-game discussion when I posed the question as to whether or not John Jay’s ball-control (aka “stall”) offense was effective strategy or not carrying out the mission of the way “the fastest game on two feet” is meant to be played.
That’s just one of many topics we discussed with Zac.

Zac Koufakis and the Manhasset Indians picked up a huge 14-13 win at Darien on Saturday. (Photo by Newsphoto.com. See more photos from this game at http://tinyurl.com/d2sw86.)

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Coming tomorrow:

• Video interview with Cold Spring Harbor Cornell-bound junior midfielder Christian Kennedy

• Video Interview with Horace Greeley and Hudson Valley ESG defensive standout Derek Katchis

Coming Tuesday:

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• Video interview with Horace Greeley Hofstra-bound attackman Jordan Fried

Coming Wednesday:
• Video interview with Cold Spring Harbor goaltender Greg Hanley

His goal started a 6-0 run that wound up deciding what’s been one of the most talked about games of the season.
Manhasset senior Zac Koufakis snapped a 4-4 tie when he scored off a rebound late in the third quarter. The goal started a 6-0 run that wound up being the difference in the Indians’ 11-5 win at John Jay on April 4.

The game sparked quite a bit of post-game discussion when I posed the question as to whether or not John Jay’s ball-control (aka “stall”) offense was effective strategy or not carrying out the mission of the way “the fastest game on two feet” is meant to be played.
That’s just one of many topics we discussed with Zac.
The attackman, who was the Indians’ second-leading scorer behind UVa-bound Connor English last year, suffered an ACL injury toward the end of the season.
Koufakis was also a standout place-kicker in football.

Can you talk a little bit about the process of returning to action after your injury and do you think you’re now back at 100 percent?
Returning back from surgery after tearing my ACL was by far the hardest, most strenuous procedure I have ever done in my life. Throughout the summer, I would go to physical therapy for 2 1/2 to three hours three times a week just to start walking properly again.
Once the school year started, I would wake up at 6 in the morning to go to physical therapy before school, and continue the same process three times a week.
Getting closer toward the lacrosse season, I started working out with my physical therapist (who is also our school trainer) at Power Performance to get my speed and quickness back. I think physically I am 95 percent but the toughest part about the ACL injury is the mental aspect. Just being able to trust your leg again is harder than any of the lifting or running I had to do in physical therapy.

What are your plans for next year and how did they come about?

I am going to Deerfield Academy to do a PG year. My family and I agreed that it would be best for me athletically. I didn’t want this injury to determine where I would attend college and determine the rest of my life.

Can you talk a little bit about the guys that make up the senior nucleus on the team this year?

I think the senior class this year at Manhasset is one of the strongest senior classes in the school’s history. As a group, we are not only gifted with great athletes, but smart kids and great people. The leadership this year compared to last year and the years before is unprecedented. We are one big family.

What areas do you think you need to improve in as a team?

I think overall we are a very solid team. But there are two areas I think we can improve on. One is moving the ball around quicker on offense and finishing when shooting. The second thing we need to work on as a team is sliding harder on defense and knocking some guys down.

OK. Let’s talk about the John Jay game and the delay offense the Indians ran. Was it frustrating at the time? But in the bigger picture, do you think it will prepare you if you see something similar in the playoffs?

The John Jay offense, especially in the second quarter, was extremely frustrating and annoying. Offensively, we literally stood there for seven minutes without touching the ball.

I definitely think every team we play from now on will use a similar type of offense to keep the ball out of our offensive end, and slow down the game. These types of offenses will definitely help us in the long run because we will see this in the playoffs and it will teach us to get out to an early lead so the opposing team has to play up to our tempo.

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