The John Jay coaching brain trust of, left to right, head coach Tim Schurr and assistants Geoff Nolan and Mike Bocklet discuss strategy yesterday at halftime of the Indians’ 13-10 win over visiting Horace Greeley. Also shown is assistant John Carrozza, far left, warming up the goalie. Nolan, Bocklet and Carrozza are all John Jay alumni and former Indians players.
I have to admit, gang. I like a good horse race as much as anyone.
That’s why it’s been especially fun following the season so far.
Especially with all the parity we’ve seen.
After all. This is a season that began with the nation’s top-ranked team, West Islip, losing to Sachem North in Long Island, with defending FCIAC champion Ridgefield falling to Staples in Connecticut and with … well, with all sorts of crazy and zany one-goal games throughout the Hudson Valley region.
Yesterday, some late to this parity party thought 5-1 John Jay would have its way against 1-5 Horace Greeley. Most of us knew better.
The final result: a 13-10 John Jay win in which Greeley hung tough from start to finish.
Anybody can beat anybody in Section 1, said Greeley senior midfielder Dan Leventhal, who had three goals, told me after the game. Weve had a tough schedule and some tough losses, but we believe in ourselves and were going to keep working hard and keep improving and I think the playoffs will be real interesting.
The same can be said throughout the Hudson Valley/Long Island/Connecticut region.
Things are especially interesting in Long Island. (Just check out our latest poll, gang.)
Yesterday, in a showdown between arguably the top two teams (I know, I know, West Islip may have something to say about that), unbeaten Manhasset edged Chaminade 7-6 in overtime on a goal by Matt Tomkins.
That’s the same Manhasset team that was not even ranked in the Top 25 nationally in the preseason if you’re scoring at home.
Welcome to the new age of unpredictability. And parity.
It’s resulted in plenty for all of us to talk about right here.
Compared to last year at this time (when I was frankly amazed at the immediate, overwhelming response we received after our March 2009 debut), LaxLessons has seen a 106.56 percent increase in page views, and even more impressively, a 182.38 percent increase in visits.
Thanks for checking in each day. During the season and during the entire year.
There will be plenty of reason to check back today as well.
Ward Melville, which started this week’s action as the No. 2-ranked team from sea to shining sea, plays at unbeaten Connetquot at 5 p.m. The Thunderbirds (8-0) have won each of their games by three goals or more, including an 11-7 win over Sachem North.
In two other intriguing contests, East Islip visits Smithtown East at 4 p.m. and Smithtown West hosts West Islip at 6 p.m. Also of note, Sachem North hosts a Walt Whitman team that beat Ward Melville last week at 5 p.m.
At 4:30 p.m., William Floyd visits Patchogue-Medford, Lindenhurst hosts West Babylon and North Bablyon hosts Half Hollow Hills East.
And Commack plays at Brentwood at 4:15 p.m.
Quite a day in Section 11.
In Section 8, Farmingdale visits Hicksville, Hewlett hosts Bethpage, Hempstead visits East Meadow, Oceanside visits Baldwin and Port Washington hosts Freeport at 4:30 p.m.
Mark down these 4:15 p.m. games to watch. Syosset is at Massapequa and South Side visits Malverne.
At 7 p.m., Cold Spring Harbor hosts Locust Valley and Clarke visits Seaford.
At 4:45, North Shore hosts Floral Park.
In Connecticut, New Canaan faces a stern test against a Lawrenceville (N.J.) Prep team that fell to Ridgefield 7-3 last week. Game time is 4:30 p.m. at New Canaan’s Dunning Stadium.
Also of note, perennial Massachusetts power Duxbury hosts Simsbury at 6 p.m.
There are several good matchups in Rockland County on tap. Suffern hosts Tappan Zee, Nanuet visits Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South hosts Nyack and Irvington visits Albertus Magnus at 4:15 p.m., and at 5 p.m., Pearl River visits North Rockland.
Also of note, Edgemont visits Mamaroneck, White Plains hosts Sleepy Hollow, Bronxville visits New Rochelle and Eastchester hosts Ardsley at 4:30 p.m.
As always, be sure to post your thoughts and predictions on these matchups as well as any info on the scores and game details.
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Posted In: Scoreboard Central
WM 8 Connetquot 7
WI 11 Smithtown West 9
Sachem North 13 Whitman 12
Smithtown East 10 East Islip 9
joe dont you have to be 40% or 45% to even enter the playoffs?
Li Lax Like the first 2 but will take
Whitman 11 Satchem North 10
East Islip 11 Smithtown East 10
I honestly don’t understand why anyone would be surprised by Manhasset’s success this year. They reload every season, it’s been going on since the early ’70s, nevermind their history prior to that.
New Caanan should not struggle to beat LVille as both LVille and Rfield are down this yr.
Ha ha meola!’
Gimme a stick – I agree, I just don’t understand the surprise over their success.
Any word from yesterday’s Harrison – Fox Lane game?
Very interested in New Canaan game. The L-ville game will be first real indicator on new canaan. They beat greenwich in first game but can’t tell much since then (new coach at G-wich and they lost to N Fairfield so who knows what that game meant).
http://blog.syracuse.com/orangelacrosse/2010/04/syracuse_lacrosse_freshman_joj_1.html
Dale 10 Hville 8
Oceanside 7 Baldwin 9
Suffern 12 TZ 10
Sect 11 has the best games today besides the ones above. Don’t think others will be close
Hicksville has definitely dominated Farmingdale over the past few years, even though Farmingdale has been favored for most of the games. I’ll go with Hicksville again, 8-6.
I’ll be getting updates for Sachem North and Whitman, beginning at 5 at Sachem North
Sachem North leads 2-1 with 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter
3-2 North after 1
4-3 North in the 2nd
all tied at 5 with 4:21 in the half
5-5 at halftime
7-7 2:22 in the 3rd
8-7 North after three
mikey-
25% to make playoffs. 4-12 (in a 16 game schedule) will get you in.
12-7 North late fourth
EI wins 9-8 over Smithtown East
12-7 Sachem North beats Whitman
Farmingdale over Hicksville 6-5
Pequa 8-2 over Syosset
FL 14 Harrison 3
NC 9-7 over L’Ville
Lawrencville led 6-1 and 6-3 at half, couldnt win faceoff in 3rd and NC came roaring back
Cl South 7, Nyack 6
NRock 11, Pearl River 7
Nanuet 16 , Cl North 5
WM 10-7 over Connetquot
WI 13-3 over Smithtown West, very surprising
Yah no doubt