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The high school lacrosse landscape is about to change in the northern tier of Section 1.

Add Don Connolly’s name to the ever-growing list of past Yorktown players taking the reins of a program in dire need of a fresh face and some new ideas.

Arlington is a massive school, one of the biggest in all of New York state. For years, it has been best known for its boys soccer prowess. But now, with Connolly taking over a lacrosse program that has taken baby steps in recent years, there’s a buzz that is both undeniable and unavoidable.

Arlington will be good, eventually.

“I think coming to Arlington this season is just a huge opportunity,” said Connolly, a 1987 graduate of Yorktown who’s seen his fair share of success as both a player and as an assistant coach. “It’s the right time to come into a program that’s ready to do something special.

“We have enough kids playing since the fifth grade. We have enough kids with talent, a huge enrollment and a lot of athletes. The recipe for success is pretty strong.

“I like to compare what we can be to Somers. When they started, they had mostly athletes and were able to grow the program quickly. This is a similar situation. We have big, strong athletes who want to do well and are like sponges. We can teach them that lacrosse IQ.”

In a manner of speaking, Connolly has been around the block. Though Arlington represents his first head coaching gig, he’s been part of recognized programs since he got into coaching well after graduating from Towson State.

Prior to Ridgefield’s ascension into the regional public high school elite, Connolly was there in 2001 as an assistant when the Tigers won the Division II Connecticut state championship. He stayed for two more years before shuffling off to Section 1’s Fox Lane to run the offense under former Yorktown and Syracuse star Paul Carcaterra.

But after the 2005 season, Connolly decided it was time to do some soul searching, so he stepped away from the sidelines to ponder his next move.

“It’s been three or four years in the making that I’ve been contemplating taking over a program,” Connolly said. “I stayed involved in the game, but just didn’t know what I wanted. Now, I absolutely have no doubts.”

He resurfaced again this past season at Ridgefield and helped run the offense under Roy Colsey. But it wasn’t until he had a positive experience over the summer that Connolly finally realized it was time for him to take that next step in his coaching career.

“I coached the Superstar U-16 Select team. That’s when I got the bug back,” Connolly said.

Connolly coached that summer squad alongside Tim Schurr, one of the most respected coaches in all of Section 1. Schurr, a longtime assistant at Yorktown and former head coach at Somers, has no doubts Connolly will make Arlington a viable opponent in short order.

“If you think about Donny as a player, he was a gritty competitor who loved to play the game,” Schurr said. “He brings his joy of the game to the coaching side. He gets a lot out of the kids without being a yeller and a screamer.

“Over the summer, those kids were happy to be at practice. Some of the stuff he teaches, he understands all the finer points. He understands that each kid learns differently. He’s really going to thrive at Arlington.”

At Arlington, Connolly, who replaces Chris Malet, is inheriting many members of the 2009 squad that finished 8-10. Now while it may seem like Connolly is jumping into a situation that isn’t so rosy, it only seems that way.

The Admirals went 3-14 in 2008, so despite having a losing record last season they improved exponentially, even winning a Section 1 tournament game for the first time. Now, with Connolly and other Yorktown influences in tow, the bar has been raised again.

Connolly turned to former UMBC pole Steve Settembrino to handle the defense. He’ll also benefit from picking the brain of some volunteer assistants from time to time. But that’s about it. Unlike many teams that seem to have an army of assistants, Connolly is of the belief that less is more – and for good reason.

“I think it’s important to have the coaches involved. I think having just one full-time assistant increases his role in all aspects of the team, keeps him focused on the many tasks at hand,” Connolly said.

Obviously the season is still several months away and Connolly is still evaluating what he’ll have to work with, but he’s encouraged by his new team’s core. He said the Admirals have enough leadership and talent to be good right away, but cautioned he has the bigger picture in mind.

“The main thing is we want to change the culture of Arlington lacrosse, bring it to the forefront of Section 1 and later the state. With our returning talent and experience, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be successful in my first year,” he said.

Connolly said he’s thankful he will have players like Jesse Troy, Pat Boyle, Connor Lindsey and Danny Arket back in 2010.

“It gives you a little security knowing you have veteran leadership at three positions, but we’re not only trying to change the culture here, we’re trying to install new fundamentals, techniques and trying to change some habits. Having those kids there will only accelerate the process,” Connolly said.

Troy, a close defenseman, will attend Le Moyne, but before he goes he’ll be asked to shoulder quite a burden. Connolly said the 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior “has a lot of experience. He’ll quarterback our defense, and be our No. 1 cover defenseman and I think he’s up to the task.”

Boyle, an attackman, is the Admirals’ top returning scorer, having put up 45 goals and 63 points in 2009.

“Pat is an unselfish player, who will run the offense. He can score goals as easily as he can distribute the ball. A real smart player,” Connolly said.

On Lindsey, a junior who will see time at both attack and middie, Connolly said, “He’s a slick player, with good vision. I’ll be looking to utilize him between the lines a little bit.”

Connolly’s hidden gem may be Arket, a sophomore middie who contributed after being brought up late last season.

“He’s going to be a D-I recruit. In fact, all the kids I mentioned I believe could play at the lower level of D-I,” Connolly said.

Of course, he only named four players. Connolly said there are others he’s got his eyes on to fill a plethora of holes and he’s optimistic about what will be arriving soon from Arlington’s junior varsity, which went undefeated in two of the past three seasons.

In addition, Connolly said LaGrange Youth Lacrosse has had some strong individual youth teams over the past two years. For example, the eighth grade travel team went 26-3 last season, playing the likes of Yorktown, John Jay and some teams from Long Island.

“We have some young and inexperienced kids, but as a staff we get to teach them the right way to play the game from the start. Sometimes when you come into a new situation and have a lot of kids with a lot of experience they may have tendencies that take longer to break,” Connolly said.

“We have a great base to get the program to the next level.”

Schurr agrees.

“So much hinges on the players but Arlington has an advantage because they have so many to choose from. By sheer numbers alone Arlington has to be more athletic per grade than anyone else,” Schurr said.

Getting back to the short-term prospects for the 2010 team, Connolly came in and hit the ground running, putting together a schedule that should put the Admirals in position to learn how to win.

“The section gave me Yorktown, Lakeland/Panas and Mahopac in our league,” he said. “Out of conference we’ll be playing Don Bosco Prep of N.J., Copaigue of Long Island’s Section 8 and are working on a Section 2 game, tentatively scheduled as the opening game of a doubleheader on April 24 featuring nationally ranked SUNY Albany.”

So there’s work to be done and the pieces are starting to be put in place. Who knows? Maybe the Admirals become 2010’s version of White Plains, a team that emerged from relative obscurity last year. It’s just hard to imagine Arlington not being a factor of some kind going forward.

Former Syracuse star and Fox Lane varsity coach Paul Carcaterra, now one of the leading lacrosse analysts in America, said the sky’s the limit for both Connolly the coach and Arlington the program. He likened it to the right jockey mounting a raw racehorse.

“Arlington is a sleeping giant in high school lacrosse,” Carcaterra said. “Don is the right guy to tap into the athleticism and up-and-coming youth program. He will put his stamp on that program.

“His offensive mind is cutting edge. He has the ability to change games by adjusting to what the opposition’s tendencies are. He has had championship experience at every level. Couple that with his valuable coaching experience and he will bring excitement to the Arlington program.”

Maybe Connolly’s presence will mark the dawning of a new era, the first real chance Dutchess County has had to show it can put a blueprint in place to one day be in a position to rival its neighbors to the south. Or maybe it will be the culmination of one man’s quest to find his true calling. Regardless, it should be an interesting ride.

“It’s an exciting time. We can’t wait to get started,” Connolly said. “The excitement level is high. The future is bright for Arlington.”

• Joe’s North County News column: Revamped leagues force Section 1 coaches to scramble to schedule crossover games