Player’s perspective: Ilchert, West Islip (NY) eager to return to championship form
West Islip’s mission for 2014 is as clear as could be. After all, the Lions are coming off a 12-6 season in which their run of nine straight Suffolk County (N.Y.) championships and 11 straight Section 11 title-game appearances came to an end. WI’s title run ended with a 12-4 loss to Smithtown East 12-4 […]
Lacrosse Insider: West Islip (NY) gets third 2014 commit; New assistant named at Princeton
One of the nation’s most successful high school programs now has three Class of 2014 commits. One of the nation’s most successful college programs now has a new assistant coach. Joe Lombardi is reporting that West Islip High School (N.Y.) attackman Trevor Bovich (pictured above) has verballed to Bryant University. Bovich joins AJ Ilchert (St. […]
Penn State reels in another LI 2016 standout in WI’s Smith
If you’ve been following along as the news of each new commitment has been reported on our new “Lacrosse Insider” special coverage section, then you already know that the phrases “Penn State” and “Class of 2016” have become synonymous the last week when it comes to tristate recruiting. It started when Joe Lombardi broke the […]
Epic Moments: Bobby Rushton, former West Islip (NY) and Sacred Heart University (CT) midfielder
LaxLessons.com and Epoch Lacrosse have teamed up for a new feature at LaxLessons.com in which lacrosse standouts share their epic high school memories. West Islip High School has become synonymous with boys lacrosse success. Both in terms of New York state championships won. Bobby Rushton knows all about both. The 2005 WI graduate helped build […]
You make the call: Who will win Chaminade-West Islip clash?
In less than a week we’ll have our first Showdown Saturday of the regular season. Among the matchups on March 30: La Salle (Pa.) at Gardem City, Yorktown at John Jay and Chaminade at West Islip. The high noon Chaminade-WI game is a rematch of a 7-6 Chaminade win last year — which proved to […]
Thursday, 3/21: Chaminade opens vs. Massapequa; Defending CT state champ Darien is at John Jay, Yorktown visits Iona Prep, Bronxville visits Smithtown West in scrimmages
Four-time defending CHSAA Division AAA champion St. Anthony’s got its season started yesterday by beating Kellenberg Memorial 12-5. Now it’s Chaminade’s turn. If you’re just tuning in, Chaminade is ranked No. 2 in the Under Armour/InsideLacrosse.com National Rankings. But Chaminade has lost to St. A’s four straight years in the CHSAA title game. So while […]
Player’s perspective: Mike Calvagna, Sachem North (NY) midfielder
The race for the top spot in Suffolk County Class A is attracting a lot of discussion — and votes in our latest poll. One team that is always in the hunt but has lacked some preseason buzz in 2013 is Sachem North. For more on the Flaming Arrows, we turn to Mike Calvagna. The […]
Marquee programs lead field at SWR Fall Classic
High school teams that have combined for 90 state titles will be competing in one venue on Sunday, Nov. 18. They will be vying at Tom Rotanz’s Shoreham-Wading River Fall Classic, which is annually regarded as the premier event on the fall schedule in the tristate region. This year’s event will be played at Farmingdale […]
WI’s Ilchert will take his relentless style of play to St. Joseph’s
AJ Ilchert plays for the West Islip Lions. But when he’s on the lacrosse field, he best resembles a bull in a china shop. “My style of play is ultra athletic, aggressive man-to-man – take no prisoners,” said the junior defenseman. It’s a style that should serve him well at the next level. The 6-foot, 180-pound […]
It’s official: Galasso’s next stop will be Syracuse
The rumors began even before Nicky Galasso confirmed he had requested a release from the University of North Carolina. Now, just over a week after that announcement has come another. The all-time leading leading scorer in Long Island high school lacrosse history is indeed headed to Syracuse. Galasso, the former West Islip attackman who led […]
Player’s perspective: Hunter hopes to help Syosset surge past Nassau semis
It’s become the annual lid lifter to the boys lacrosse season in the nation’s No. 1 lacrosse hotbed, the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tristate region. Nassau County rivals Garden City and Syosset are keeping the tradition intact as they will meet in opening week for the fourth straight year when they square off on March 20 […]
Player’s perspective: Dodge, Bulls eye return to Suffolk finals
Photo by Gene Morris/Smithtown Patch There has been no shortage of talent at Smithtown West the last few years. Brett Madarasz, Jordan Stevens, Kyle Keenan and James Pannell are just some of the names that come to mind. Alex Dodge knows them all very well. Especially from practicing against them. The dodging midfielder was able […]
Marquette-bound Riportella is WI’s latest D-I recruit
West Islip has sent an astonishing number of players to the collegiate ranks during its emergence as one of the nation’s premier programs during its run of eight straight Suffolk County titles. Though West Islip, which had won four state titles in five years prior to this season, fell to Farmingdale in the Long Island […]
Still the one? West Islip re-establishes itself as national power
Photo by Ray Nelson/MaxPreps.com Back-to-back wins over Sachem North and Chaminade (above) last week have re-established West Islip as a national power. The West Islip Lions had to take a hit. A big hit. After all, losing Nick Galasso, Long Island’s all-time leading scorer and the staple of the team’s run of four state titles […]
Updates on Garden City-Ward Melville, West Islip-Ward Melville, Woodstick Classic; Section 1 league schedules
Our current poll question is, “Who do you think will be Long Island’s best team in 2011?” (Don’t forget to exercise your right to vote. On the right panel of this page, just scroll past the “New Comments” and “Popular” tabs and click on “Poll,” and then click on your choice.) Two of the nominees […]
West Islip’s Turri will join his brother, Justin, at Duke
Kyle Turri was considering several Division I programs. But one had something the others did not. In addition to being the defending national champions, Duke is the place where the West Islip goaltender’s brother, Justin, a junior, is a starting midfielder. And Duke is where Kyle Turri will also be playing his college lax. The […]
Who’s No. 1? LaxPower releases final national rankings
There has been quite a spirited debate here among readers — and in our latest poll question — as to who would have won a matchup between state champions West Islip and Manhasset. Now, LaxPower has weighed in. I just received word from George Baldassare, LaxPower’s director of high school boys lacrosse, that its computer […]
You make the call: Who would win – West Islip or Manhasset?
They’re the top two teams in the final Under Armour Inside Lacrosse National Rankings. They both have won back-to-back state titles. Manhasset ended the year 20-0. West Islip ended it with 21 straight wins after suffering a season-opening overtime loss to Sachem North. But the teams did not play this season, which begins the question: […]
First look at 2011: A (very) early overview of how Suffolk shapes up
For the last five years, the West Islip Lions have been the dominant force in Suffolk County lacrosse. But next season, the Lions will be minus two of the top 10 graduating seniors in the nation in Nicky Galasso and Andrew Hodgson. So how will Suffolk look next season. Yes, it’s early, but that hasn’t […]
West Islip’s Galasso and Manhasset savor state titles, historic milestones
West Islip’s Nick Galasso, who was on the field for all four of the Lions’ state titles the last five years, speaks to reporters after his final championship, which came Saturday in a win against Fairport at Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium. Galasso also broke the all-time Long Island record for career points in the […]
Sachem North coach reflects on stunning win over No. 1 West Islip
It didn’t take long for the 2010 lax season to have a major upset. The West Islip Lions, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation by Inside Lacrosse, suffered a stunning 13-12 overtime loss to visiting Sachem North today. We caught up with Sachem North coach Jay Mauro (shown here in the photo by […]
West Islip is No. 1 in preseason national rankings
The West Islip Lions, who are in pursuit of their fourth state title in the last five years are No. 1 in the Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse Preseason High School Power Rankings. St. Anthony’s checks in at No. 4. Six other teams from the Hudson Valley/LongIsland/Connecticut region are in the Top 25, including John Jay at […]
Moore joins Galasso, Hodgson as Class of 2010 West Islip commits
Through the end of this past season, an amazing 51 West Islip players were playing college lacrosse. Look for that trend to continue. In a moment, we’ll recap all the Lions who will join programs this fall. But first, we have news of a rising senior commitment for West Islip, which has won three Class […]
Class A state semifinal video highlights: West Islip 13, Yorktown 8
[flashvideo file=http://www.laxlessons.com/videos/Islip_vs_Town_highlight.flv /]
New York semifinal matchups, previews, predictions
West Islip’s Nicky Galasso, shown in action at left last night against Hicksville, scored five goals to match his jersey number. Yorktown and West Islip both suffered crushing losses to Syosset in last year’s playoffs. Now, they’re each within a game of playing for a state title. Connor English of Manhasset has enjoyed one of […]
Ward Melville stuns West Islip in OT
Ward Melville, which earlier this season knocked Yorktown out of the unbeaten ranks, just did the same thing to West Islip. The Patriots picked up a stunning 8-7 overtime win.
