In the next few weeks public school state champions in both New York and Connecticut will be crowned. Along the way we’ll also learn who received all-America recognition and respective state, sectional and conference accolades.

But as far as naming who the best of the best is, that’s a debate that could rage on for weeks, regardless of what committees say. Here’s where party unity and loyalty to the colors are tested. Here’s where the objective lacrosse fan throws out his subjectivity. Here’s where the trash-talking stops and the true analysis begins.

At some point I plan on throwing out there my choices for Section 1, Long Island, FCIAC, SCC, SWC and overall player of the year. Some of the finalists, in my mind, are no brainers.

But you may think differently. So, here’s your chance to lay out there who you think is truly the best player in the region. Don’t be shy now. If you feel the prudent thing to do is to name your top players by section or conference, go right ahead, but also add in your pick for overall player of the year. I think naming a section or conference top dog is a lot easier than throwing out there for public scrutiny a player who, in your mind, has no equals anywhere in our region.

I’m not leaning in any one direction, but just to get the ball rolling here’s a quick look at some of the players on my personal list. Most are household names and each is someone you’d never forget if you saw them on a field with a stick. What do you think?

Nick Galasso: The junior attackman for West Islip, currently the No. 2 team in the LaxLessons Top 25 regional rankings, recently hit the century mark for points, including 56 goals. He’s largely considered to be the most talented offensive player on Long Island and a lock for all-American. Entire defenses are drawn up just to contain him — and they often fail.

Connor English: I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the University of Virginia-bound attackman twice and there aren’t many other Long Island players that mean more to his team than English does to Manhasset, the top-ranked team in our rankings. English has 56 goals and the best first step toward the ball on Long Island. He’s always in the right position to finish, whether it’s on the break or in a 6-on-6 set. On top of that, he’s class personified.

Matt White: He’ll be joining English at Virginia next season (and just imagine how good UVa’s already potent offense will be with these two on attack over the next few years). White does a lot more for Ridgefield, ranked No. 4 in our poll, than his 89 points would suggest. Sure, he can score and he can dish, but did you know he can also face-off and clear? If for no other reason, White simply being on the field should give Ridgefield the edge in the FCIAC race.

Joe Marasco: If there’s something the Syracuse-bound attackman cannot do on the lacrosse field, prove it and you’ll have made history. He hit the 200 career goal mark just last week. He’s a lot like English in that he has a tremendous first step to the ball and an uncanny ability to create a shooting lane, and has a lefty crank like no other at his position in Section 1. JoJo is a true scorer, always in the right place at the right time and if you double (or triple him) he’ll find someone and they will make you pay.

John Ranagan: Ranagan is hands down the best middie in Section 1 and arguably as good as any you’ll find in the state. This Hopkins-bound beast of a specimen of a high school athlete plays like a special teamer on an NFL squad, but at the same time is as skilled offensively as anyone at his position. Where there is a hit to be made, he makes it — usually in the open field no less. And oh yeah, he scores … a lot. Ranagan is the MVP of Yorktown, the No. 5 team in this week’s poll. That probably says more than his 45 goals ever could.

So there’s a quick look at five players who have had tremendous seasons. There are many, many others who deserve a ton of recognition, but I’ll leave that to each of you to debate. Is a defenseman or a goalie part of your top 5? There certainly are worthy candidates out there.

Time to put down the pom-poms and take a stand.

Speak up. Now’s your chance.

Reach Syracuse at syracuse@laxlessons.com.

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Posted In: Fairfield lacrosse, General, Long Island lacrosse, Section 11, Section 8

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66 Responses to “A View from the Dome: Who's your pick for player of the year?”

  1. 00000 says:

    JO JO

  2. Doid23 says:

    John Ranagan. Hard to argue against any of the above, all are great players (have only seen highlights of White so I can’t comment on him), but to me he is the most valuable to his team, a true game changer. Kind of like a stopper, when the team needs a goal, or a defensive stop, or that extra intangible, he delivers better than anyone.

  3. Wasabi says:

    I’ve seen each of these kids play multiple times over the past three seasons. That being said, Matt White is the best player I’ve seen this year. He’s a phenom

  4. Old Rugger says:

    Hard for me to comment on Nick as have not seen him yet this year. But have seen him in 8th, 9th and 10th and I’m sure he has only improved.
    I think I need more of a definition of what POY is? Is it MVP of MVP’s? Or is it the Best Player? Or Excellent Player with most upside? Best player is not easy to define, as exceptional players like Nick, Connor, Matt and John also have excellent players that help them play better and look better.
    I would love to see a Hagarty on Somers or JJ. Also how can you compare a defender to a goalie to a creater/feeder/finisher?
    It would be like trying to compare a Hoynes to a Bohlander each with very destinctive skills but hard to rank?

  5. Seeker says:

    Cuse,

    I got one for ya, Let me hear your POY in each position from attack to goalie

  6. syracuse says:

    Seeker,

    While I would love to do that I’m really in no position to because I seriously have not seen enough teams to comment on individual defensemen and goalies. That’s why I opened this up to everyone because I know you guys, collectively, will cover all the bases — and it will make for some nice debate.

  7. adude says:

    I think hags could deff be up there for best goalie of the year

  8. Jaybird says:

    Excellent column on seedings in the NCN Joe. You said it all and summed it up beautifully.

  9. Joe Lombardi says:

    Seeker –

    As he’s noted, Cuse is limited in the number of games he can attend because of his schedule at work and unfortunately hasn’t been able to get out to a game in quite a while. I think Manhasset vs. Garden City was the last time. But we hope to get him back out there as his schedule permits.

    So I will throw a few names out there based on what I’ve seen and you folks can narrow it down to one or two by position. (Most listed here are seniors except a few cases.)

    Attack: Matt White (Ridgefield), Connor English (Manhasset), JoJo Marasco (Somers), Nick Galasso (West Islip), Kevin Interlicchio (Ytown), Nick Trizano (Iona Prep), Tyler Perrelle (Mahopac), Jack Doherty (LP), Greg Petre (Somers), Tyler Foley (Darien), Myles Gillespie (Iona Prep)

    Midfield: John Ranagan (Ytown), Jeff Froccaro (Port Wash), Thomas Schreiber (St. A’s), Brendan Walsh (Ridgefield), John Bolton (Darien), WIll Stewart (John Jay), Erik Pfiffner (Somers)

    Defense/LS: John Fennessy (Ytown), Donald Keough (Rye), Thomas Keith (Cornell), Joe LaSala (Wilton), Ethan Fox (Ytown), Geoff Stearns (John Jay), Derek Katchis (Greeley)

    Goalie is tough to narrow down to three or four. So here are a few that have impressed me: Luke Haggerty (Clarkstown South), Kyle Feeney (Greenwich), James Fuller (Wilton), Michael Bonitatibus (Ytown), Chris Moffa (Fordham Prep), Chris Longo (Somers), Luke Robinson (Fox Lane), Dan Kaiser (Iona Prep), Ryan Alexander (South Side), Jake Hyatt (Ridgefield), Jack Meyer (Manhasset)

  10. Joe Lombardi says:

    BTW – Thanks Jaybird. Glad you liked it.

  11. Setter says:

    Wow. Woodstick Classic was in April. So Syracuse hasn’t been to a game in a month? Could’ve fooled me he seems knowledgeable but there’s no substitute to being at games and basing evaluations on what you see.

  12. slacrosse says:

    Face-Off Specialist: Cole McCormack (Rye)

  13. syracuse says:

    Setter,

    It’s been a while for sure, but not by choice.

    Believe me, if I could I’d be Lombardi-like in traversing the tri-state area.

  14. WhaleBelt says:

    Duvy from Manhasset at LSM! great list – hope these kids do NY proud at the next level

  15. syracuse says:

    Bradley Capp is pretty good at pole for ‘Sett as well.

  16. RyeGuy says:

    Syracuse just curious what you thought of Keough from Rye and what game did you see him play?

  17. syracuse says:

    Keough is on my list for All-American. He and Fennessey are the only two poles I have. He had a rough game against Yorktown, but did real well against Marasco until Jo-Jo scored a flukey goal in the final seconds. I’d be surprised if he’s not an AA.

  18. RyeGuy says:

    I agree on Keough. Just out of curiosity though which game did you see him at? Somers?

  19. HITSTICK says:

    To be honest joe the way you listed the goalies above, thats prob what I would have ranked them in order as you did

  20. Joe Lombardi says:

    HITSTICK –

    They weren’t listed precisely in order. It’s funny it worked out that way with your list.

    RyeGuy –

    Cuse was talking in general terms about Keough because he hasn’t seen Rye in action to answer your question.

  21. Comin says:

    Attack: Matt White (Ridgefield)
    Just amazing to watch, pulls stunts that just come out of left field that leaving you saying “how did that just happen”.

    Middie: John Ranagan (Ytown)
    Beast is the first worst that comes to mind when I first think of Ranagan. Kid is a bull running down the field and has a rip that can get past almost any goalie.

    Defence: Joe LaSala (Wilton)
    Is the best 1on1 defender in the whole region. Plays amazing position d, and when his team needs the ball, they call for him.

    Goalie : Luke Haggerty (clarkstown south)
    Start off by saying that what I wrote above me about Ranagan being able to score on almost any goalie, well haggerty is one of the those goalies who can stop his shot. Kid sees the ball better than any goalie I have watched in HS in the past 4-5 years I have been watching section1/LI/CN lacrosse. If you dont throw at least 2-3 fakes on this kid your going to get stuffed on the crease as many teams have fallen victim to over his career.

  22. Comin says:

    Ment to say beast is the first “word” that come to mind.

  23. taz says:

    By position is a great question! As y’all know I have the LI bias but here goes:

    Goalie: Haggerty – great reactions and has come up big against big players

    Defense: Only saw LaSala once but hard for me to vote for someone that plays for a sub par team. On LI it’s Cappellini – not really sure about off the island

    Mid: Ranagan – next in line might be Schreiber who is a Jr from St. Anthony’s

    Attack: Hardest one. Top 3 are Gallasso, English, & White not nec in that order. Totally different players. English the best scorer, Galasso the best vision, White the most athletic. Not his fault but haven;t been able to see White vs. a tough schedule. Same could be said for Galasso and West Islip. Anyone for a tri state power league??!! 😉 I can’t pick one – all depends what you’re looking for.

    (Hmm, 2 def Upstaters from a LI guy – I might get bounced off the island!)

  24. taz says:

    Jeez, I overlooked Marasco. Throw him in there too! (But he gets hurt the same way LaSala does)

  25. THEGilmanfan says:

    I’ve seen tape of alot of these players but unfortunately I haven’t been able to see any of them in person, though I am trying to work something out to make the downstate semifinals. IMO, Galasso or Ranagan are the likely choices for POY, with English falling just short. Galasso is an offensive force, with his shooting and playmaking abilities are truly outstanding, not to mention his vision and lacrosse IQ are top notch. Ranagan is an all around monster, making plays on defense, or carrying the offense when KI is being face-guarded. ‘Town will only go as far as he can carry them, IMO.

  26. syracuse says:

    His largeness is in the house. To what do we owe this honor???

    Greetings GilmanFan. My hope is your expertise will be listened to very closely by the knowledgable people on this board. No joke folks, GilmanFan is an authority.

    (I could use another brave soul watching my back to boot!)

  27. Old Rugger says:

    Welcome GilmanFan, Now you know why the LaxPower Section 1 tread is dead. Is Gilman the team to beat in Md this last season? Lots of D1 players.

  28. Old Rugger says:

    Taz any info on Dominique Alexander at Baldwin from the press he sounds like the real deal?

  29. CHASSA REP says:

    I have a nomination for the best Attack line in the tristate area. St Anthony’s trio of Dante Fantoni, Tom Schriber, and Will Manny. All three can score and feed. In my opinion St Anthony’s has been the hottest team around since the Yorktown game. I think all three attackman had over 75 points each on a team that can score at will.

  30. Taz says:

    Old Rugger – Alexander a physical player who has an outstanding cohort in Kyle Rebman, Jr attackman. I think many people see Alexander slotted as a D middie @ Ohio St. – questions on his speed/quickness. I think this is the 1st time Baldwin has ever been to the Nassau semies.

  31. LAXIT says:

    It would be great if you put together a all region team after compiling all your readers suggestions and data and present the kids with
    “LAX LESSON REGIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR”award how cool would that be

  32. LAXIT says:

    It wouuld acually be ‘LAXLESSONS REGIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR”

  33. Joe Lombardi says:

    LAXIT –

    Very innovative idea. Actually I have been tossing around ideas regarding the best way to hand out postseason awards since the preseason.

    And I have come up with a method I think is pretty cool. I will make an official announcement right here early next week.

    I think everyone will like it. So as I like to say, “Stay tuned.”

  34. LAXIT says:

    Joe
    looking foward to it thanks

  35. LAXIT says:

    JOE
    I know in a very short time this will be a very prestigious award

  36. HV Lax says:

    Joe what will you be doing???? I’m dying to know!!

  37. LAXIT says:

    Comin
    good points!

    Attack: Matt White (Ridgefield)
    Just amazing to watch, pulls stunts that just come out of left field that leaving you saying “how did that just happen”.

    Middie: John Ranagan (Ytown)
    Beast is the first worst that comes to mind when I first think of Ranagan. Kid is a bull running down the field and has a rip that can get past almost any goalie.

    Defence: Joe LaSala (Wilton)
    Is the best 1on1 defender in the whole region. Plays amazing position d, and when his team needs the ball, they call for him.

    Goalie : Luke Haggerty (clarkstown south)
    Start off by saying that what I wrote above me about Ranagan being able to score on almost any goalie, well haggerty is one of the those goalies who can stop his shot. Kid sees the ball better than any goalie I have watched in HS in the past 4-5 years I have been watching section1/LI/CN lacrosse. If you dont throw at least 2-3 fakes on this kid your going to get stuffed on the crease as many teams have fallen victim to over his career.

  38. Joe Lombardi says:

    HV Lax –

    I don’t want to overshadow the playoffs. So I will announce what I’ve decided on Monday. Not another living soul knows, so don’t feel like you’re being kept out of the dark. In the meantime, enjoy the games.

  39. slacrosse says:

    THEGilmanfan,

    You connected to Gilman in any way, live in Balt??

    Relative(his son played at St Pauls). lives in Balt so went to see Gilman St Pauls game few weeks ago where Gil trashed SP.

  40. THEGilmanfan says:

    Syracuse,

    I read these blogs from time to time to get some NY information, you and Joe do a wonderful job of providing information to out-of-state folks like myself. This topic really caught my attention and having switched over to Verizon Fios, and with the help of certain laxpowerites, I have been able to watch a decent amount of NY lax this season and thought that I could comment on the topic.

    Old Rugger,

    Yes, I can easily see why the Section 1 thread on laxpower is dead, as noted early, Joe and Syracuse do a great job with this website and there seems to be a lot of followers. As for your Gilman question, Gilman finished the season with 1 loss which was to Boys’ Latin during the regular season. It was a “road” game (1/2 mile separates the schools) and they lost by a goal. Gilman went on to win the championship in convincing fashion, beating Loyola-Blakefield 13-6 and then Calvert Hall 13-7. I talked to a few of the “higher-ups” in the lacrosse world and Gilman has a very good shot at taking the mythical national championship this year in many publications. West Islip, West Genesee, Lafayette and Niskayuna could change all that though, should any of them truly dominate the state tournament.

    SLacrosse,

    I graduated from Gilman in 2005 and have been following their lacrosse team closely since I started attending in 2002.

  41. James says:

    White is the best high school lacrosse player I’ve ever seen on a lacrosse field. Period. I have seen innumerable Connecticut, Section 1 and (to a lesser degree) LI games in my lifetime, so I feel that I have some ground to stand on.

    However, he has a tendency to disappear in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and is unselfish to a fault (the only player I’ve ever attributed this flaw to.) Yes, Ridgefield also has a trio of immensely talented seniors in Scott, Walsh and Baker. Yes, few of their games are truly competitive. But it is disconcerting to see White patiently distribute and dump for 45 minutes, and then, with the game hanging in the balance, take over and showcase spectacular dodges and long distance rips – all of which are buried with pinpoint accuracy in the net’s upper corners. Afterwards, one gets a nagging feeling that there would have been no need for the last minute theatrics had White simply dominated from the get-go.

    English is also a phenomenal attackman – though, I feel, not quite as balanced – and Virginia will have a spectacular attack in a few years. Indeed, tt’s hard to imagine Stanwick, White and English at work together – one of those “will the universe implode?”-type moments.

  42. James says:

    A Tri-State team would probably look like

    A – White (Ridgefield)
    A – Galasso (West Islip) – jr
    A – English (Manhasset)

    M – Ranagan (Yorktown)
    M – Froccarro (Port Washington)
    M – Schreiber (St. Anthony’s) – jr

    D – Cappellini (Manhasset)
    D – Keith (Syosset)
    D – Fennessy (Yorktown)

    G – Feeney (Greenwich)

    Tough to do it this way, because the attack is so stacked relative to other positions. Defense seems down this year.

  43. Old Rugger says:

    James don’t forget Bocklet (fr). Also not a slouch talent.

  44. re:lax says:

    OK James-

    Yep I agree about the future potential of the UVA attack…the “universe might implode” for sure. However, unless UVA gets some resemblance of a defense, the universe will not implode as quickly as UVA did in this year’s tourney. That is a fact as recently demonstrated.

    Cornell owned them flat out. White, English, Stanwick, etc will not change that going forward. It is by definition a total team effort that ultimately wins. Starsia just doesn’t seem to get that. Another early exit for them until it changes I think.

  45. syracuse says:

    What I love the most about English is his ability to make things look so easy at such a high rate of speed. He plays the game at breakneck speed. It’s not so much about picking your spots with him as it is him getting the ball and going … hard. He kind of makes it up as he goes and adapts so beautifully to what the defenses do to stop him. Tue, he is a goal scorer first and foremost but his field vision is a big aspect of his game that I don’t think is talked about enough.

    I wonder if Starsia would consider using White as an attack/middie hybrid because White is such a complete player and appears to have the stamina to get up and down the field as opposed to half of it.

    Let’s face it: Virginia is going to have a plethora of attackman but more talent than three positions can hold. Why not use White as a utility player as well as an attackman? He has to be on the field at all times and has shown he can do basically anything. I don’t know if I’d give him a goalie stick, but would anyone be shocked if he excelled in the cage, too?

  46. slacrosse says:

    I’ll take Jame’s list above but substitute:

    A: Marasco (Somers) for White
    D: Keough(Rye) for one of the LI guys
    G: Haggerty (Clarkstown South)

    Add: Cole McCormack (Rye) Face-off specialist

  47. ayOO says:

    Katchis for defense
    Amazing foot work, so fast
    best stick handling for a defender, tons of GBs, great at clearing
    throw nasty checks, i would leave a stick hanging out around him
    hes not the biggest kid, but he can handle anything thrown his way

  48. slacrosse says:

    TheGilmanFan

    Thanx. Along with Gilman WG and WI for potential mythical national champ I’d include Manhassat and Yorktown and delete Lafayette and Nisky. The schedules of both these teams are not nearly as strong as Man and Town. Nisky had a 2 goal win over John Jay who this year I’d say is a strong team but no where near being elite.

  49. Syracuse says:

    TheGilmanFan,

    Don’t discount Niskayuna. The fact that they beat Jay only 5-2 should not be held against them. First off, Jay is a lot better now than they were six weeks ago. Second, Nisky plays that lull-you-sleep style. This is a defense that has allowed 40 goals in 20 games. This is a team that brought back everyone from a 1-loss team from last year.

    In case you don’t know, I picked Nisky to give Albany its first state champion. I believe Jay or Somers will challenge them, as will any of GC, Lynbrook, Smithtown West, Shoreham and/or Sayville, but in the end I see a Nisky-Corning East final, with Nisky winning it all.

    Right now I’d include Nisky and Lafayette over Yorktown in any talk of a mythical national championship. That’s not to say that can’t all change in the next few days ….

  50. slacrosse says:

    Cuse,

    The gilmanfan supported nisky and laf to compete for myth nat champion.

    I wanted them deleted. Yes I know Nisky is tough but dont see how you cannot ding both Nisky and Laf as their scheds are alot weaker then those of Town and Man. I thought you were a strong proponent of factoring in strength of schedules??

  51. syracuse says:

    Sorry about that Sla … I misread that.

    I am a huge proponent of schedule but when you know a program is good, a program is good. Nisky and Lafayette are, right now, right there with anyone in the state not named West Genny and maybe West Islip.

    They produce D-I players and, more than anything else, have developed reputations that go beyond their respective regions.

    Nisky doesn’t have to play five John Jay-caliber opponents for me to know they are good because I know the program and the system, from watching them play — and sometimes beat — Yorktown over the last decade. And generally speaking, beating Yorktown is a pretty good barometer as to where you stand among your state-wide peers.

    If Lafayette got to state finals and lost every year — ah la Corning East — I’d agree with you that it really doesn’t matter who they play and beat because when push comes to shove they won’t get it done in their biggest game. But that’s not the case with Lafayette. They win state championship. They have a prolific offense and, according to many, maybe boast the best high school player in the land in Hopkins-bound John Greeley.

    Also, like with teams like West Islip that play almost entirely an in-section schedule, teams up in the Syracuse area don’t necessarily need to go anywhere to prepare themselves for states. The competition up there is quite good. Maybe not on the level of Long Island overall, but probably better than Section 1.

    So, getting back to my original point, SOS means a ton to me if I’m unfamiliar with a certain team. It helps me get my bearings. But sometimes, this truly is subjective. You see what a team has done and you know, based on who they are and where they play, that they are much better than their schedule could ever indicate.

  52. slacrosse says:

    Cuse,

    Thanx. Yes my gut feel is that Laf or Nisky could win states and so can’t disagree that the records of teams can transcend their schedules IF they produce in championships. But did notice that last time Laf won state was in ’05 ! ! They haven’t reached finals since then!

  53. THEGilmanfan says:

    Syracuse and SLacrosse,

    I know I’ll get heat for being “biased” when I post this, but it is my true feeling, and hopefully Syracuse will tell you I keep my bias out of things I post (him and I go waaaay back). I think it would be very difficult for a team to surpass Gilman in a legitimate set of national rankings. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but I do think some team would have to absolutely shine.

    In terms of SOS, Gilman easily surpasses Lafayette, West Islip, West Genesee (I do know that Section 3 is HIGHLY underrated) and Niskayuna. In addition to playing in the MIAA, they also scheduled IAC powerhouses Georgetown Prep and Landon, along with PA power LaSalle (who beat West Genesee). West Islip had what looked to be a strong OOC schedule until Pequa and Ridgewood flopped, and Chaminade was found to be weaker than most years. Lafayette has good wins over J-D and Skaneateles, but other than that I see their schedule as fairly weak. Nisky has two wins over Guilderland, and a win over JJ, but I think that was before Jay found their stride.

    The loss that Manhasset took, against Comsewogue was a “good” loss early in the season considering it was on the road, and in OT. Set also has great wins over Darien, GC, Chaminade and CSH. This could be the hottest team in the country right now, St. Anthony’s and Ward Melville also in the running.

    I think Yorktown took themselves out of the #1 running after losing to Wilton. Granted the goalie made like 25 saves, that’s a loss you can’t have if you want to be considered the best. Most years a loss to Wilton wouldn’t be that bad, this year is an exception.

    West Genesee, as always, has a good chance to make some noise for the #1 ranking. They lost early in the season to LaSalle and should WG run the table, they would have put together a very impressive resume. The only knock against them is Gilman beat LaSalle, West Genny lost to them.

    It really all depends on how the NY playoffs pan out. I can’t wait to read and hopefully see a few of the games. If someone were to ask me to predict the winners:

    A – West Genny. From what I’ve heard, West Islip is a phenomenal team, but they are missing something and can anyone fault me for picking the top program in the country?

    B – Nisky, though I think Canandaigua or Corning East has a good shot at it. Personally, I like CA in the rematch against CE in the semis.

    C – I’ve got Manhasset over Lafayette in the finals. I like Manhasset’s SOS a little more, and I think it will pay off for them.

  54. Syracuse says:

    Gilman,

    I respect how you see things.

    Just a correction. Canadaigua, I believe, was a Class A school that lost to West Genny in the state semifinals. The Braves dropped to Class B this season. I agree they may be the only ones who can slow down Corning East, which lost only its regular season finale — to Ithaca, a team it beat the first time. Ithaca will likely play Genny at some point in the A tournament.

    Back to your original point, I will never disagree with you when it comes to comparing the MIAA to the rest of country. It’s just lacrosse at a different level. I do, however, believe, there are several teams in New York who can compete in that league — West Genny, West Islip and a few others come immediately to mind. St. Anthony’s is definitely another.

    This takes us back to our old conversation about comparing MD private with NYS public (and the Catholic elite) — we both agree MD private gets the edge in any one game, but for overall depth, I believe NYS public would get the edge if you had to take 10 teams from each, with 20-some odd players. I base this on sheer numbers, mixed with a little history and reputation, not to mention the fact that NYS publics send a plethora of players D-I.

    So, using that logic and all the points you made (West Genny losing to LaSalle and Gilman beating LaSalle), it would take a NYS public to have an unheard run through states to have a shot at taking away a mythical national title from Gilman.

    Bottom line is every game Gilman plays is basically a potential state tournament game in N.Y., what with all the IAC and Pa. stud preps they play. Conversely, even the top SOS schools in N.Y. get a handful of easy games.

    I agree with all three of your NYS state champion picks, by the way.

  55. slacrosse says:

    The Gilmanfan,

    I surrender about the mythical nat champ. Good analysis.

    Agree with Cuse on NY having it on depth.

    Being competitive in MIAA yr in and out would also be traditional powers Ward Melville, Manhassatt, Garden City.

    How bout the SUBSTANTIAL NY (meager for MD) representation in the D1 final game.

  56. Yolax says:

    It’s exstremely diffucult to leave jojo out so if not at attack middie
    I would leave the D but def change Haggerty for Feeney I would hate to play against that team How cool would that be to watch this team against a an all reagion team from the south

    A Tri-State team would probably look like

    A – White (Ridgefield)
    A – Galasso (West Islip) – jr
    A – English (Manhasset)

    M – Ranagan (Yorktown)
    M – Froccarro (Port Washington)
    M -JoJo Marosco (Somers)

    D – Cappellini (Manhasset)
    D – Keith (Syosset)
    D – Fennessy (Yorktown)

    G – Haggerty (C South)

  57. Yolax says:

    I really believe you just can’t leave someone like marasco off this team so put him @ middie the d should remain the same Haggerty for Feeney i firmly bealieve that 90% of these goals would come 1 on 1 and there is nobody better in the region

    A Tri-State team would probably look like

    A – White (Ridgefield)
    A – Galasso (West Islip) – jr
    A – English (Manhasset)

    M – Ranagan (Yorktown)
    M – Froccarro (Port Washington)
    M – Marasco (Somers)

    D – Cappellini (Manhasset)
    D – Keith (Syosset)
    D – Fennessy (Yorktown)

    G – Haggerty (C South)

  58. Yolax says:

    Sorry for the dbl comment didn’t see it appear the frist time thought i lost it

  59. Yolax says:

    “first” having alittle trouble today

  60. Doid23 says:

    Not sure anyone could knock Gilman out of the mythical “National Championship”. The best chance to overtake Gilman is West Islip, If they soundly beat WM, then beat Yorktown and WG, they would definately be in the discussion. I think Nisky could run the table, but not sure that there are enough big name “B” teams to beat to vault them over Gilman (Jay/Somers, LI Rep, and then CE with 1 loss). Lafayette intrigues me, but really haven’t played anyone, they would have to thump Manhasset in the finals to have any shot. West Genny loses the battle due to the loss to Lasalle.

    If WI runs the table (and that’s a big “if”), then I’m not sure how you differentiate between them and Gilman. Very similar to Gilman in that they lost to a longtime rival in OT, but than handled everyone else on their schedule. I think the difference may be the strength of the schedule.

  61. THEGilmanfan says:

    Slacrosse,

    It pains me to know that there were so few MD’ers playing in the finals. I’ve got nothing to respond to that. I was fairly happy that MD had 4 D-1 All-Americans, for how many schools are actually good in lacrosse (8-10) we do a pretty good job. I don’t think there’s an argument on depth though, NY easily surpasses any other state.

    I also found out a certain Gilmanfan will be attending the NY downstate semis (my work was good enough to reschedule me on that Friday). I’m really excited to see some of the best NY has to offer.

  62. syracuse says:

    If anyone goes to midfield on a regional all-universe team it would be White because he’s shown an ability to play anywhere on the offensive end, while Marasco is more the pure sniper.

  63. slacrosse says:

    TheGilmanFan,

    Enjoy the games.

    The Under Armour regional tournament end June with New York and LI (CT , New Eng as well) teams going to Balt should be interesting (assuming NY/LI get great turn-outs now that the ESG were cancelled). The ESG got all the best kids trying out for the LI and HV teams. I’m not sure will be same case for this. HV kids have to drive 4 hours for a 1 day try-out to make waht is called the “Upper NY State” team.

  64. Yolax says:

    Hey Joe if you ck # 38 i think you promised me something but no worries if you are not ready tomorrow is just fine

  65. Joe Lombardi says:

    Yolax –

    Way to keep me on my toes. Don’t worry. It’s coming.

  66. Yolax says:

    BY the way Joe i think if you pick
    4-attack
    4-middies
    1-LSM
    4-Defense
    2 Goalies

    I think it will be safer on your end

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