2005 All-Long Island Boys Lacrosse

BY CHRIS ANTONACCI | STAFF WRITER
June 9, 2005
A look at the boys lacrosse players who stood out on the field this spring.

MAX BARTIG
Northport, Midfielder, Junior
Northport coach Bob Macaluso has noticed a steady improvement in Bartig throughout his three seasons as a starter. Yet Macaluso especially noted just how much Bartig improved toward the end of this season, when he led Northport to the Suffolk Class A semifinals. Bartig closed with 16 goals in the last six games and finished with 36 goals and 24 assists in 16 games. "He is a heck of an athlete and he has a great feel for the game," Macaluso said. "He has the ability to score and assist others, which is indicative of his sense of awareness. He plays effectively in all situations."

KEVIN COLLELUORI
Bethpage, Attack, Senior
 As soon as Colleluori received the behind-the-cage feed, he knew what to do. With conviction and without hesitation, Colleluori released a 12-yard shot and put it into the far corner in a Nassau Class B quarterfinal. Bethpage 9, South Side 8. Three overtimes. It's that kind of quick thinking that made the Colgate recruit one of Long Island's best pure scorers. Colleluori had 42 goals and 41 assists this season. He had 62 goals and 34 assists and became an All-Long Island selection last year in his first full season on varsity.

ANDREW MAURER
Ward Melville, Defender, Senior
For a team that possessed as many offensive options as Ward Melville did, 37-year coach Joe Cuozzo, understood its success rested on its defense. As per Ward Melville tradition, only the best defender can wear No. 44. Any guess which player wore those digits? "He's a magician on groundballs and advancing the ball up the field," Cuozzo said. "He's as good as we have ever had doing that." The three-year starter is one of three All-Long Island selections who signed with Towson. Maurer helped Ward Melville complete its first undefeated regular season and Suffolk Class A final appearance since 2000.

BOB McAULEY
Hicksville, Midfielder, Senior
 Whenever Hicksville needed a big play, like when he scored twice in a 1:45 span in a one-goal Nassau Class A quarterfinal win over Port Washington, McAuley always seemed to rise to the occasion. The two-time Newsday hifive! All-Long Island selection had 41 goals, 40 assists and an 80 percent faceoff success rate. He was the first eighth-grader called up to the varsity in Hicksville's history. Scoring, passing, facing-off and controlling possession, McAuley is the latest in a line of Long Island greats that will play for North Carolina.

KERRY McCORMICK
Garden City, Defender, Junior
McCormick, like every Garden City player this season, did things subtlety. An unheralded group of kids, led by a defense that allowed 88 goals in 20 games this season, helped restore some stature to Garden City. After missing the semifinals for the first time since 1983, Garden City made it to the Nassau Class B final for the eighth time in nine seasons. Its only two losses were one-goal shortcomings to Hewlett. McCormick wasn't flashy, but made smart and solid checks despite making his debut as a starter. He played sparingly last year on faceoffs and late in games. "You have to score goals to win, but you can't let the other guys score too many," Garden City coach Doc Dougherty said. "Or you don't win, no matter how many you score."

REGIS McDERMOTT
Chaminade, Defender, Senior
It's one thing for a coach to always put a certain defender on the opposition's most dangerous offensive option. It's another to do so without creating a slide package in his direction. "We leave him on an island," Chaminade coach Jack Moran said of the two-year starter and Notre Dame recruit. "The most impressive thing about him is his mental toughness to play without help. He never panicked and was very patient."

MATT MESSINA
Sayville, Midfielder, Senior
When Sayville coach Christian Doller was asked if Messina took Sayville's program to the next level, this was his response: "He is the next level for our program." The four-year starter and Delaware recruit moved to midfield this season where he had 41 goals and 47 assists to help the sixth-year program advance to its first Suffolk final. Messina had 16 goals and 56 assists as a junior, 31 goals and 41 assists as a sophomore and 15 goals and 26 assists as a freshman. He played attack the previous three seasons. "He is a good athlete, but he had such a mind for the game," Doller said. "He was so much more mature than the other kids. He would love to have no points, just as long as we win."

ANDREW MILLER
Floyd, Midfielder, Senior
Miller has become such a powerful presence as a five-year starter for Floyd that it is hard to imagine the program without him. Miller scored 39 goals this season to lead Floyd to the fourth seed and semifinals in the Suffolk Class A tournament. The two-time Newsday hifive! All-Long Island selection, who entered this season with 134 goals and 68 assists in his career, also is a two-time All-Long Island football selection. He will play next year at Johns Hopkins, this year's undefeated national champion.

CULLEN MOLINARI
Manhasset, Midfielder, Senior
 Even though Manhasset featured many great players, only the one determined to be the best can wear No. 32. Molinari happened to wear that number, named in honor of 1976 Manhasset graduate John Driscoll, on a team loaded with future college stars. The three-year starter scored 37 goals this season and won 80 percent of his faceoffs. He signed with Georgetown.

CHARLIE PAAR
Huntington, Goalie, Senior
With Huntington so far ahead in the Class B Long Island final and a state semifinal, Paar exited with time left. As if the fans had watched his every movement, even when the action was at the other end of the field, Paar received applause. Fitting. The kid is quite a performer. The two-time Newsday hifive! All-Long Island selection in as many seasons as the starting goalie will play at Towson next year. But not after helping Huntington advance to its first state final and win its first Long Island and Suffolk title since 1975. Paar played close defense as a freshman and sophomore. "Sometimes," Huntington coach Paul McDermott said, "he is just unbelievable." Believe this: Paar is one of the best goalies Long Island has ever produced.

PAT PERRITT
Sachem East, Midfielder, Senior
Perritt, a four-year starter, aimed to conclude his career by making a run through the playoffs, but he suffered a dislocated left shoulder and the first-year program was eliminated in the Suffolk Class A quarterfinals. He was expected to become one of Long Island's best players in his junior year, but he tore his meniscus early in the season and was done for the year. When Perritt was healthy, he was brilliant. The Syracuse recruit had 119 goals and 69 assists in his career, including 40 goals and 18 assists this season. "He plays so hard all of the time," coach Rick Mercurio said. "He just had such a love of the game."

CHRIS PEYSER
Manhasset, Defender, Senior
With shots so hard, dodges so sweet and passes so crisp, Manhasset's offense overshadowed its defense. The true lacrosse connoisseurs appreciate Peyser precisely because he doesn't have such flash. The Princeton recruit just plays defense on the opposing attack's hands. The two-time All-American received the Kessenich Award last fall as the top three-sport athlete who plays football.

MAX POMPER
St. Anthony's, Midfielder, Senior
 When St. Anthony's coach Keith Wieczorek looks back on Pomper's three-year career, one game doesn't stick out. Not even his career-high seven goals against Kellenberg in a 14-4 CHSAA win on April 19. What made Pomper distinct from the rest of St. Anthony's talented offense was his fierce mentality and will to win. "He has such a relentless personality," Wieczorek said. He had 44 goals and 22 assists as St. Anthony's lost in the CHSAA Class AA final, 8-3, to Chaminade and missed a chance to win a third straight title. He was a second-team All-Long Island football selection as a defensive back for St. Anthony's, which captured a fourth straight CHSFL AAA title.

SCOTT RODGERS
MacArthur, Goalie, Senior
MacArthur coach Chris Bergersen considered himself fortunate to have a front-row seat for all of Rodgers' performances. The four-year starter, a two-time All-American who signed with Notre Dame, simply stole the show and goals away from the opposition. Bergersen so relied on Rodgers, he often doubled the ball and allowed defenders to roam upfield. Last year, Rodgers made 18 saves in an 8-6 win over South Side, the only loss for last year's Class B state champs. He tied a career high with 28 stops against Long Beach this season. Rodgers is the program's all-time leader with 998 career saves "No matter who we played," Bergersen said, "we always knew we had a fighting chance against them."

JONATHAN SCHNEIDER
Massapequa, Goalie, Senior
 Schneider lived up to his moniker of "Doc" as an elder statesman and leader for a young team. When Michael Powers missed the season because of cancer, it was Schneider who helped hold its nucleus together. His on-field brilliance also helped Massapequa roll off 15 straight wins after a 1-3 start to capture its first Nassau Class A title since taking a third straight in 2001. The Massachusetts recruit demonstrated such poise and leadership throughout the season, Schneider hardly demonstrated the look of a first-year starter. As Massapequa coach Steve Mollot said: "He was the man all year."

MAX SEIBALD
Hewlett, Senior, Midfielder/Attack
The 6-2, 225-pound Seibald was a dominant physical player with savvy skills. "He is a very smart player," said coach Chris Passuello, who benefited from Seibald's presence in each of his three years at Hewlett. "He can't go 48 minutes non-stop, but he picks his spots on when he needs to explode. He is very smart. He knows when to do that." The Cornell recruit had 49 goals and 35 assists and won 80 percent of his faceoffs. The two-time All-American demanded double and triple teams, and was still unstoppable. Despite lacking much depth, Seibald carried nine-year program Hewlett to its first Nassau Class B semifinal, final and Long Island title game appearance after winning its first conference crown.

MATT SULLIVAN
West Islip, Senior, Attack
 Sullivan elevated his play from a key contributor on last year's championship team to one of the most powerful offensive forces in Suffolk. The Towson recruit scored 32 goals to help West Islip win a second straight Long Island and Suffolk Class A title.

COACHES OF THE YEAR
STEVE MOLLOT
Massapequa (16-4)
 Massapequa has endured seasons of players missing seasons in the past. Yet Mollot, in all his 25 years of coaching and the last 15 at Massapequa, had never endured a similar situation. To lose his best player, Michael Powers – not from injury but from a type of bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma – as a season gets underway created a hardship for the entire program. Things didn't look much better when Massapequa started 1-3. Mollot directed Massapequa to 15 straight wins and its first Nassau Class A title since capturing a third straight in 2001. It all began on April 2. In the wind. In the rain. At Burns Park. A 10-5 win over Section II power Guilderland started Massapequa on its run. That night, one day after Johns Hopkins-bound junior midfielder Powers received his diagnosis, Massapequa found its identity. "Once we found this out, it was devastating," Mollot said. "He has played with some of these kids for so long. It's had an affect on these kids. The finding of an identity was waiting for some kids to step up."

TOM ROTANZ
Shoreham-Wading River (14-6)
Shoreham has Long Island's longest continuous county reign as it won its fifth straight Suffolk title this season. And Rotanz, along with assistant Mike Delia, extended its rule with the next generation of its players. With only four seniors on its roster, Rotanz directed his team to a 9-0 mark in one-goal games. He won four times in overtime. Few programs, if any, have more spirit surrounding the team than Shoreham despite the program being only in its 12th year. One look at its post-game playoff tailgates certainly indicates the community involvement surrounding the program. The 11-year coach has an overall record of 137-65, with five county titles, two Long Island titles and one state title.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

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