A good sign: West Islip's Hodgson comes up big

It was late Thursday night on the turf at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium, and the game was over, but Andrew Hodgson's work wasn't done. West Islip's star midfielder couldn't get off the field because several kids wearing oversized West Islip jerseys wanted his felt-tipped autograph on lacrosse balls. A fitting gesture, because he had just put his signature on the Lions' 16-9 Class A county championship win over rival Ward Melville.

After a nearly invisible and scoreless first half by Hodgson that ended with the Lions clinging to an 8-7 lead, he was about to put his mark on his team's sixth straight county championship triumph over the Patriots.

"I told him at halftime that being denied is not an excuse for an All-American," West Islip coach Scott Craig said of Ward Melville's deny-the-ball defensive strategy on Hodgson.

Craig has known Hodgson since the senior was born, as a next-door neighbor and close friend of Hodgson's father, Gordon. So Craig could get away with this demand: " 'Find a way to be a factor.' He did it, just like he's been doing all year for us."

Hodgson scored all five of his points - three goals and two assists - as West Islip broke the game open with a 5-0 run, including four goals in 2:55. Two were on feeds from fellow senior All-American Nicky Galasso, who finished with four goals and four assists.

"I didn't have any concerns at halftime," Hodgson said. "Me and Nicky hadn't done much. I just knew our turn would come."

It usually does for the Towson-bound Hodgson, who is an action junkie. He takes faceoffs, plays midfield with relentless speed, quickness and daring, and - in a wrinkle instituted by Craig this year - plays some attack. "I love that," Hodgson said. "Every camp I ever went to, my dad would tell me, 'Play attack. Get used to a long pole [defender].' ''

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No length of pole could've stopped the Hodgson-Galasso show Thursday, nor has the tandem been stopped much this season. The North Carolina-bound Galasso has 56 goals and 114 points. Hodgson has 41 goals and 78 points. The duo hopes to add to those totals in Tuesday's Long Island championship game, Thursday's state semifinals and Saturday's state final.

"I love playing with Nicky," Hodgson said. "We go way back to the third grade. We've been playing together forever. It shows out there. We've got the chemistry and we look for each other non-stop."

Hodgson needed no help on his first goal of the third quarter against Ward Melville, firing a low, turn-around rocket. "He wasn't as close. Maybe the coach told him to lay back because I wasn't doing much. But I made a hard cut and he didn't really do much. I kind of baited him a little bit and stopped short. He went by and I just ripped it. That got me going."

Two more Galasso-to-Hodgson conversions broke the game open. "During winter leagues, Nicky and me asked each other, 'You ready to win another one [state title]?" Hodgson said of something the Lions accomplished in three of the previous four seasons, including last year. "We told each other we've got to finish our senior year off right. Win the whole thing again. That's the goal."

After all, in the proud West Islip tradition, there are more kids out there ready to stay up past their bedtimes this week to collect autographs.