McArdle, Connetquot tough out win over East Islip

It's a good thing this is the beefed-up version of Kieran McArdle, the rangy Connetquot senior attack having added 20 pounds to his 6-1 frame since last year. Because when he was being hounded and pounded trying to run out the clock behind the net in the final minute and a half of yesterday's boys lacrosse Class A quarterfinal game against East Islip, his coach said, "It was like a meat tenderizer."

McArdle had the ball; the Thunderbirds had a two-goal lead and a man advantage. The strategy was clear: The Redmen were going to send two players at McArdle and try to jar the ball loose, by any means necessary. McArdle deked and dodged, absorbed some hits and escaped others. In the next minute he drew two more penalties and East Islip never did regain possession.

The No. 4 Thunderbirds held off the visiting No. 5 Redmen, 14-12, before a spirited crowd that filled the bleachers and lined the fence surrounding the field. Connetquot (14-3) will visit top-seeded West Islip on Friday. East Islip finished 12-5.

"You know you're going to get hacked there so you just react to what comes at you," said McArdle, who scored three goals and added two assists.

Connetquot coach Bob Moltisanti Jr. didn't hesitate to subject McArdle to some punishment. "We told him during the timeout 'We're holding the ball here. You're not looking to go to the net.' He knew what was coming. This year, since he put on the weight, he fights off those checks. This year he's a man."

Five other T-birds joined McArdle in Connetquot's six-goal burst to start the game. But then East Islip turned on its vaunted offense. Kevin Wendel scored two of his five goals in less than a minute to make it 6-2, and when Wendel scored on a spin move with 1:30 left in the first half, it was 8-6.

However, Connetquot scored the next three goals, two by John Zullo, to rebuild the lead to 11-6, and got it to 14-9 late in the fourth quarter. Still, the Redmen weren't done. They scored three goals in 1:31 to make it 14-12.

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If it hadn't been for the acrobatic goaltending brilliance of Zach Oliveri, who made 18 saves, East Islip might have had another miracle comeback. "He was the difference," Moltisanti said. "They're so good in transition that you know their going to get scoring opportunities. Zach made the saves he should have and some of the ones he shouldn't."

How did Oliveri keep his focus when his team was scoring all those early goals? "I was talking to myself in the cage," Oliveri said. "That's how I keep myself focused."

Oliveri talked a good game, and played one, too.