Prendergast lifts Farmingdale to 'A' title

Shouldering the load has never been a problem for Brian Prendergast.

Generally, he swivels his right shoulder to unleash a hard shot. But in the two moments he shined brightest Tuesday at Hofstra, the Farmingdale senior used it for different reasons.

The first was when he jerked a pass to Greg Catalano for the eventual game-winner, and the second was when he perched the game's MVP trophy atop his right trap.

No. 1 Farmingdale earned its second straight Nassau Class A title with a 15-13 win over No. 2 Massapequa. Catalano scored on an over-the-shoulder rip off a Prendergast assist with 2:27 left to give the Dalers (14-4) a 14-13 lead. Farmingdale will play the Suffolk champion in the Long Island final Saturday at Stony Brook.

Prendergast scored four goals with three assists. He has 50 goals on the year, the most for any Nassau player remaining in the playoffs. Korey Hendrickson also scored four goals and Sal Tuttle three.

Jamie Shand led the Chiefs (14-4) with five goals and three assists.

It was the highest-scoring game the Dalers have played this season, and the most goals they've allowed. "Massapequa's offense is explosive, but so is our defense," Prendergast said.

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Prendergast didn't waste any time getting Farmingdale on the board, scoring on an assist from Patrick Starke off the opening faceoff seven seconds into the game.

Starke pulled a similar feat in crunch time, when he won the draw and scored just 11 seconds after Tuttle scored on the man-advantage. Starke's goal gave the Dalers a 13-12 lead with 5:19 to play. It was their first lead since being up 4-3 in the first quarter.

"We were down basically the entire game," Catalano said, "but we just kept working, working, working."

Massapequa led 11-8 after Luke Pellizzi's goal with 4:29 left in the third, but goals by Hendrickson and Starke closed the lead to one. Shand's man-up goal pushed the lead to two 35 seconds into the fourth, but Farmingdale scored the next three goals. "They threw a knockout punch," Farmingdale coach Bob Hartranft said, "but we didn't go down for the final count."

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Massapequa beat Farmingdale in overtime during the regular season, but the Dalers, who have won seven in a row since, have defeated Massapequa two years in a row in the county final.

Despite the familiarity, there is no contempt between the teams. Prendergast and teammate Joe Ostrander will play with the Chiefs' Pellizzi at Towson next year. Said Prendergast: "We know they're a good bunch of guys. We're pretty close in that respect."

No cheap shots or shoulders in this rivalry. Well, except Prendergast's -- but for different reasons.