Syosset's Mac O'Keefe headed to Penn State for lacrosse

For Syosset senior attack Mac O'Keefe, losing in last spring's state Class A semifinal to powerful Niskayuna isn't as painful as you might imagine. With refreshing candor and perspective, O'Keefe, a Newsday second-team All-Long Island selection in 2015 said, "It's better that we lost last year. We remember what it felt like to lose and it will really motivate us this year to win the state championship.''

O'Keefe, who accepted a scholarship to Penn State, was one of 15 Syosset athletes -- including 10 from the boys lacrosse team -- honored Tuesday in the school's guidance resource center for their college commitments on the first of three National Letters of Intent days staged around the country. Others will be held for various sports in February and May.

"It's been a long journey to get here and it's great to see our parents and coaches share this day with us," said O'Keefe, who scored six goals in that state semifinal and is among the 30 survivors of an intense tryout process to make the U.S. Under-19 team that will compete in the World Lacrosse Championships next summer.

A future Penn State teammate, senior faceoff specialist Gerard Arceri of Smithtown East, is also among those hoping to make the Under-19 team and is one of many Long Island seniors who will sign letters of intent in the coming days.

Other top Long Island college signees in boys lacrosse are goalie Jake Giacalone, Sachem North (Johns Hopkins); attack Ryan Tierney, Massapequa (Hofstra); defenseman Nick DiPietro, Half Hollow Hills East (Syracuse); Danny Varello, Smithtown West (Syracuse); goalie Jack Zullo, Chaminade (Notre Dame); attack Conor Smith, West Islip (Penn State); attack Matt Gavin, Manhasset (North Carolina), and Dan Rooney, Smithtown East (Ohio State),

Long Island's three Penn State recruits -- O'Keefe, Arceri and Smith -- are part of a highly-rated recruiting class that has O'Keefe thinking beyond just next spring's state high school championship. "The goal is to win an NCAA championship," O'Keefe said, "and my recruiting class is tremendous."

Beyond the pure lacrosse aspects of O'Keefe's recruitment, there was another key element from this highly sought prospect. "Penn State made it a family affair," O'Keefe said. "They really recruited my entire family."

That would include his father, Brian, who played professional lacrosse after his college career at Fairleigh Dickinson for several indoor teams, including the old New York Saints who played at Nassau Coliseum. "Dad put a lacrosse stick in my hand right away and I've been playing as long as I can remember," O'Keefe said. "I've been playing with most of the kids on our team since we were in youth leagues together."

One of those long-time teammates is Syosset defenseman E.J. Aronson, an Army signee who proudly wore his West Point baseball cap to Tuesday's ceremony. Aronson, an All-Long Island football player for last year's Long Island Class I champions, missed the 2015 football season with a torn labrum suffered in last year's state lacrosse semifinal. "I'm completely healthy now," Aronson said. "A lot of schools were looking at me for football before my injury and there were a lot of schools interested in me for lacrosse."

So, why Army? "It suited me best," Aronson said. "Once I visited the campus, I knew that was the place for me."

The injury makes him even more motivated to have a big senior year for Syosset. "I wanted to play football and help my teammates defend the Long Island championship," Aronson said of the Braves, who were eliminated last weekend in the county quarterfinals. "But I couldn't play, so now I'm really looking forward to winning a state championship in lacrosse. It's the last sport I'll play in high school. The last season. The last ride."

But for many Long Island athletes, National Signing Day represents the first step on a new journey.