South Side boys lacrosse defeats Bethpage in the Nassau Class C semifinals
South Side players after defeating Bethpage in a Nassau Class C boys lacrosse semifinal on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Credit: Jeff Bachner
Tuesday marked the first time South Side boys lacrosse returned to Hofstra after the Cyclones’ terrific state title run in Class B last season.
A lot has changed. No longer does South Side have its 27 seniors from a year ago, nor are the Cyclones competing in Class B. What hasn’t changed, though, is South Side’s ability to leave Shuart Stadium with a win.
Top-seeded South Side (14-4) defeated No. 4 Bethpage (10-8), 9-7, in the Nassau Class C semifinal. The Cyclones advance to play the winner of No. 2 Wantagh and No. 3 Plainedge for the Nassau Class C title back at Hofstra at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
“To [reach the county championship] with a completely new group, new team, new guys, it’s awesome,” senior defenseman John Kufta said. “I thought we played really great defense today and did a great job to hold off the run at the end there.”
That run Kufta spoke of included three Bethpage goals in the final eight minutes to cut South Side’s lead to two. It was the first time South Side looked vulnerable, but the Cyclones managed to win possession off Mike Benfante’s clear and run out the rest of the clock.
Maybe that’s where South Side’s playoff experience from a year ago, led by returning star attackman Cullen Lynch, made the difference alongside a well-coached game plan by Steve DiPietro.
“A lot of us were on the team last year, so everyone saw the work it took to get back there,” Lynch, who scored a goal and assisted two more, said. “Now we just have to get it done.”
South Side entered halftime with a 5-1 lead and outshot the Golden Eagles 19-8 in the first half, with a 13-1 advantage in shots on goal. John Hawthorne, Jack Muscarella and Luke Mullen each finished with two goals.
Kufta caused two turnovers, as did Brayden Gamberg and Jon Muscarella.
“We wanted to keep playing aggressive defense,” Kufta said. “We made a few switches to a zone that also played really well today.”
Beginning with Mullen’s second goal of the game with 10:24 left in the second quarter, South Side never led by less than two scores. Bethpage goalkeeper Joey Traversa impressed with 15 saves to keep the Golden Eagles alive, and long-stick midfielder Luke Waxer was terrific on ground balls and in transition.
But when the clock hit zero, South Side had achieved what it had wanted since winter workouts.
“This was our first goal, to make it back [to the county championship],” Lynch said. “Now I’m just excited to have a chance to win it back-to-back with my best friends on Saturday.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
