Caden Lennon's three goals help Farmingdale boys lacrosse reach Nassau Class A final
Caden Lennon, above, had three goals and Brendan O’Keefe added two for Farmingdale on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Credit: Bob Sorensen
The last time a Farmingdale varsity boys lacrosse team experienced that feeling of sheer joy from claiming a Nassau title was a dozen years ago.
“It’s been a long time, yeah,” coach Mike Hungerford said.
So is this finally the Dalers’ year to win a county crown again?
“It could be,” Hungerford said. “I like my chances with these guys.”
Top-seeded Farmingdale rode three goals from Caden Lennon, two goals and two assists from Brendan O’Keefe and a strong defensive effort to an 11-6 win over No. 4 Syosset in a Nassau Class A semifinal Thursday at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.
So the Dalers will face the second-seeded defending champ, Port Washington, for the title at 5 p.m. Tuesday on this same turf. They beat the Vikings, 15-5, on April 19.
“The job’s not finished,” O’Keefe said. “We’ve still got to work hard in practice, bring it every day. But (the county title is) the end goal. I feel like we have the guys to do it.”
Farmingdale (15-3) took charge after holding a 6-4 lead at the intermission.
In the third quarter, Lennon scored from the right side and Sal Posillico scored from the left after closing in on goalie Zach Finkelstein (11 saves).
After David Disque scored his second early in the fourth, the Dalers took off again.
Chris Bergersen converted from the right doorstep after taking a nice feed from Jake Norton. O’Keefe set up Lennon for a goal, then scored one himself from in close, making it 11-5.
But it wasn’t all about Farmingdale’s offense in the second half. Michael Ippoliti (five saves) and the defense also stood out.
“We played great defensively in the second half,” Hungerford said. “I thought we were physical without fouling. I think Ippoliti showed why … he’s going to Syracuse. He’s really good in the goal. He made some really good saves. He’s great in the clearing game, too.”
Farmingdale jumped to a 6-1 advantage. But Syosset (11-6) showed its determination, slicing it to two.
“I was very proud of the boys,” coach John Calabria said. “They didn’t give up … We climbed back into it. I felt at halftime we ready for a big push.”
The Dalers were feeling down at halftime after Syosset’s big push.
“We hung our heads,” Lennon said. “But together we kind of amped each other up and got our energy back and were able to execute and finish.”
