Cole Sparks helps West Islip to Suffolk Class B boys lacrosse title
Cole Sparks of West Islip drives through Anthony Affrunti of East Islip during the Class B Suffolk boys lacrosse finals on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at LaValle Statidum in Stony Brook. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Cole Sparks was irritated. He clanked a shot off the crossbar as West Islip trailed East Islip by one in the third quarter.
The senior kept attacking, and he found Derek Busking for two consecutive goals within 19 seconds to tie and give the Lions the lead. Less than two minutes later, Sparks scored off an East Islip (13-6) turnover.
“I had my team around me telling me, ‘Keep going, keep going,’” Sparks said. “In lacrosse, transition is a big part of the game. We just had transition and that just got us rolling. We just kept going. We didn’t stop.”
Behind Sparks’ late third-quarter eruption, No. 3 West Islip defeated No. 4 East Islip 10-6 to win the Suffolk Class B boys lacrosse championship at Stony Brook University’s Kenneth P. LaValle Athletic Stadium.
West Islip (13-5) captured its first boys lacrosse county title since 2012 and 10th overall. The Lions improve to 10-6 all time in county championship games.
Sparks, who finished with two goals and three assists, knew exactly the last time the Lions won and used that as motivation.
“Nobody believed in us besides everyone in this locker room,” Sparks said. “Everyone underestimated us because we graduated a lot of people last year, but we’re here.”
West Islip beat East Islip 14-6 on April 18, so West Islip head coach Tom Corcoran told his team to expect a hungrier East Islip squad.
That hunger showed in the first half as East Islip led 4-3 at halftime. Corcoran told his players to not worry about making mistakes and just play to their own ability.
“We asked these kids, someone’s got to step up and make a play,” Corcoran said. “Our goalie was really sound in the goal. We’re seeing our breakouts, and we got some transition which ended up relaxing us.”
Goalkeeper Cameron Dorfman made 11 saves and allowed just two goals in the second half. Quinn Reily led with three goals on four shots, and Patrick Keenan scored two goals.
West Islip will play the winner of Garden City/Calhoun in the Long Island Class B championship at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, at LaValle Stadium.
“That we’re just like that,” Sparks said on what the team has to prove heading into the Long Island Class B championship. “We’re just a great team. We all play together. When we play together, no one can beat us.”
