Riptide's No. 1 pick Jeff Teat gets a tour of Nassau Coliseum, lacrosse team's new home
Jeff Teat, top pick of the New York Riptide, poses for a photo in what will be his home locker room at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday. Credit: Dawn McCormick
First overall pick Jeff Teat and veteran National Lacrosse League all-star Callum Crawford stood on the Nassau Coliseum floor — now bare concrete devoid of its ice surface — and stared at the many banners hanging from the ceiling.
Come December the New York Riptide will be the primary tenant as the venerable barn transitions into its post-NHL existence with the Islanders moving into UBS Arena at Belmont Park next season.
"A lot of my teammates from Cornell are from around here," said Teat, a four-time Inside Lacrosse Media All-American who grew up just outside of Toronto. "They can’t stop speaking about how crazy this place is. It’s pretty exciting and high expectations."
Teat and Crawford, who has been in the NLL since 2006 and spent the last three seasons with the New England Black Wolves, were given a tour of the Coliseum on Tuesday. They were joined by Sal LoCascio, who played at the Coliseum while starring in goal for the NLL’s New York Saints from 1990-2000.
LoCascio, who lives in Bayport, regaled them with stories from his time in the NLL as they were shown the Riptide’s locker room — the former Saints’ room which also served as the Islanders’ dressing room until 2018.
Later, the group visited Blue Line Deli & Bagels in Huntington where owner Donald Rosner showed Teat and Crawford how to make the store’s latest sandwich, The Riptide — turkey, provolone, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a hero. then returned to the Coliseum to conduct a clinic for 13 youths from Baldwin’s Lock Jaw Lacrosse.
To Rich Lisk, the executive vice president of GF Sports, which runs the Riptide, it’s all about connecting the team to the community while identifying it with the Coliseum. The NLL’s next regular season will start in December and run through April.
The Riptide's top pick, Jeff Teat, at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday. Credit: Dawn McCormick
"I think it means everything for the franchise," Lisk said. "I’ll go around saying we’re going to be the No. 1 tenant here. We were talking about these guys up in the rafters. They bought into Long Island and that’s what I want these guys to do. And I love this building. I want to add to that history."
The Riptide’s lone season in 2020 was truncated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the Saints (1989-2003), the NLL’s Titans called the Coliseum home from 2006-2009.
The Coliseum will hold other events and is also home to the Long Island Nets of the developmental NBA G League.
"When you have a home, it gives you a sense of pride in something you want to build," Crawford said. "For me, signing with the Riptide, that was a big part of it, the opportunity to help build something. What can we do to really see this Coliseum and box lacrosse really grow? We’ll be able to see it on a nightly basis if we’re doing our job or not by how many people are in the building."
Lisk said the Riptide have signed their lease with the Coliseum and hopes to start customizing the arena for his team. He would like to have a Riptide logo on the outside of the building, decorate the team’s locker room and the concourses and, eventually, earn some Riptide banners for the rafters (the Islanders will be taking theirs to UBS Arena).
He also wants to integrate Saints’ alumni, like LoCascio, into the Riptide’s daily activities, much like the Islanders do with their dynasty alumni.
"They’ve got to embrace the community," LoCascio said. "And what other team can say, ‘Hey, we’re it in this particular building?’ This is the big show."
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
