O`Keefe, Aughavin Help the Archers Win PLL Championship

Congratulations to Nassau County alumni Mac O'Keefe and Ryan Aughavin for winning the PLL Championship with the Utah Archers this past Sunday in Philadelphia. 

O'Keefe, a graduate of Syosset HS and the 2016 John Krumenacker Award winner as the Nassau County Player of the Year as well as a US Lacrosse All-American, scored three goals in the championship game against the Maryland Whipsnakes. For O'Keefe, this was his second PLL championship, having won the title in 2021 as a member of the Chaos. He also has been an All-Star selection the past two years and graduated from Penn State in 2021 as the all-time leading goal scorer in NCAA history and a multi-year All-American for the Nittany Lions.

Aughavin, a graduate of North Shore HS, was a US Lacrosse All-American in 2017 and played college lacrosse at Brown University. While at Brown he was an All-Ivy and All-American selection and was the first Brown player drafted into the PLL in 2022. This is the second consecutive championship for Aughavin, who has played his entire career with the Archers. The squad won the PLL championship last season as well.

2024 Season Review

2024 was a tremendous year for lacrosse in Nassau County. To increase competition the Nassau coaches voted to create a select Power League, consisting of the nine top programs in the county. The remaining squads continued to play in their respective conferences based on school enrollments. South Side was the regular season Power League champion, finishing with a 7-1 record, only falling to Wantagh during league play. There were four classes for the Section VIII tournament. Farmingdale (A), South Side (B), Wantagh (C), and Cold Spring Harbor (D) were he top seeds and they all won championships. 

Farmingdale won the A championship for the second consecutive year by downing Massapequa, 7-5. In Class B, South Side defeated Manhasset for the championship, 12-10. Wantagh won the C title defeating first time finalist Island Trees by the score of 13-4. Cold Spring Harbor won their third straight Class D championship by routing second-seeded Friends Academy, 15-8. 

At the end of the year, the Nassau County coaches selected the post-season award winners including their All-Conference and All-County players. Then they selected nine US Lacrosse All-Americans and nine US Lacrosse All-Academic selections. Named All-Americans were Brendan O'Keefe (Farmingdale), David Disque (Syosset), Jake Martini (Wantagh), Owen West  (South Side), Michael Aiello (South Side),

Michael Melkonian (South Side), Kian McCoy (Island Trees), Matthew Kephart (Garden City), and Jack Mulholland (Manhasset). O'Keefe was a repeat recipient and McCoy was the first All-American in Island Trees history.

Finalists for All-American were Jake Anzelone (Seaford), Jimmy Caputo (Farmingdale), Campbell Florence (Friends Academy), Will Greaves (Wantagh), Andrew Ottomanelli (Garden City), and Ryan Wieczorek (Massapequa). Academic All-Americans were Steve and Joe Braunshweiger (Port Washington), Denis Fargione, Matthew Kephart and Carson Kraus (Garden City), Caiden Lung (Lynbrook), Brady Mahler (Baldwin), Michael Mondiello and Jack Mulholland (Manhasset), and Michael Muscarella (South Side).
South Side Head Coach Steve DiPietro was named USA Lacrosse Coach of the Year from Nassau County and the Bob Scott Award winner was Michael Melkonian, also from South Side.

Nassau County has a long history or recognizing the best players and coaches for each year with their annual awards.

The Nassau County "John Krumenacker Player of the Year Award" is given annually to the most outstanding high school lacrosse player in Nassau County

as voted by the NCLCA. This year the award was split between David Disque (Syosset) who is headed to Johns Hopkins and Michael Melkonian (South Side) who will attend Cornell.

The "Bill Ritch Award" is given annually to the most outstanding high school attackman in Nassau County as voted by the NCLCA. Bill Ritch was the longtime coach at Sewanhaka High School and is widely considered the first great coach in Nassau County lacrosse history. This years recipient was Michael Aiello (South Side).

The "Howdy Myers Award" is given annually to the most outstanding defenseman in Nassau County as voted by the NCLCA. The award is named after the late National Hall of Fame coach Howard “Howdy” Myers, who is considered by many to have been most responsible for the spread of lacrosse throughout Long Island during the 1950’s. The award this season was split between Jack Mulholland (Manhasset) and Matthew Kephart (Garden City).

The "John Driscoll Award" is given annually to the most outstanding midfielder in Nassau County as voted by the NCLCA. The award was originally named after Jim Brown but was renamed in 2004 in memory of the late John Driscoll, who, like Brown, was an outstanding midfielder from Manhasset High School. Jake Martini of Wantagh was this years recipient. 

The "Goalie of the Year" for 2023 was Jimmy Caputo from Farmingdale. The "Long Stick Midfielder of the Year" was Nolan Wieczorek (Massapequa).

The "Tom Flatley Award" is given to a Nassau County student-athlete that competed at a high level in the sports of football and lacrosse throughout his high school career. The 2024 award was split between Manhasset defenseman Jack Mulholland and South Side faceoff midfielder Michael Melkonian. 

The "Alan Lowe Coach of the Year Award" is given annually to an outstanding coaching staff in Nassau County as voted by the NCLCA. The award was originally named after Fran McCall, the longtime coach at Bethpage High School but was renamed in honor of Alan Lowe, the former coach at Manhasset High School. This year the award went to Steve DiPietro from South Side, who led the Cyclones to the New York State Class B championship. 

The "Jim Amen Jr. Man of the Year" award is awarded annually by the NCLCA to a person that has made significant contributions to the sport of boys lacrosse in Nassau County. The recipient this season was Ray Nelson of Orlin and Cohen. The NCLCA thanked Ray for all he has done in supporting the development of the Blaxeight website and his support of the New York State championships being held at Hofstra University. 

Nassau County had a strong showing at the New York State playoffs this spring. South Side (Class B) and Cold Spring Harbor (Class D) won state championships in their respective classifications. For the Seahawks, it was the their third straight title in Class D under head coach Dennis Bonn. The highlight of their tournament run was a stirring 6-5 victory over Pleasantville in the semifinals at SUNY Albany. 

For South Side, it was a season to remember! The Cyclones were slight favorites in a stacked Nassau Class B that included Garden City and Manhasset. South Side won the inaugural regular season Power League title, suffering only one setback during league play to Wantagh. They had an incredible playoff run, winning close, come-from-behind games against Yorktown in the semifinals and Victor in the championship at Hofstra to earn the second NYS Class B title in school history. 

Farmingdale appeared in the NYS Class A championships for the second straight year, falling to McQuaid Jesuit in overtime, 8-7, at Hofstra in the final. The highlight of the Dalers playoff run for first-year head coach Eric Dunne was a dominant win over Half Hallow Hills in the Long Island Championships. 

Wantagh was led all season by their prolific offense that averaged a county-leading 13.3 goals per game. The Warriors handed South Side their only loss of the season, a 15-11 home triumph on April 10th and won their second Nassau title (and first since 2001) with a 13-4 win over Island Trees. Wantagh battled eventual Class C state champ Bayport-Blue Point in the LIC but fell by the score of 9-7, ending a excellent season for Wantagh.

With wins in Class B and D, Nassau kept their streak of at least one NYS championship intact, a stretch of 14 championship seasons that dates back to 2009. Schools that have helped keep the streak going include Cold Spring Harbor, Farmingdale, Garden City, Massapequa, Manhasset, and South Side.

South Side, Cold Spring Harbor Win NYS Titles

Cold Spring Harbor defeated Marcellus 12-7 to win the Seahawks third consecutive NYS Class D championship on Saturday, June 8th at Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium. Cold Spring Harbor had a dominant playoff run, outscoring opponents 54-25 en route to the title. The Seahawks finished the season with a record of 14-6 and have won seven overall state championships, six of them coming in the past nine seasons!

South Side finished their magical season with a incredible come-from-behind 12-11 overtime victory over Victor of Section Five on Saturday June 8th at Shuart Stadium. Cole DiPietro's goal gave the Cyclones their 21st victory and the NYS Class B championship, the second in school history. Michael Melkonian won 17 of 27 faceoffs and Michael Aiello totaled six points (three goals, three assists) in the final for South Side, who only lost once during the season, finishing with a record of 21-1. 

With the two championships in 2024, Nassau has now won at least one NYS title in every season since 2009. This level of success in the state tournament has never been seen before, with Nassau having a champion in each of the last 14 consecutive seasons and 16 years overall (there were no championships played in 2020 and 2021). 

State Championships Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the final day of boys high school lacrosse in New York State and three Nassau County teams will compete for championships at Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium. 

Cold Spring Harbor will look to win their third consecutive Class D title when they take on Marcellus (20-1) of Section Three at 10:00 am. The Seahawks (13-6) defeated Pleasantville in a thrilling East semifinal in Albany on Wednesday, 6-5. The Mustangs are averaging 15 goals a game and defeated Aquinas Institute in the West semifinal, 14-8. Cold Spring Harbor plays great defense, allowing less than seven goals per game, so something will have to give in this one. 

Farmingdale is in the Class A state final in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. The Dalers (17-5) defeated Mamaroneck 9-8 in the East semifinal Wednesday and feature goaltender Jimmy Caputo, a Pace commit that has made 229 saves, and Brendan O'Keefe (Albany), a 2023 All-American who has 190 career points. Their opponent is McQuaid Jesuit (19-2) from Section Five who is making their first champinship game appearance in school history. Game time is 12:30 pm. 

In Class B, South Side (20-1) will face Victor (18-3) from Section Five. The Cyclones are making their second state final appearance in school history, having won the B title exactly twenty years ago in 2004. Faceoff midfielder Michael Melkonian (Cornell) is the engine for South Side, having won 81% of his draws this season and attackman Michael Aiello (Skidmore) is one of the leading scorers in Nassau with 97 points (56g, 41a). He has totaled 33 points in the six Cyclone playoff games so far. Victor is a frequent visitor to championship apearances, having won four titles and lost last year at Hofstra to Garden City, 9-8. Game time is 3:00 pm.

In the final game of the day, at 5:30 pm, Suffolk's Bayport-Blue Point (20-1) will face Jamesville-Dewitt (19-2) of Section III for the Class C championship. The Phantoms defeated Wantagh in the Long Island Championship and downed Rye on Wednesday, 9-8. They are seeking their first state title in school history. 

NEW YORK STATE BOYS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS- HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY, SATURDAY, JUNE 8
10:00 am Cold Spring Harbor vs. Marcellus
12:30 pm Farmingdale vs. McQuaid Jesuit
3:00 pm  South Side vs. Victor
5:30 pm Bayport-Blue Point vs. Jamesville-Dewitt

To see the full NYS boys lacrosse brackets, click the link below:

NYS Boys Lacrosse Brackets

For game tickets, click the link below:

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TICKETS

Can't make it to the games? Livestream links are below:

NHFS State Championship Livestream Links

Nassau Teams Advance In NYS Playoffs

All three Nassau teams advanced to the semifinal round of the NYS playoffs yesterday with wins over Section IX opponents in games played at Middletown High School.

In Class A, Farmingdale routed Monroe-Woodbury, 17-1, to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year. Brendan O'Keefe had a goal and seven assists and Cuinn Sunde scored three goals to lead the Dalers to win.  [ BOX SCORE]
Cold Spring Harbor moved on in Class D for the third straight year with an easy 15-2 win over James I. O'Neill. Dan Touhy had two goals and an assist to lead eleven different Seahawk goal scorers.  [ BOX SCORE] 
In Class B, South Side continued their dream season with an 11-6 victory over Warkwick Valley. Michael Melkonian won 19 of 20 faceoffs and Michael Aiello had three goals and three assists for the Cyclones.  [ BOX SCORE]

Long Island Championship Game MVP

Thank you to James Metzger for sponsoring the 2024 Long Island Championship Most Valuable Player Awards once again this year. The Nassau reciepients are as follows:

Class A- Farmingdale High School senior goaltender Jimmy Caputo

Jimmy Caputo with James Metzger and James Pannell of the Whitmore Group

Class B- South Side High School senior faceoff midfielder Michael Melkonian

Michael Melkonian with US Lacrosse Hall of Famer Vincent Sombrotto of the Whitmore Group

Class D- Cold Spring Harbor High School freshman goaltender Matt Kammer

Matt Kammer with US Lacrosse Hall of Famer Vincent Sombrotto of the Whitmore Group

Nassau Wins Three of Four Long Island Championship Games

Farmingdale (Class A), South Side (Class B), and Cold Spring Harbor (Class D) all won their Long Island Championship matchups today and advanced in the 2024 New York State Boys Lacrosse Tournament. Unfortunately, Wantagh fell to Bayport-Blue Point in Class C and finishes the season at 16-4. 
For Cold Spring Harbor (11-6) it was their third straight LIC win in Class D, and their sixth in the last nine years (counting three championships the Seahawks won in Class C from 2015-2017). 
Farmingdale captured their second straight Island Class A championship and their fifth overall. It was the first back to back titles for the Dalers in school history. 
The Cyclones of South Side continue their dream season by winning their second LIC in school history, exactly twenty years since their first in 2004. 

The three teams advance to the quarterfinal round of the NYS tournament which takes place on Saturday, June 1st at Middletown High School. The opponents all hail from Section IX. The schedule is as follows:

Class D: Cold Spring Harbor (11-6) vs. O'Neill (2-9) at 10:00 am

Class A: Farmingdale (15-5) vs. Monroe-Woodbury (10-6) at 12:30 pm

Class B: South Side (18-1) vs. Warwick Valley (16-1) at 3:00 pm

Long Island Championship Game Schedule

All four Long Island Championship games are Wednesday, May 29th. 
NOTE: There has been a location change for Class A and C games! 

Class A
Farmingdale (14-5) vs. Half Hallow Hills (18-1)
East Islip Middle School-Stadium Field
4:00 pm

Class D
Cold Spring Harbor (10-6) vs. Babylon (9-5)
Shuart Stadium, Hofstra University
4:30 pm

Class C
Wantagh (16-3) vs. Bayport-Blue Point (17-1)
East Islip Middle School-Stadium Field
6:30 pm

Class B
South Side (17-1) vs. East Islip (17-1)
Shuart Stadium, Hofstra University
7:00 pm

2024 Nassau County Champions

Class A: Farmingdale High School

Class B: South Side High School

Class C: Wantagh High School

Class D: Cold Spring Harbor High School

Nassau County HS Alumni Earn USILA Honors

This past week the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association announced their All-Americans for Divisions One, Two, and Three. Several players with Nassau County HS roots were named All-Americans. Massapequa led all Nassau schools with five selections! They are as follows:

South Side and Wantagh Each Win 2nd Championship in School History

Yesterday at Hofstra, South Side and Wantagh each won their second Nassau championship in school history. In Class B, South Side outlasted Manhasset 12-10, and Wantagh defeated Island Trees 13-4 to win the Class C crown. For each school it was their second Nassau championship in school history. The Cyclones won their other championship in 2004 and Wantagh won in 2001. For both schools, their other title was in Class B and yesterday marked the first time a school other than Garden City or Manhasset had won Class B since 2014 (Lynbrook). 
In the first game yesterday, the Cyclones (17-1) withstood a strong effort from Manhasset to win Class B. After scoring the game's first two goals, South Side found themselves trailing 5-2 midway through the second quarter. But a goal by Griffin Mills at the end of the first half off another Michael Melkonian faceoff win (he finished 22 of 23 at the dot in the game) gave the Cyclones a 7-5 advantage. The game would go back and forth throughout the second half but South Side took control in the fourth to end their championship drought. Michael Aiello, Cullen Lynch, and Owen West each scored three times for South Side. Conor Sheerin had a game-high four goals and Daniel Kolin had a goal and three assists for Manhasset (12-7). South Side advances to the Class B Long Island Championship on Wednesday, May 29th at Hofstra against Suffolk champion East Islip (17-1). Game time is 6:30 pm. 
In the nightcap, Wantagh defeated first-time finalist Island Trees, 13-4. Dylan Martini scored six goals and Jake Martini added two goals and three assists for the Warriors (16-3). Wantagh led 2-1 after a tight first quarter but would outscore the Bulldogs 11-3 the rest of the way to earn the Class C crown. Will Greaves won 14 of 20 faceoffs and Devin Paccione had three assists, giving the sophomore a Nassau-best 64 for the season for the Warriors. Kian McCoy scored three goals for Island Trees, who completed their best season in school history with a record of 12-7. Wantagh will face Suffolk champion Bayport-Blue Point (17-1) for the Long Island Class C title on Wednesday, May 29th at 6:30 pm at Longwood High School. 
Full Class B boxscore:   [ BOX SCORE] 
Full Class C boxscore:   [ BOX SCORE] 

Dennis Bonn: 350 Wins and Counting!

Congratulations to Cold Spring Harbor coach Dennis Bonn for winning his 350th game last night in the Seahawks Nassau Class D championship victory over Friends Academy. He now has the ninth most wins in Nassau lacrosse history, have recently passed former Port Washington coach Ken Case (348 wins) and Harry Morhman of Freeport (429) is the only active coach with more victories than Bonn.
Coach Bonn became the head coach at Cold Spring Harbor in 2000, replacing Jim Frank, who has 274 wins of his own at the Harbor. His career record stands at 350-88, with a winning percentage of 80%. A model of consistency, his teams have won an average of 15 games a season, with less than four losses a year. His teams have won 15 Nassau championships, 6 Long Island championships, and 6 New York State titles. He has won several major awards, including Nassau Coach of the Year four times (2002, 2006, 2017, and 2022) and was the NILCA National HS Coach of the Year in 2017.

To see the complete list of Nassau County coaching victories, click the link below!

Coaching Victories

Cold Spring Harbor and Farmingdale Repeat As Nassau Champions

Cold Spring Harbor 15, Friends Academy 8
Top seeded Cold Spring Harbor won their third straight Nassau Class D championship by downing #3 Friends Academy, 15-8. Kevin Burns and Alex Bauer each had three goals and an assist and Andrew Mazzei had two goals and two assists for the Seahawks (10-6). Freshman Roy Testa added three goals for the winners, and Clark Beard had three goals for Friends Academy (11-7). Cold Spring Harbor has now 15 overall Nassau championships, including victories in the overall (prior to 1986), Class C, and Class D.  [ BOX SCORE] 

Farmingdale 7, Massapequa 5
Cuinn Sunde and Brendan O'Keefe each scored two goals to lead Farmingdale to their second consecutive Nassau Class A championship and 15th overall in school history. O'Keefe had an assist and James Caputo made nine saves in goal for the Dalers (14-5). JJ Damo of Farmingdale won 8 of 15 faceoffs and had eight ground balls in the win. Tyler Byrnes scored two goals for the Chiefs, who finished the season with a record of 10-9.   [ BOX SCORE] 

Farmingdale Rolls and Massapequa Stuns Syosset in Class A Semifinals

Farmingdale 12, Port Washington 5
Top seeded Farmingdale broke open a close game by scoring five consecutive second half goals in their 12-5 semifinal victory over #4 Port Washington. Caden Lennon scored five goals and added an assist and Brendan O'Keefe had a goal and three assists for the Dalers (13-5). Jimmy Caputo totaled 16 saves for Farmingdale. Steve Braunshweiger scored two goals for Port Washington (4-12). Farmingdale will be appearing in their third Nassau A championship game in the last four years on Thursday at 7:30 pm at Hofstra against Massapequa.   [ BOX SCORE] 

Massapequa 11, Syosset 10
Down 10-4 in the third quarter, #2 Massapequa rallied to defeat #3 Syosset, 11-10, in a Nassau Class A semifinal. With less than 30 seconds remaining and the score tied at 10, defenseman Ryan Wieczorek intercepted a pass, ran the length of the field and fed Jack Garguilo for the winning goal for the Chiefs (10-8). Wieczorek had two goals to go along with his game-winning assist, Gargulio totaled two goals, and Joey Diesso had two goals and an assist for Massapequa. David Disque led the Braves (9-9) with five goals and an assist. He finished the season with 61 goals and 32 assists.   [ BOX SCORE] 

South Side Rolls On, Island Trees & Wantagh Move On In Class C

South Side 12, Carey 3
Michael Melkonian won 15 of 17 face-offs and Michael Aiello scored six goals to lead top seeded South Side over #5 Carey in the Nassau Class B semifinals yesterday. Cullen Lynch added four goals and an assist for the Cyclones (16-1).  South Side plays #3 seed Manhasset for the Nassau County Class B Championship on Friday at 5:00 pm at Hofstra University. Rich Metzger made 14 saves for the Seahawks who finished the season at 12-6. [ BOX SCORE] 

Wantagh 16, Bethpage 5
Top seed Wantagh broke open as close game by outscoring #4 seed Bethpage 11-2 in the second half to advance to the Nassau Class C Championship. Devin Paccione had four goals and four assists and Will Greaves won 17 of 25 faceoffs for the Warriors (15-3). Wantagh will play #3 seed Island Trees at 7:30 pm Friday at Hofstra for the C title.  Bethpage finished at 12-6.  [ BOX SCORE] 

Island Trees 14, Seaford 6
Island Trees pulled off the upset by defeating #2 seed Seaford in the Nassau Class C semifinals last night at Hofstra. The third seeded Bulldogs had lost to Seaford 12-6 on April 5th, but flipped the tables behind John Echezuria (5g, 1a) and Kian McCoy (3g, 3a). For Island Trees, this will be their first Nassau championship game appearance in school history. Seaford finished at 13-5. [ BOX SCORE] 

Manhasset Takes Down Garden City In B Semifinals

Manhasset 6, Garden City 5
Daniel Kolin scored three goals to lead #3 seeded Manhasset past #2 Garden City in the Nassau Class B semifinals yesterday at Hofstra. Garden City (15-3) raced out to a 3-0 first quarter lead behind individual goals from Charlie Koester, Andrew Ottomanelli and Dan Medjid. But the Indians (12-6) rallied and tied the game at 3 by the end of the quarter, and a goal by Michael Mondiello gave Manhasset a 4-3 halftime advantage. Kolin scored the only Manhasset goals of the second half, and his unassisted tally with 4:15 left proved to be the game-winner. Medjid scored his second goal on a pass from Koester with 0:48 left in the game to cut the Manhasset lead to one. The Trojans won the ensuing faceoff, but a last second bounce shot by Ottomanelli was saved by Matt Im (9 saves) to close out the victory for Manhasset. Earlier in the season, Garden City had defeated Manhasset, 7-2, in the team's annual contest called the Woodstick Classic.  [ BOX SCORE] 

Friends Academy Advances in Class D

Friends Academy 14, Oyster Bay 5
Cambell Florence and Cooper Schultz each scored four goals to lead #3 Friends Academy past #2 Oyster Bay in the Nassau Class D Semifinals played at Hofstra University. Florence added two assists and Schultz had one to go with their goals for the Quakers (11-6), and teammate Clark Beard added three goals and two assists. Chris Lingen had two goals and an assist for the Baymen (9-8). Friends will play #1 seed and defending champion Cold Spring Harbor in the Class D championship on Thursday at 5:00 pm.  [ BOX SCORE] 

2024 Nassau County Playoffs Are Here!

THE 2024 NASSAU COUNTY LACROSSE PLAYOFFS ARE UNDER WAY! 

BLAXEIGHT.NET IS THE HOME TO EVERYTHING PLAYOFFS IN NASSAU COUNTY.

TO SEE THE CURRENT BRACKETS, CLICK HERE: 2024 NASSAU BRACKETS