- First Posted: 2023-04-30
- Updated: 2023-05-21 13:24:01
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Games To Watch: Week of May 1st
With two and a half weeks left in the regular season, this weeks slate of games is punctuated by several critical conference matchups. Let's look at a few of them:
Massapequa at Port Washington, Tuesday, May 2nd, 5:15 pm: Don't let Massapequa's 6-6 record fool you, the Chiefs have played one of the most difficult non-league schuedules in New York State. Seniors Patrick Radomski (27g-16a-43pts), Michael Durnin (21-20-41), Aidan Christie (16-22-38), and Will Birney (22-3-25) lead the Massapequa offense while Ryan Fountain and Michael Jannotte (116 saves) are defensive standouts. Port Washington (7-4), the defending Nassau Class A champion, will counter with Richmond-bound Luke Meyer (28-13-41) and John McCarthy (20-8-28) offensively. Both teams are coming off tough non-league losses and will look to stay in the hunt for the regular-season Conference A championship.
Roslyn at Long Beach, Tuesday, May 2nd, 5:00 pm: This game will have Conference B playoff implications with Roslyn and Long Beach both at 2-2 with four league games remaining. A matchup to watch for here is Alex Gatto of Roslyn (8-3), a Michigan commit who has 51 points, against Jack Skarren of Long Beach (6-5), a returning All-County player who is headed to St. John's.
Farmingdale at Syosset, Wednesday, May 3rd, 5:00 pm: These two Class A heavyweights have played almost every year since 1969, and Farmingdale (8-3) holds a 16-10 lead in games played since 2000. This one should go a long way in determining who will finished in first place in Conference A. Both teams feature strong goaltending- Mike Ippoliti (Syracuse) for Farmingdale and Zachary Finkelstein for Syosset (8-4).
South Side at Garden City, Wednesday, May 3rd, 4:30 pm: This game features the top preseason seeds in Conference B. Garden City (7-4) is coming off an overtime loss to Manhasset, and South Side (8-3) has won five of their last six games. Michael Melkonian is the party starter for the Cyclones at the faceoff X, winning 72% of his draws this season. Lehigh commit Jack Archer (17-17-34) leads Garden City in points, while Stevie Finnell (Duke) has been Mr. Clutch for the Trojans all season.
Wantagh at Cold Spring Harbor, Wednesday, May 3rd, 7:00 pm: This Conference C/D game features Wantagh's strong offense (11.75 goals per game) against the always stout Cold Spring Harbor defense (6.8 goals allowed per game). Two of the youngest players in the game- the Seahawks Alex Bauer (25 points), a sophomore, and the Warriors Devin Paccione (28 points), a freshman, will play prominent roles for their respective teams.
Plainedge at Manhasset, Wednesday, May 3rd, 5:00 pm: Can the Red Devils pull the upset when they visit undefeated Manhasset (10-0)? The Indians, fresh off an overtime win over Garden City in the Woodstick Classic, will have the faceoff advantage with Cal Girard, a returning All-American and Duke commit who is winning a remarkable 88% of his draws this season. Liam Connor (Colgate) leads Manhasset with 36 points. Plainedge (9-2) will counter with Adelphi-bound Braden Donnellan, who is one the top scorers in the county with 57 points.
North Shore at Island Trees, Friday, May 5th, 7:00 pm: Another Conference C/D game that will certainly have playoff implications. Island Trees is 0-4 in conference play and needs wins to secure a playoff berth, while North Shore is 2-2 but will be playing their third game of the week on Friday night. Kian McCoy and Matthew D'Aversa are underclassmen that are top scorers for their respective squads. Cole Gibstein has won 72% of his faceoffs and could win the possession battle for North Shore.