Laying a Foundation of Sticks Longwood lacrosse progresses to its first-ever varsity program: [EAST END Edition]
By A.J. Benza. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, 07 Apr 1991
You talk to coach Al Schroeder and the message is clear. Don’t take his lacrosse team lightly, even though the club is playing in its first-ever varsity season.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that a bunch of these guys have been together for five years,” Schroeder said. “We’ve come through this like a family and this season is just the natural progression of things.”
What may not seem so natural is Longwood‘s competitive showing against respected squads Smithtown East and Huntington. And though the Lions dropped both games by respective scores of 12-7 and 9-8, it did recently defeat Baldwin in a scrimmage, and those appearances were strong enough to boost Schroeder’s confidence – even with upcoming games against Harborfields and Oceanside.
Five years ago, Schroeder fielded a junior high team that played on that level for two years. That group evolved into the freshman squad. Last year it competed on the jayvee level and this season Schroeder’s boys find themselves in the middle of the League I dogfight.
“These kids are hungry and they’re pumped to beat some people,” Schroeder said. “Do you know what it’s like waiting five years for a moment to begin?”
Lacrosse, though, has more than just begun for a pair of Longwood players. Midfielders Joey Loiacono and James Tuite were recruited by, and will attend, Massachusetts and West Point. Recruiters from the respective schools noticed the players at tryouts for last year’s Empire State Games team and expressed interest soon after.
Even Tommy Rotanz, a Ward Melville graduate from the late 1970’s, is helping out as an assistant coach. “Tommy has been around winning a little bit and that attitude has come across to my players,” Schroeder said.
Longwood‘s threat is also spreading to area powers. Just last week, Schroeder watched a roundtable discussion on Cablevision’s “High School Sports Week” and heard Sachem coach Rick Mercurio praise Longwood‘s chances. “I almost fell down,” Schroeder said. “But then I thought how League I is going to be a legitimate battle. There are a lot of relatively young lacrosse programs there.”
Aside from five-year players Chris Filasky, Kevin Grennan, Jay Narvaez, Ryan McCormack, Roy Heller, Mike Sergio, Eddie Baldante and Dave Murphy, Schroeder is particularly high on his short goalie, Kelly Bixler. Although Bixler is a thin 5-5, Schroeder said he has yet to play a game this year when an opposing coach hasn’t remarked about the junior’s talents.
“All of these kids are so anxious to win and be a part of the school’s history, that’s all they talk about,” Schroeder said. Team members are already talking about the ceremony that will follow their first victory, when every player will sign his name to a ball to be placed in the school’s trophy case. “They know they’ll never be forgotten.” Testing the waters
Longwood’s Lacrosse Debut Spoiled: [SUFFOLK Edition]
Newsday, 20 Mar 1991
E.J. Youngling scored all three of his goals and John Fitzgerald scored two of his three goals in the first quarter as Smithtown East jumped to a 6-1 lead and went on to spoil Longwood‘s varsity boys lacrosse debut, 12-7, yesterday. Joe Loiacono (three goals) scored Longwood‘s first goal late in the first quarter. Longwood district started a program in 1986 at the junior high level, and it progressed over five years to a varsity program, according to Allen Schroeder, who has coached the team all five years.
Boys Lacrosse Brendan Carey scored off a pass from Eric Toedtman with 1:47 left to play as Huntington edged Longwood, 9-8, yesterday. Ian Ritcey led the winners with four goals. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 27 Mar 1991
Kurt Kielbasa scored with 39 seconds left on an assist from Chris Danler to break a tie at 11 and lift Middle Country past Longwood, 12-11. Middle Country’s Phil Morelli scored with 1:36 left on an assist from Eddie Giambalvo to tie the score at 11. Danler finished with three goals and four assists, Kielbasa had three goals and one assist and Giambalvo had two goals and three assists.- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 05 Apr 1991
Brentwood Victorious:
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Apr 1991
Mike O’Shea scored from five yards out on a feed from Craig Pomroy with 2:43 left as Brentwood edged Longwood, 7-6, yesterday in a Suffolk League I lacrosse game. Pomroy converted a pass from O’Shea with 6:51 left to tie the score at 6. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Apr 1991
Ed Baldante’s goal with 1:28 left in the third quarter broke a tie at 10 as Longwood downed Middle Country, 14-10. Jay Narvaez scored five goals and Joe Loiacano had a goal and four assists to lead Longwood, which scored four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter. Kelly Bixler made 18 saves, including eight in the fourth, for Longwood. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 May 1991:
Bob Moltisanti converted Sean Harman’s crossing pass with two seconds remaining to lift Connetquot to a 6-5 victory at Longwood yesterday in a League I-II boys lacrosse crossover game. Joe Loiacono’s goal with 1:15 to play tied the score at 5 for Longwood. Harman and teammate Larry Adams each had two goals, and Adams won 12 of 15 faceoffs.- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 23 Apr 1991
HIGH SCHOOLS Longwood Edges Floyd on Late Goal: [SUFFOLK Edition]
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 15 May 1991
Chris Filasky scored an unassisted goal with 30 seconds remaining in the game to break a 7-7 tie and lift Longwood to an 8-7 League I victory over Floyd yesterday in lacrosse. Longwood‘s Jay Narvaez scored an unassisted goal with 1:33 left to give Longwood a 7-6 lead, but Floyd tied the score on Peter Gillen’s goal 23 seconds later. Narvaez finished with three goals.- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 15 May 1991
Danny Lucaino’s first goal in the third quarter broke a tie at 3 as Brentwood clinched the League I lacrosse title with a 5-4 win yesterday over Longwood. Luciano added an insurance goal later in the quarter. Teammate Graig Pomroy scored three goals, including the tying goal early in the second half. Brentwood killed off three penalties during the fourth quarter and finished the league season at 10-4.- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 18 May 1991