Diaz Dekes Syosset Boys Lacrosse Into Semis

Lacrosse is more than just a game for John Diaz. It’s a way of life. The Syosset Braves sophomore attackman finds the game soothing, a way to immerse himself in something he loves unconditionally.    

That love has been ingrained in Diaz. He’s had a lacrosse stick in hand from a very young age, Kindergarten he approximates. Diaz credits his lacrosse education to his father, fostering a love of the sport that has led to incredible success.

That success continued during . Not only did Diaz have a hat trick in the win, but he scored one of the most important goals of the afternoon.

After Syosset was assessed an illegal stick penalty at the end of the third quarter, Diaz found himself standing at the end line, to the right of Baldwin’s net, with possession of the ball. Down a man for a full three minutes, the sophomore had a flash back. But this sudden vision had nothing to do with his own experiences, rather something he had seen on television a few weeks earlier.

On May 8, Diaz was glued to the Ivy League championship game between Harvard and Cornell. An illegal stick penalty called on Harvard broke the game open in the first half. The Crimson went on to lose 15-6. Not wanting the same fortune to befall his squad, Diaz took matters into his own hands. Or rather, his own stick.

“I thought I had to step up big and take it for the team,” Diaz said. “Our whole team played well and came together during that part of the game.”

Diaz sprinted to the front of the net and stuffed the ball past Baldwin goalie Brett Dadiego. Syosset led 7-5. The goal was part of a six goal fourth quarter, one that broke open the tight quarterfinal.

This momentum turner was a fitting end to his net-finding afternoon. His second goal came with 4:06 left in the third quarter. On a fast break, Diaz deked Dadiego to his right and fired the ball into an empty net, giving the Braves a 6-3 lead.  

“I credit that to my coaches and my goalie, ,” Diaz said. “Every day we do fast breaks in practice. They’re on me to fake and shoot and take high percentage shots. The coaches are always riding me for that and that’s what I did in the moment.”

The Braves will face Massapequa in Thursday’s semi-final. The Chiefs topped Syosset 8-6 on April 14. Diaz notched two goals and two assists in the loss.

“We have to play smart,” Diaz said. “We have to get ready in practice and come ready to play like we did Tuesday.”

The Braves and Chiefs will face off 3:30pm at Hofstra’s North Soccer Field.