Syosset Boys Lacrosse Falls to Massapequa, 8-6

What started as an impressive Syosset performance in the first half ended as a show of Massapequa grit in an 8-6 Chief's come from behind victory at  Thursday. 

The Braves walked into the halftime locker room leading 5-3. Struggling to match the Braves intensity, Massapequa needed a pep talk, as the majority of the Chief's 11 shots had come from the perimeter. For a game billed as a big early season test for both, Syosset had won the first 24 minutes convincingly.

However, the Massapequa coaching staff wasn’t panicking.

“We told our guys that it’s a 48 minute game,” Massapequa coach Tim Radomski said. “Win one quarter at a time”

It took under a minute for that pep talk to take hold. Both Jamie Shand and Brent Lawless scored in the first 60 seconds of the second half, tying the game at five.

The Chiefs (7-1, 5-0) took their first lead of the game when Matt Young scored with 7:38 to go in the third quarter. The Braves John Diaz tied the game at six late in the third quarter, setting up a do-or-die final eight minutes.

After Syosset (4-3, 3-1) failed to capitalize on three good looks at the net, Massapequa broke through for good. This time it was Dylan Sheehan breaking the draw. The goal was Sheehan’s third of the day, capping an outstanding afternoon for the prolific scorer.

Shand added an insurance goal with 5:28 left in the game, diving from behind the net and wrapping his stick around the left post and past Syosset goaltender Ryan Feit.

“We expect that from Jamie every game, he played great,” Radomski said. “He got banged up a little bit and went back in and put us up by two, which was what we needed.”

Chief's goalie Joe Danaher was solid in net all game, specifically in the second half. Danaher made 15 saves, 10 of which came in the final 24 minutes.

“Our goalie played unbelievable,” Radomski said. “He made saves when he needed to.”

As the teams walked off the field, both had a different demeanor than they did entering halftime. Massapequa was jubilant, chanting in celebration. Syosset, on the other hand, was left wondering what went wrong.

“I think Massapequa intimidated us a little bit in the second half with the high pressure [defense],” Syosset coach John Calabria said. “We didn’t step up in the way that I know our team can. They took us out of what we do and they deserve a lot of credit.”

Syosset will have to let go of the loss quickly. They left early Friday morning for a non-league game in Maryland this weekend.

Hero: Sheehan - In addition to three goals, Sheehan had four assists. He fired a shot over the shoulder of Feit with 8:44 left in the first quarter, giving the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. After three consecutive Braves goals, Sheehan cut the lead to 3-2 with 2:10 left in the high scoring first.

Turning Point: Although they would fight back to tie the game at six, Syosset never recovered from the Chiefs’ two goals in the first minute of the third quarter. It wasn’t as much the fact that Massapequa tied the game that appeared to throw the Braves off, it was the ease in which they did it. The intensity on both ends was too much for the Braves to handle.

Quotable: “The kids played tough,” Radomski said. “Our man down unit played big when they needed to.”

“This is a huge building block game for us,” Calabria said. “We did lose, but it’s tough to beat a team twice. We will see Massapequa again on our road to the county championship. Hopefully, we will make this the best thing that ever happened to us this season.”     

Bottom Line: The magnitude of this win cannot be understated for the Chiefs. It was a road game against a tough opponent in which they came out flat and found a way to win. These are the kind of games the Chiefs will see later in the season and in the playoffs.

Although Massapequa cannot make a habit of playing like they did in the first half, the fact that they were able to turn on the switch when it mattered most is a testament to how talented this team is.   

The next few games for Syosset will be crucial. They cannot let this stumble spiral into a losing streak, especially with a road trip coming up. How the Braves respond to this disappointment will show what kind of team they are.

Key Stat: Massapequa won 12 face offs, while Syosset won seven.

Who’s Next: Massapequa @ Connetquot, Wednesday 11 a.m.

Syosset @ Chesapeake High School in Pasadena, Maryland, Saturday 1 p.m.

Box Score:

Goals: Massapequa: Sheehan (3), Shand (2), Lawless (2), Young. Syosset: Hunter (2), Diaz (2), Keith, Dantona.

Saves: Danaher (Massapequa): 15. 

Hunter (Syosset): 11