Syosset Boys Lacrosse Tops Port Washington For First Conference Win

The Syosset boys lacrosse team defeated Port Washington 8-4 at on Wednesday afternoon for the Braves first conference victory of the season.

The four goal margin that separated the two foes is not truly indicative of how one-sided the majority of the game was, specifically the middle two quarters. Port Washington’s John Crawley needed to score three times in the final three minutes to turn a blowout into something a little more respectable.

Syosset held a 7-1 lead entering the final quarter. With 7:02 left in the game, Ryan Hunter added to that lead. The shot was a rocket that skidded past the goaltender's right shoulder and into the net.

It was fitting that Hunter would cap off the Syosset scoring off with that kind of vigor. The junior had two other goals in the victory, matching his total from and bringing his season count to 10. 

Senior D.J Schmieder also played a large part in the Braves offensive success. The senior had two goals and an assist. After a flurry of Syosset chances late in the second quarter, Schmieder found the net, sending the Braves into the locker room with a four goal lead.

“Hunter and Schmieder had a good day,” Syosset coach John Calabria said. “(They) kept their heads up, looking for double teams, and looking to move the ball.”

Offense wasn’t the lone story of the game for Syosset. The Braves limited Port Washington (4-1, 1-1) to nine shots in the first half, building the lead through ball control and timely checks. In the opening moments of the second quarter, Andrew Tranchina eliminated a potential Port Washington chance with a strong stick check in front of the net. The play jarred the ball loose before it could be fired towards Braves goalie Ryan Feit.

“Tranchina and [Alirio] Demeireles really are getting better every time they play together,” Calabria said of two of the Braves top defensemen. “They force turnovers and cause the other team to make errors.”  

Feit turned in another excellent performance, making six saves in the win.

“Our goalie is really outstanding,” Calabria said. “Even when the other team gets a good look, he takes it away from them.”

The only sour moment of the afternoon came with under a minute to go. After a fairly aggressive scrum for a loose ball, players from both teams had to be separated.

Frustration had clearly boiled over as the final seconds ticked away on the soggy playing surface. Port Washington had struggled all day and were staring at their first loss of the season. Syosset, who had placed reserves in the game by this point, had allowed three goals in under three minutes. Neither side was particularly happy.

After a lengthy deliberation, referees determined that the game would end without the final 19 seconds being played. More importantly, however, was the decision not to eject players from both sides. Those infractions would have been accompanied by a one game suspension for each player involved, perhaps impacting two early season conference games.

“It would have been a detriment to both teams and would have changed the dynamics of the whole conference,” Calabria said of the referee’s decision.

Hero: Hunter - His first goal came with 11:07 left in the second quarter. Hunter lofted a shot over Port Washington goalie Marco Ristic’s shoulder to give Syosset a 3-1 lead. The junior’s second goal gave the Braves a 6-1 lead with 10:37 left in the third.

Turning Point: After scoring only one goal in the first quarter, Syosset asserted themselves offensively in the second. Rob Storrie gave the Braves a 4-1 lead with 8:44 left before halftime. Schmieder, who would score later in the quarter, assisted on the goal.

Quotable: “Our kids typically are pretty crisp with their passing and today that wasn’t the case,” Calabria said of the slow start. “We were in a situation where we weren’t feeling the energy in the first conference game, and they should have. Once we settled in, we were able to move the ball around a little bit and get Port Washington where we wanted them.”

Bottom Line: This was an impressive win for the Braves. Port Washington came into the game undefeated and was taken out of the game early. As good as Syosset was with the ball in their sticks, they were better on defense. With strong defensemen and one of the best goalies in the country, this team will be tough to knock off before the playoffs.

Key Stat: Syosset had 22 shots in the first half, Port Washington had 25 in the entire game.

Whos Next:  Syosset @ Hicksville, Friday 4:15pm

Port Washington @ Long Beach (@Long Beach Middle School), Friday 7p.m

Box Score

Goals Syosset: Andrew Keith, Andrew Tranchina, Ryan Hunter (3), Rob Storrie, D.J Schmieder (2) Port Washington: Jon Keren, John Crawley (3).