Early tests will help Jets

The road to success is rarely an easy one and keeping that in mind, East Meadow boys’ lacrosse coach Lou Lago didn’t put any pushover opponents on the non-conference portion of the Jets’ 2014 schedule.

Instead of putting their toes in the water with a team heavy on younger players, East Meadow dove right into the season with battles against Kellenberg, Wantagh and North Shore. The Jets came out of the early games with a 1-2 mark, dropping the final two games (11-5 at Kellenberg on March 27) and an 8-6 decision to Wantagh, a perennial Nassau County power, two days earlier.

“We tried to schedule good competition early on for non-league so the kids get a good mindset for the schedule,” Lago said. “The effort was good and it’s good competition for the boys. They knew they were facing good teams and it gets them going in the right direction.

Senior midfielder Nick Suchocki started off strong in the goal-scoring department by tallying five through the first three games, and handles a considerable amount of responsibility. On top of helping generate offense with goals and assists (two through three games), he helps create possessions with strong work on faceoffs. “He’s a workhorse for us,” Lago said of Suchocki, who last season earned All County Honorable Mention.

Joining Suchocki in the midfield mix are junior Matt Caramante and freshman J.R. Howell. According to Lago, Caramante is a player the team is expecting bigger things from as he hits upperclass status. Caramante scored in two of East Meadow’s first three games. “He was a role player for us [last season], but we’re going to look for him to step up,” he said.

Junior attack Joe Barbato missed the Wantagh loss, but the strong finisher scored two goals in each of the two games he played. Despite giving up size in and around the crease, Barbato’s quickness enables him to stay a step ahead of defenders and it gives Suchocki a great target to look for. He netted the game-winner in the double-overtime victory over North Shore.

The Jets have some new defenders working their way into the rotation, but as long as senior Billy Andrele is on the backline, he can steady the ship. Senior Dan Wood offers plenty of experience in net and has made a habit of turning back tough shots, stopping at least 15 in each start. “He’s done a real nice job in goal,” Lago said. “He has a knack for making good saves and seems to be on top of seeing the ball.”

Seeded No. 8 in the conference entering the spring, East Meadow jumps into an immediate tough stretch, battling Hicksville (10 a.m. this Saturday) and Farmingdale (April 8, 4:15 p.m.) at home and traveling to Port Washington (April 11, 4:15 p.m.) before an 11-day break for the holidays.