Carey peaking at right time

Posted

The talk at the beginning of lacrosse season at Carey was about getting better each day, and peaking when playoff time came around. The Seahawks certainly had their highs and lows throughout the season, but after a pair of recent victories, it appears Carey is where it hoped to be going into postseason play.

Sophomore Nick Spillane scored three goals, and assisted on three others to lead the Seahawks a 10- 5 win over visiting Calhoun on April 30. Junior Ray Catapano added three goals, and sophomore Mike DeLeo scored twice and assisted on another. 

Last Friday, Carey continued its winning ways with a 19-9 road win over district-rival New Hyde Park. Junior Matt Robison found the back of the net five times, and sophomore Tom Mayer had four goals and three helpers as the Seahawks improved to 4-2 in Conference B-I.

Head coach Tom Aiello is pleased with the progress his young team has made. “We would have liked to have pulled out a few more wins, but we’re pretty much where we want to be going into the playoffs,” Aiello said. “We played a tough non-conference schedule to get us prepared for the league games. We’re really starting to click. It’s not how you play in March and early April that counts. We want to be playing our best lacrosse in May.”

One of the games Carey would like to have back is a 9-7 loss to then-undefeated Long Beach. The Seahawks battled back from a four-goal deficit to tie the score at 6-6, but the Marines scored the next three to put the game away. Catapano and Spillane each scored a pair of goals in the loss, while senior goalie Nick Fasano had 12 saves.

The loss followed an 8-5 home win over South Side. The Seahawks fell behind early, but rallied back with four goals in the second quarter to take a lead that they would never relinquish. Robison scored three goals, and Spillane added a pair and an assist. Junior Dylan Demeo had four assists, and Fasano stopped 11 shots to earn the win.

As any lacrosse fan knows, winning face-offs is one of the biggest keys to winning games. If you control the ball, you can control the game. While the face-off man doesn’t typically garner the same accolades as a leading scorer, Carey wouldn’t be nearly as successful without the quick hands and balance of sophomore Brett Campos.

Campos, who won 24-of-28 face-offs in the victory over New Hyde Park, and 19-of-23 in a victory over Bethpage earlier in the season, has been solid in the face-off circle all year. 

Aiello sees ball control as essential to the team’s success. “We have enough talent to play with just about anyone,” Aiello said. “We have to value the ball, and value each possession. We’re playing good lacrosse when we control play, and limit our mistakes. We’re looking forward to the playoffs.”