Carey topped by Manhasset

A strong season on the lacrosse field came to an end as Carey dropped on 8-4 decision to perennial power Manhasset in the quarterfinal round of the Class B boys’ playoffs at Adelphi University last Friday night. The Seahawks finished with an overall record of 11-6.

With the win, Manhasset, a team that has won 15 county championships, moves on to the semifinals where it will meet longtime rival Garden City. Senior Matt Robison scored three goals for Carey to finish the season with 47 tallies. John Paul Young was outstanding in net for Manhasset, registering 12 saves.

Carey coach Tom Aiello knows it just wasn’t his team’s night. “We didn’t get off to the start we were hoping for and fell behind,” Aiello said. “They’re a premier program. They played fast and physical, and their goalie had a terrific game. We knew we’d have to play a great game to beat them. We had an injury early in the game, and we turned the ball over a little too often. To our credit, we played hard right until the end.”

The injury Aiello eluded to was a leg injury to junior midfielder Mike DeLeo. For a team that relies on its speed, especially when facing Manhasset, losing a player like DeLeo was a serious blow to the Seahawks. The Indians ran out to a 4-0 lead before Carey got on the scoreboard.

The Seahawks got to the round of eight with a hard-fought 7-5 victory over Seaford in the first round of the playoffs. Junior Tom Mayer, who found the back of the net twice in the game, scored early in the fourth quarter to break a 5-5 tie. Junior Brett Campos, who was a major reason for Carey’s success in 2014, was a perfect 16-for-16 in the faceoff circle.

Junior Nick Spillane, who scored three times against Seaford and finished the season with 50 goals and 25 assists, will be one of Carey’s top returnees in 2015. He scored five goals or more in wins over Plainedge, Bethpage, and Wantagh. 

Carey’s defense and goaltending were big reasons for an eight-game winning streak that lasted nearly the entire month of April. With juniors Kieran Murchie, Tommy Gallant, and Jorge Cerquera on the backline, and Dom Serio in net, the Seahawks were clicking on all cylinders. Serio had a 14 saves in a 9-7 win over Long Beach, and stopped a career-high 18 shots in a loss to Massapequa.

While the Seahawks will return a good amount of talent, and Aiello will get some help from some a strong junior varsity, replacing seniors DeMeo, Robison, and Ray Catapano will be difficult.

“They weren’t just very good players, they were leaders on the field,” Aiello said. “This group was a pleasure to coach. It has never been about one guy with this bunch; it’s always been about what’s best for the team. I’m going to missing coaching them.”