South Side wins home opener

A year after making a run to the Nassau Class B boys’ lacrosse semifinals and coming within five minutes of reaching the title game, South Side is faced with finding new leadership and chemistry.

“Last year’s seniors left a legacy,” coach Steve DiPietro said after the Cyclones held off visiting Baldwin, 7-5, in a non-league game played March 29 on the new turf field at the high school. “All the guys worked tremendously hard during the offseason,” he added. “We’re not playing to our potential yet, but it’s early. We like to play top competition early in the season and use the games as a barometer.”

South Side opened 2015 with one win in its first seven games before righting the ship. This spring, the Cyclones are 2-2 out of the gate with losses to defending Nassau Class C champion Cold Spring Harbor and perennial Class A title contender Syosset. They won at Carey before playing their first game at the high school in more than a decade.

“It was a long time coming and a great environment,” DiPietro said of the home win over Baldwin, which featured a hat trick from Joe Marasco and two goals and one assist from Ryan Langdon.

Marasco joined Langdon and Mike Leake on the attack to form an all-junior front line. Langdon, who was the team’s second-leading scorer a year ago, is shifty with strong stick skills, DiPietro said. The chemistry between Langdon and Leake, a third-year starter with a big left-handed shot, has carried over from last season. Marasco is dangerous in the crease and moves well off the ball. The coach is hopeful talented sophomore Jack Kimmel (mono) can return at some point this spring to bolster the unit.

In the midfield, junior Tim Leake returned as South Side’s face-off specialist and is off to a solid start in the X. His success on draws was a big reason the Cyclones knocked off Long Beach in last year’s playoff quarterfinals. Seniors Joe Hill and Andrew Livingstone have earned expanded roles after seeing a chunk of playing time last season, and senior Pat Rudolph will see time in the midfield and attack. Senior Peter Malizia and juniors Dan Mallay, Jonny Pickett, and James Testa are making an impact as well.

DiPietro said long pole middie Joe LiCalzi, a returning All-County honoree, has been the team’s best player so far. “His work habits are excellent and he’s the key to our transition game,” the coach said.

Defensively, the Cyclones are led by seniors Terence McMenamy, Brian Schaefer, Hays Rainis and Joe Casavecchia. McMenamy recently helped lead the school’s club hockey team to a county championship and appears fully recovered from leg injuries that slowed him in the past. Schaefer plays a physical style.

Between the pipes, senior goalie Chris Aranalde has taken hold of the starting job after spending last season as the backup. Sophomore JT McCarthy is also in the mix to get work in the cage.

“We just have to fine tune a few things and I think we’ll be OK,” DiPietro said.