Thursday, October 1, 2026
The road to Hofstra isn’t always mapped out the same way.
A year ago, the Carey boys lacrosse team made its return to Shuart Stadium on the backs of a bevy of three-year starters. It was that senior-laden team's first trip to the final four since reaching the Nassau Class B final in 2021.
Coach Tom Aiello knew if the Seahawks made a return trip, it would mean they’d do a lot of growing up during the regular season.
“There weren’t a lot of kids who played a lot,” Aiello said. “We’ve been getting better, I think, each game. We’re getting there.”
Can ‘there’ be Hofstra again? That remains to be seen, but Carey (8-5) picked up a huge 15-5 win over Mepham last Friday that could help keep the Seahawks away from powerhouses Garden City and Manhasset in the quarterfinals.
Senior James McGrath had seven goals and two assists in that massive win, junior Michael Carollo had three goals and two assists and junior Vince Vicari added three goals and one assist.
That extended Carey’s winning streak to four games, a streak that started with an 8-7 overtime victory against Calhoun on April 22. In that game, McGrath had four goals, including the overtime winner.
“We’ve definitely gotten better,” Aiello said. “We made a lot of unforced errors, and I think we can have better results, but we’re getting to the point where we’re not hurting ourselves. The defense is all new starters who didn’t have a lot of experience, but they’re getting better. That’s the key.”
Junior Steven Martinez, who transferred back into the district from Portledge, has been solid in his first year as the starting goaltender, making 136 saves.
“He’s been a breath of fresh air,” Aiello said of Martinez. “He’s made some good saves. He’s doing a really nice job in the cage for us. He’s been great.”
Senior defensemen Jack Leimgruber and James Steinberg, and junior defender Sal D’Amato have impressed Aiello, while sophomore Nick DiGennaro, who was on JV last year, has battled at the faceoff X.
“He doesn’t have a lot of lacrosse experience, but he’s really working at it,” Aiello said. “Listen, he’s not dominating, but he’s giving us a chance.”
There’s a little more experience on the offensive side of the ball, with McGrath, Vicari, junior Jayden Radow, senior Ethan Pelzer, and senior Will Cooper all seeing significant time.
McGrath is the leader offensively with 46 goals and 17 assists. Vicari has 24 goals and 21 assists, Radow has 19 goals and 17 assists, Pelzer has 15 goals and 18 assists, Carollo has 13 goals and 10 assists, and Cooper, who was primarily a defensive midfielder last year, has chipped in 11 goals and 12 assists.
Carey has given up just eight goals a game, while averaging 10.5 goals per game.
Up next is another big game against a Roslyn team unbeaten in League 2A. It’s another game with major playoff implications, another test for Carey, another chance for the Seahawks to show their growth.
