The Owls have strong reason to believe they can pick up where they left off last season when they finished with seven wins in their last nine, including a split of Class A playoff games, to salvage a .500 campaign at 11-11.
Three full-time starters and a host of others with a good deal of varsity experience return and head coach Brian Donaldson believes the sky is the limit.
“The expectations are to be right in the mix to win the first county title for the program since 1989,” he said. “We’re capable of being right there. We have a nice combination of height and guard play and experience.”
Senior Jake Prince just completed a standout year as Lynbrook’s soccer goalkeeper and is the lone returning award winner on the hardwood, garnering All-Conference honors. The 6-foot-4 forward is versatile enough to play any position both offensively and defensively, Donaldson said, and was ultra-productive during the late-season surge averaging a dozen points and six rebounds during the playoff push.
“He’s the kid opponents are going to game plan for the most,” the coach noted.
Senior Jaime Pereira is a combo guard who can shoot, get to the rim and distribute. He’ll also defend opponents’ top perimeter threat and serve as a key in the Owls’ up-tempo style and transition game.
Wing Devin Byrne, another senior, is a tenacious defender with 3-point range that’ll keep defenses honest. Senior Cooper Cordes is their most lethal outside threat, Donaldson noted, and a vocal leader stepping into a starting role.
Few if any teams will match Lynbrook’s paint presence with 6-8 senior center Aaron Malinka, who like Prince surged down the stretch last winter. He’s a defensive anchor who’ll rebound plenty and score on putbacks.
Senior wing Max Dellacona will provide steady play at both ends, and junior 6-5 forward Orji Agnu is a menace on the boards and brings a nonstop motor. Donaldson said senior wing Jake Palay is the team’s most improved and could be a major offensive contributor.
It was a heartbreaking ending to an incredible season for the Lynbrook girls last winter.
They won 20 games but came up just short against Wantagh in the Nassau Class A championship game as the top seed in the bracket.
Now the Owls will look to return to the playoffs with a roster that lost four major contributors and brings back only one starter.
New head coach Danny Drumm, a former assistant with the program and former head coach at Valley Stream South, is excited about the work ethic and potential.
“We have a nice mix of kids and the dedication has been outstanding since the summer when we had up to 16 kids some nights,” Drumm said. “We went 8-2 in the Freeport league and built a pretty tough non-league schedule to get us ready.”
To get back to the postseason, Drumm’s squad has to win at least six conference games against a group that includes defending county and Long Island champion Wantagh, Plainedge, Floral Park, Mineola, Valley Stream North and Valley Stream South.
“One hundred percent the playoffs is our goal and I’d like to see us do better than 6-6 in the conference,” Drumm said.
Junior Jessie Vuotto has starting experience and leadership qualities. She averaged more than 7 points and 7 rebounds last season and Drumm expects the 5-foot-10 guard/forward to put up double-doubles often if not every game.
“She’s a tremendous athlete whose numbers from last year don’t reflect how good a player she is because of all the other talent they had on the roster,” he said.
Junior forward/center Sophia Siruto is 5-11 and a strong rebounder with good shooting range stepping into a starting role. Senior Mia Corley will operate in the paint with Siruto and is also tough on the boards and defends well.
Senior forward Natalie Kehoe has varsity experience as well and can do damage offensively when teams converge on Vuotto.
At point guard, Drumm envisions senior Maggie Mattera, sophomore Arianna Lanzello and freshman Lexie Russo all contributing. Lanzello was the JV starting point last season.
Dec. 17: V.S. South, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 20: Floral Park, 11:45 a.m.
Jan. 6: @ Wantagh, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 9: @ Mineola, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 12: V.S. North, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 15: Plainedge, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 28: @ V.S. South, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 31: @ Floral Park, 11:00 a.m.
Feb. 3: Wantagh, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 6: Mineola, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 9: @ V.S. North, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 12: @ Plainedge, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 17: @ V.S. South, 5:00 p.m.
Dec. 20: @ Floral Park, 10:00 a.m.
Jan. 6: Wantagh, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 9: Mineola, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 12: @ V.S. North, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 15: Plainedge, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 28: V.S. South, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 31: Floral Park, 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 3: @ Wantagh, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 6: @ Mineola, 5:00 p.m.
Feb. 9: V.S. North, 6:45 p.m.
Feb. 12: @ Plainedge, 5:00 p.m.
