Tuesday, June 17, 2025
With reliable playmakers and a few pleasant surprises, Lynbrook boys’ lacrosse has transformed from a contender to a juggernaut in Nassau Class B. With an 11-3 record and playoffs fast approaching, coach Bill Luzzi believes the Owls are capable of a deep run.
"We've knocked off a few teams that were above us in the preseason and a few teams that were below us," Luzzi said. "Overall, we have a good, really fun, hard-working group of kids. They're very coachable and responsive and we're winning games. We've got a good feeling going."
Last Friday, Lynbrook earned a massive 11-10 victory in overtime over Mepham to earn its seventh victory in Conference 2. Senior midfielder Jack LaBarbera buried the game-winning goal, continuing a stellar campaign as the Owls' focal point on offense.
As expected, Lynbrook's production has run through LaBarbera, who has 25 goals and 15 assists. He doesn't lead the team in either category, but he requires constant attention from opponents and often creates opportunities for teammates as a result. When he does get chances, as he did against Mepham, he has been one of the most effective finishers in the county.
While LaBarbera and Luka Dantona, another senior midfielder with 23 goals and 15 assists, were always going to be major contributors for the Owls, other players have stepped up and thrived in larger roles. Senior attacker Eddie Stradowski currently leads Lynbrook with 28 assists while junior midfielder Brandon Scala is the leading scorer with 28 goals.
"Brandon Scala was a surprise to us," Luzzi said. "We weren't sure what we were going to get out of him as a junior, and he stepped into a starting spot and really owned it. He's super scrappy, very tough."
Lynbrook's firepower doesn't end there, as senior attackers Bennet Votano and Nate Greenfeld currently have 27 and 18 goals, respectively. In a largely unsung role, junior Thomas Dunne has won 162 faceoffs, kickstarting countless possessions.
In his first season as starting goaltender, senior Luca Palleschi has been an improving standout. In the victory against Mepham, he made a career-high 23 saves. In front of him, senior defensemen Billy Algozzini and James Paladino have led a tough Lynbrook defense that has held opponents to nine goals or less in 10 of 14 games.
Lynbrook had several young players with potential joining the roster or stepping up to a new role, and many of those members have delivered immediately. Freshman utility player James Pisano is embracing physical play against older boys while sophomore attacker/midfielder Patrick Algozzini already has 10 goals.
For all of their success so far, one of the Owls' three defeats was against Seaford, a team they set out to beat after a brutal 11-10 overtime loss in the playoffs last year. Lynbrook players had the game circled on the calendar and came up short, 13-3, but Luzzi remains optimistic that the playoffs could tell a different tale.
"Our goal is always to continue to get better and peak in the playoffs, and hopefully avenge a loss we had in the regular season if it matches up that way," Luzzi said. "Lynbrook has a pretty good history of doing that."
