Thursday, October 1, 2026
To say injuries played a role in the North Shore boys lacrosse season would be the understatement of the year.
With only 15 out of 23 players available, the Vikings lost at Suffolk-based Comsewogue 19-9 on May 2 despite four goals and two assists from senior attackman Angelo Anobile and two goals from junior attackman Anthony Cimino.
North Shore had to forfeit its May 6 game at Oceanside because it didn’t have enough available players.
But somehow, the Vikings have been able to fight through the adversity and they took a 6-9 record into the final week of the regular season.
“This group never quits,” coach John Savage said. “They’re battling and winning games that maybe they shouldn’t. The fact that they’ve been pulling out some victories is remarkable.”
The most recent victory was a 16-6 win over Floral Park last Saturday as Cimino scored seven goals following up a six-goal performance in a 10-6 victory over Plainview and a five-goal effort in a 9-8 win over Calhoun.
Anobile added two goals and an assist in the victory that also marked the return of sophomore face-off specialist Tyler Kaufman who was injured during the second game of the season.
Kaufman won 14 out of 18 draws.
“He’s a difference maker,” Savage said. “He’s arguably one of the best kids in his age group on Long Island.”
Throughout this challenging season, North Shore has received contributions from a number of players as the Vikings did their best to piece things together.
Sophomore short-stick defensive midfielder Anthony Martini has been a workhorse playing lockdown defense and scooping up ground balls.
“He’s done an amazing job for us and it’s the most unheralded position in all of lacrosse,” Savage said.
John Peck has been the leader of the North Shore defense. The junior long-stick midfielder has been a force in terms of on-ball defense and picking up ground balls.
“He’s one of the heartbeats of the defensive side of the ball,” said Savage. “He’s a tremendous communicator and he’s the quarterback of the defense.”
Long-pole midfielder Ronan Morales has been a utility knife for the Vikings, solid on the defensive end while also helping out at the face-off dot.
“He does everything,” said Savage. “He’s a tremendous kid.”
During the season, North Shore moved James Clancy from midfield to attack and the junior has responded well to that change quarterbacking the offensive side of the ball.
“He’s a very smart player,” said Savage. “He does all the little things really well. He’s a great feeder and has a great brain for the game.”
North Shore will close out their regular season against Lynbrook as the Vikings look to finish strong.
“I think we just have to gameplan really hard,” said Savage. “We have to execute and play tough lacrosse.”
It has certainly been a challenging season for North Shore, but the Vikings never felt sorry for themselves. They just kept fighting.
