By Marley Seaman
Malverne, the home team, took the lead less than two minutes into the game on a goal by sophomore attacker Bobby Vitacco. Vitacco scored again four minutes later on his way to a hat trick and two assists, igniting a first-half offensive show from the Mules. They scored four goals in the first 12 minutes on the way to an 8-1 lead at the intermission. Attacker Frank Shanahan netted three goals, and Cesar Munoz added two more.
Malverne/East Rockaway peppered Rams goalie Riston Rocchio with shots, and eight of the 19 first-half attempts found their mark. In the face of a swarming defense, West Hempstead managed only five shots on goal in the first half. They finished with 16 shots to Malverne/East Rockaway's 34. Malverne also dominated ground balls in the first half, winning that battle 14 to six.
"The plan was... to come out and play hard, try to pick up ground balls," said head coach James DeTomasso. "Every team we seem to play, win, lose or draw, the coaches say 'your kids played hard.' I'm very proud of that. The kids played hard. They outworked teams. That was our biggest strength."
Both teams went through a rebuilding phase this year, with young players seeing a lot of action. Malverne/East Rockaway finished with a record of 5-10, but DeTomasso said that the year was filled with positive signs.
"We ratcheted up the schedule and played tougher teams. I'm very satisfied," said DeTommaso. The team lost two games in overtime, and dropped two other contests by a single goal.
"Although it looks like we took a step down, we really took a big step forward," he said.
Only three Malverne/East Rockaway players are graduating this year, and underclassmen scored ten of the team's 11 goals, as Tim Collins and Kyle Germany each tallied one goal. The lone senior scorer was Alex Valdeberito.
West Hempstead, which finished the year 2-13-1, is in a similar position. However, senior midfielder Eric Plesnitzer, who overcame penalties to score all three of the team's goals on Saturday, is graduating.
"He's my whole team. He plays defense, plays midfield, plays attack, and he's one of the hardest workers on the team," said Rams coach Paul Selhorn.
Plesnitzer finished the season with 40 goals and 13 assists, and Selhorn predicted Plesnitzer would be given honorable mention on the All-County or All-Conference team.
Aside from Plesnitzer, Selhorn said, "We're pretty much a freshman team."
Key players like midfielder Ismael Villilba will be back next year. So will Rocchio, an All-Conference player last season.
"He's the backbone of the defense," said Selhorn.
DeTommaso said he expects that with more seasoning, both teams will make major strides next year.
"West Hempstead, they're doing the right things to improve their program," he said. "The good news [for Malverne/East Rockaway] is that we have everybody back."
Malverne girls lacrosse
Malverne/East Rockaway's girls lacrosse team finished up their season in sixth place. Of the last couple of games the Mules were split with one victory against Elmont's Sewanhaka, 16-12 and one defeat by Great Neck North, 10-8.
At the Great Neck North game, senior Jenna Mercurio scored four points as did sophomore Alexis Gabbe.
In the final match of the season against Sewanhaka, seniors Jenna Mercurio and Tawana Robinson both scored, Mercurio 4, again, and Robinson 1.
Goalie Lindsey Rafferty of East Rockaway, averaged 15 saves a game her senior year and senior Jackie Mariazzo had excellent defending said coach Kim Vitacco.
Sophomore Alexis Gabbe broke a record for scoring at Malverne with her 10 goals.
Vitacco attributed the team¹s conference place dropping from third to the loss of many seniors. The 2005-06 Mules have eight seniors.
Photos by Kathy Leistner/Herald
