Lynbrook rallies in conference opener

Trailing Bethpage by three goals early in the second quarter of the Conference C/D boys’ lacrosse opener for both teams, Lynbrook shifted into another gear and duplicated last year’s Nassau Class B playoff quarterfinal outcome. 

Senior attack Kyle Yaeger scored three goals, senior midfielder Eddie Perlstein added two goals and one assist, and senior goalie Ian Proefriedt made 14 saves to lift the Owls to a come-from-behind 8-5 victory on the turf at Marion St. on April 5.

“We got off to a bad start and showed some signs of being a little bit nervous,” Lynbrook coach Bill Leighley said. “We let them control the pace too much and had a couple of breakdowns. But then our athletes started to make big plays and Ian was just spectacular in goal.”

The Owls, who rallied to beat Bethpage, 10-9, last May 19 in a postseason matchup at Hofstra, didn’t allow a goal over the final 30 minutes of the conference opener after digging a 5-2 hole. “We have a long history with Bethpage and the teams know each other well,” Leighley said. “We really picked up our game starting about midway through the second quarter. We’ve played a lot of close ones so far and I think that helped.”

Junior Mike Bouhall and sophomore Jack Fagen had a goal and assist apiece, and junior Garrett Handel capped the scoring for Lynbrook, which played its fourth game decided by three goals or fewer and evened its overall record at 3-3.

“We’re trying to find our identity,” Leighley said. “We’re a relatively young team with some strong senior leadership.”

Lynbrook boasts eight seniors, including captains Yaeger, Perlstein, Proefriedt and Nick Paris. The latter is the lone holdover from the program’s Long Island Class B championship team in 2014 and a returning All-County defenseman. “Nick has done some pretty great things over the years and he’s our shutdown defender,” Leighley explained. “He’s a strong, physical player.”

Junior Thomas Urena plays a vital role on defense and appears all the way back from injuries to both shoulders. “He worked so hard during the offseason and gives us another hammer,” said Leighley, who added sophomore Joe DeMonte has taken on a bigger role in front of Proefriedt.

Proefriedt split time last season and earned All-Conference honors. “He’s seeing and stopping the ball extremely well,” Leighley said. “He’s even one of our groundball leaders. He’s cool, calm and collected.”

Yaeger (13 goals in six games), Bouhall (16 assists) and junior Matt Renz (7 goals, 5 assists) comprise the starting attack and have been consistently productive so far. Leighley said Yaeger and Bouhall change direction on a dime, while Renz is active in the crease.

Perlstein handles all of the important faceoffs and has answered the call at the offensive end with 9 goals. “He has two heavy jobs,” Leighley said. Fagen, seniors Josh Schaffer and Jack Sullivan, junior Thomas O’Brien, and sophomore Sean Barrett are other integral pieces in the midfield.

The Owls play three straight on the road before returning home April 28 to face Oyster Bay.