By TONY BELLISSIMO
Junior goaltender Sam Mignoli turned aside all 18 Lynbrook shots he faced in last Friday's 7-0 victory over the Owls at Long Beach Arena. The Marines take a 13-0-2 record into back-to-back showdowns with Wantagh/Seaford (11-0-1).
"Depth has been our strength a long time and this season is no different," said coach Joe Brand, who has guided the program to seven county titles in 10 years. "Teams can't concentrate on shutting down one or two guys because every line we've got can do damage."
Junior Michael Schwartz (11 goals, four assists) and sophomore Keegan Travers (eight goals, six assists) have led a balanced offensive attack averaging 5.3 goals per game. Schwartz, Travers, Mignoli, senior John Clinton and junior Sean Duffy played for the Nassau all-star team against Suffolk in the Lighthouse Cup. "Michael's explosive and capable of changing the flow of a game at any moment," Brand said of Schwartz, a captain who centers the top line with Travers and junior Scott India.
The second forward line of Clinton (three goals, eight assists), senior Jack Radin (nine goals, three assists) and sophomore Brian O'Sullivan (four goals, three assists) has been the difference in several games according to Brand. "They move the puck well and play a simple north and south game," Brand said. "They've come through with some big goals." The checking line features seniors Michael Keane, Daniel Dalessio and Kyle Radin.
Opponents haven't had much luck lighting the lamp. Mignoli's goals-against-average is 1.50. He's another in a long line of quality goalies to come through the program. Freshman Joseph Brand, the coach's son, serves as Mignoli's backup. "When push comes to shove, Sam can be the difference," coach Brand said. "He's fundamentally sound and has amazing athletic ability. He also welcomes pressure situations."
Duffy and junior Joe Scanlan are the rocks on a defense challenged by injuries to sophomore Hunter O'Neill and freshman Ambrose Plante. The Marines lead the county in fewest goals allowed with 23, and six of those came in a wild tie against Massapequa. "We take a lot of pride in defense," Brand said.
With the playoffs on the horizon, the coach expects three or four opponents to give the Marines a run for their money. Upcoming home games against Wantagh/Seaford (7:45 p.m. on Sunday and 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday) will likely determine the regular-season title and No. 1 seed. "We're going to try to run the table," said Brand, "but we'll take things one shift at a time."
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
