By ANDREW McCLURE
A season removed from its first playoff berth, the up-and-coming program was ranked fifth in a conference that included perennial powers Manhasset and Cold Spring Harbor.
While the team fell short of its goal to make the playoffs, Whalen was upbeat about the progress. "We had a very slow start, but things turned around as the season went along," he said. "Most of the players weren't used to being go-to guys. It took them a little time for them to see that they could score."
With a team composed mainly of underclassmen, Whalen counted on senior goalie Peter Rubin for leadership and solid performance in the net. Rubin, who will play at Wagner College next year, was outstanding in a late-season 6-4 victory over Island Trees. His 22-save performance helped Malverne/East Rockaway avenge a 12-0 loss to the Bulldogs in March. For his accomplishments, Rubin was named All-County.
One of the high points to the season was a thrilling 12-11 overtime win over Glen Cove. Malverne/East Rockaway trailed 4-1 after the first quarter, but got five goals and two assists from senior Bobby Vitacco to climb back into the game. Less than a minute into overtime, junior Frank Shanahan netted the winner. Both Vitacco and Shanahan were All-Conference selections for Malverne/East Rockaway. Vitacco finished the season with 14 goals. Shanahan scored 11 goals and added three assists.
Whalen was pleased with the way his defense stepped up as the year progressed. Strong seasons were turned in by a pair of junior defenders, Tennard Campbell and Pablo Restrepo. "The defense really jelled as a unit," Whalen said. "Guys like Tennard and Pablo are strong, aggressive players. Their play helped to keep us in most of our games."
Offensively, Malverne/East Rockaway received balanced scoring from seniors Shane Murphy, Shanahan and Vitacco, and junior Sean Schechter. Murphy, an All-Conference recipient, was the team's leading scorer with 17 goals including four in the win over Glen Cove. Schechter scored three goals in the season finale, a 13-6 victory at Clarke. Fellow junior Peter Bishun was 13-for-14 on face-offs and added a goal and helper in the win over Clarke.
Also receiving accolades from Whalen is Joe Cantone, a sophomore midfielder. Cantone was selected by the coaching staff as the recipient of the Pride Award which is given to the player who best exhibits hard work, perseverance and the will to succeed on the lacrosse field. Whalen expects big things in the future from Cantone.
Whalen believes the program is on the right track. "The future looks good," said Whalen, who is assisted by Ed Parento. "There's a lot of talent returning next year. If we could get more players picking up the game at the elementary school level, we'll have a solid feeder program and really build something here."
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
