Buffalo – Jake Froccaro is the youngest player on the Long Island scholastic boys lacrosse roster. But just one day into the Empire State Games, the rising junior from Port Washington is having the biggest impact.
He dominated in the faceoff circle to help Long Island go 2-0 on Thursday with wins over host region Western and Hudson Valley on the turf at Canisius College.
"They told me before the game they wanted me to mainly take all the faceoffs," Froccaro said. "It's my job to get the ball to the offense and hopefully I do it well."
Froccaro had a standout season for the Vikings. But he defied the odds to earn a spot on the 20-man Long Island lacrosse roster. After all, 712 teenagers tried out for the team in June and a mere two sophomores were selected, including the baby-faced Froccaro (Smithtown West's James Pannell is the other).
"I'm used to it," Froccaro said. "I've been playing with kids older than me my entire life. But not many 10th graders make the team, so it's something you cherish. I'm proud of it."
Froccaro can run down the field, shows great stick work and has a knack for finding the goal. Yet he plays one role better than anyone. He wins faceoffs.
He was so unstoppable when Nassau faced Suffolk in the Top 50 game, his FOGO (face off, get off) skills alone wowed coaches and won him a spot on the final roster. And it's earned him the resentment of opposing teams at the Empire State Games. He's been slashed, bashed, held and blindsided. Nothing has slowed him.
Froccaro had a good teacher. Older brother Jeff Froccaro, an Under Armour All-American in high school in 2009, was a faceoff whiz as a freshman at Princeton. In fact, the elder Froccaro played on the 2008 Empire State Games team and his younger brother was in the bleachers in Binghamton to see the team win gold. Now he wants one of his own.
It was Jake Froccaro's strong second half against Western that turned a close game into a 10-4 rout. His quick outlet to Hicksville's Brandon Gamblin put Long Island in front 4-2 just 3 seconds into the third quarter and ignited a five-goal surge.
"I pretty much won them all in the second half," Froccaro said. "I was getting fast breaks and looking for the attack."
Another strong showing winning faceoffs later in the day helped Long Island surge past Hudson Valley, 13-7.
Long Island has two more games on Friday. It faces Adirondack at 11 a.m. followed by the highly anticipated showdown versus Central under the lights at 8 p.m. With two winnable games left on the schedule – Adirondack and New York City – Long Island may have already positioned itself to reach the gold medal game. You can bet Froccaro will be a factor the rest of the way.
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