Syosset Defeats Port in Boys Lacrosse

The Port Washington boys lacrosse team lost in double overtime for the second instance this season at the turf on Tuesday afternoon. On April 20, the Vikings lost against Hicksville 8-7. On Tuesday, though, Port lost to Long Island powerhouse Syosset, 10-9.

This game had personal implications for head coach Tom Rooney, who spent the last 14 years on the Syosset sidelines as the Braves’ defensive coordinator.

The Vikings offense powered nine goals against Syosset goalie Ryan Feit (LaxPower ranks Feit the third best junior goalie in the country). Feit has committed to Johns Hopkins University, where he will play alongside Port Washington midfielder John Crawley. In Tuesday’s game, Feit had 10 saves and kept Crawley scoreless.

Feit could not keep the Froccaro brothers quiet though.

Freshman Joey Froccaro, a second year player on varsity, scored four goals on eight shots. Jake, the Princeton-bound senior, scored three goals on 11 shots.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the elder Froccaro cramped up in his legs. He did not start the first overtime, but came back within the first minute.

Hero: While it was Syosset’s Nick Hatzipetrakos who netted the goal that won the game with 3:05 left in the second overtime, Andrew Keith had three goals and three assists. The junior midfielder had at least one point in every quarter and is being recruited by Cornell University.

Turning Point: Up 6-3 at halftime, the Braves went on a four-goal run in the third quarter that gave them the lead going into the fourth.

“I think we got a little tired. Their depth came through at the end there a little bit. We didn’t take care of the ball,” said Rooney, listing the reasons why his team could not come away with a victory.

While the fourth quarter was a back and forth between two seemingly equal opponents, it was Syosset who gained the advantage going into extra time when Alex Concannon netted a fourth quarter goal with :35.9 seconds left to give the Braves momentum.

Quotable: “I know those kids real well,” said Rooney, about his former players. “I knew they were going to play hard. They’re a top team in the conference and we went toe-to-toe with them and we should have won the game.”

Bottom Line: Port Washington stuck with Conference A’s second place team down to the final seconds. The Vikings’ 3-4 conference record doesn’t adequately show how close they’ve been to being a top team. With Jake Froccaro’s final season in Port Washington almost complete, this is the team’s chance toward leaving a legacy.

Who’s Next: The Vikings will close out the season with MacArthur-Levittown (5/4), Hempstead (5/8) at home, and Valley Stream Central (5/10) on the road.