Last updated at Jun 21, 2011 10:05AM
Team Schedule 2011 Open

TROJANS WIN L.I. LACROSSE TITLE BEHIND INSPIRED DEFENSE
BY JAKE WHITE

It’s a good bet that very few of the players knew much about Willis Reed. However, their parents and many of the fans probably remembered “the Moment.” Reed was the all-star center of the Knicks in the 1970’s. During the NBA finals he suffered a serious leg injury and it was assumed that he wouldn’t be able to play in the last game. Then during the introductions, the lights dimmed, a spotlight came on and out came Reed to a thunderous Madison Sqaure Garden welcome. Apparently inspired by their captain, the Knicks won their last NBA Championship. Fast forward to last Saturday night at Stony Brook’s Lavalle Stadium. Garden City’s All-American defenseman and captain Stephen Jahelka had suffered a serious ankle injury in the county final and many assumed that he would be unavailable as the Trojans played for the Long Island Class B Lacrosse Championship against Shoreham-Wading River. Then came the pre-game introductions and out ran –yes, ran- Jahelka. In a Willis Reed like moment, the team came together and soundly defeated the Wildcats, 9-4, with one of its best defensive efforts of the year.

The victory advanced the Trojans (18-2) to the New York State Class B semifinals at White Plains High School on June 8 at 5:30 p.m. against Section One Champion Yorktown (14-7 against a rugged schedule). The winner of that game travels to Cicero-North Syracuse for the State Championship game this Saturday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. The likely upstate opponent is defending champion Jamesville-DeWitt which has a two-year winning streak.

“The doctors cleared him,” said Coach Steve Finnell. “They were amazed at how fast he healed from that type of injury.” Teammate Brian Fischer had another explanation. “There’s no way you could keep him off the field in a game like that.”

How good was the Garden City defense against high-scoring Suffolk Champ Shoreham-Wading River? After a lackluster first quarter in which they fell behind 2-0, the Trojans seemingly picked up every loose ball and prevented the Wildcats from clearing the ball or settling into their set offense. GC had possession for 10 of the 12 minutes in the second quarter as they rallied to take a 4-2 lead. At the end of three periods S-WR had taken only five shots.

With Jahelka somewhat limited in his mobility, the team’s depth really showed. Of course, fellow All-American Fischer was his usual self, but the return to the lineup of J.P Burnside was essential. He guarded the Wildcats’ high-scoring sophomore attack Tim Rotanz (110 pts.) and shut him out. Eugene Berkery and Scott D’Antonio were excellent as was goalie Dan Marino who recorded 11 saves. Mark Ellis and Matt Confort were very effective as defensive middies.

Don’t think this win was all on the shoulders of the defense. Down 2-0, Devin Dwyer opened the GC scoring with a spectacular goal as he sprawled across the crease. Rob Savage then tied it with a solo rush. Tom Gordon scored his 42nd goal on a pinpoint pass from Dwyer, who would record three assists and two goals. Penn bound senior Brian Coleman, playing his best lacrosse of the season, made it 4-2 before halftime and only two pipes prevented the swarming GC offense from more scores.

Patric Berkery poured in three second half goals and Liam Kennedy and Devin Dwyer had goals to open up an 8-2 lead early in the fourth quarter. Shoreham-Wading River got two quick scores to excite their crowd, but Marino made three big saves to keep the lead safe. GC then ran almost three minutes off the clock before Berkery iced it with an unassisted goal.

LAX NOTES: Semifinal opponent Yorktown is an old rival. The teams have split eight prior games, including seven State semifinals between 1985 and 1994. The Cornhuskers won 4 of 7 of those and GC won last year in a non-leaguer, 14-3.....Devin Dwyer now has 58 assists and 88 total points this year. GC thought he should have had an additional assist on Kennedy’s goal, but the official scorer ruled that Kennedy had executed a fake before shooting.....The defense is allowing just 3.5 goals per game...,The Trojans have won 14 straight games through the Long Islands. The GC girls team has won 46 straight and is also headed for the State semifinals in Cortland this weekend. Garden City is truly the lacrosse capitol.

TROJANS EDGE MANHASSET FOR COUNTY LACROSSE TITLE
BY JAKE WHITE

More than 4,000 lacrosse fans showed up at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium on Tuesday night to watch the much-anticipated rematch between Woodstick rivals Garden City and Manhasset and they were treated to a tense, defensive struggle survived by the Trojans, 6-5. It was the record sixth straight Nassau County Class B Championship for Garden City which advances to the Long Island Championship this Saturday, June 4 at Stony Brook at 8pm(please note that the game time was just changed today 6/1/11) against either Huntington or Shoreham-Wading River.

This 121st meeting between the old North Shore rivals was played in chapters. Garden City (17-2) opened the show with a three goal barrage in the first 1:15 of the game. That shocking start was followed by more than 35 minutes of stifling defense by both sides, then a three goal fourth quarter Manhasset rally that tied the game at 5-5 with less than five minutes left to play. Add some melodrama. GC’s star defenseman Steve Jahelka injured an ankle and was surrounded by medical staffers behind the Indians’ goal. He eventually got to his feet and was helped off the field by none other than Manhasset coach Bill Cherry as the big crowd applauded. The move not only showed the class of the coach but the genuine respect these teams have for each other.

But the drama was just beginning. Two minutes later Jahelka, the ultimate warrior, limped back on the field after an expert tape job by the GC trainer. With the game on the line, Garden City got possession and Patric Berkery, who had been blanked for 46 minutes, stepped up to claim his second straight title game MVP Award. The junior middie worked his way around the cage, stopped and fired past Manhasset goalie Frank Morelli for the game winner with 90 seconds remaining.

One of the downsides of having both of these two rivals in Class B for the first time since 1999 is that one of them can’t represent Section Eight in the state tournament. Manhasset (17-2) lost only to Garden City this year but their season is over.

Fans had barely settled into their seats when the Trojans jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Jahelka stole the ball after Manhasset won the opening faceoff. He passed to Rob Savage who beat a defender and fired a hard shot past Morelli. Savage then won the ensuing faceoff and fed Devin Dwyer who found Liam Kennedy on the doorstep for a second goal. Dwyer struck again moments later when he fired a hard pass to Mark Ellis who deflected it into the goal.

After a Manhasset goal made it 3-1 at the half, Tom Gordon went to work, The senior attack, who leads the Trojans with 41 goals, made it 4-1 with the most spectacular goal of the season. Brian Fischer, who had one of his best games, raced downfield on a clear and passed to Devin Dwyer who rifled a pass to Gordon who took the ball in midair and fired it home. After the Indians scored, Gordon put the Trojans on top 5-2 with an unassisted goal.

With a three goal lead and a quarter to play, the Garden City fans were almost comfortable, but Manhasset doesn’t quit and their rally nearly ended GC’s title dreams. Berkery, however, did what the great ones do. He stepped up and scored the lead goal, then executed a solo clear to kill the final 11 seconds.

LAX NOTES: GC goalie Dan Marino recorded 10 saves in holding the high-scoring Indians to just 5 goals....Garden City and Manhasset have met in 17 playoff games since 1946. The Trojans have won 10 times but most importantly, they lead 7-1 in championship games....Dwyer’s 3 assists give him 55 for the season....The Suffolk B final was to match Huntington which upset favored Comsewogue and Shoreham-Wading River. The Trojans are 6-4 all-time vs. Huntington and have never played S-WR.....The state semifinals will be played at White Plains High School next Wednesday and the finals are at Cicero-North Syracuse High School on Saturday, June 11.

‘WOOD STICK’ REMATCH AS TROJANS AND INDIANS MEET FOR COUNTY TITLE
BY JAKE WHITE
    
Back on April 30 following Garden City’s 10-6 win over rival Manhasset in the Wood Stick Classic, Indians’ head coach Bill Cherry was asked to comment on the game.  “This could be Chapter One,” he said.  Almost exactly a month later, the two Nassau powerhouses will get together for Chapter Two.  This time when the teams meet next Tuesday, May 31 at 6 p.m. at Hofstra Stadium it won’t be just bragging rights at stake.  The winner will capture the Nassau County Class B Championship and keep their hopes for a state title alive.
    
Manhasset (17-1) punched its ticket to the final by beating a dangerous Wantagh team, 10-7.  Garden City (16-2) won its 12th straight game by trouncing South Side, 14-2, in the other semifinal.  The Trojans got goals from nine different players, led by Tom Gordon (3), Devin Dwyer (2), Liam Kennedy (2) and Jack Spencer (2).  The defense held the Cyclones to just four shots in the first three quarters in what may have been the team’s best over-all performance of the season.
    
Last Monday night, Garden City High’s lacrosse team took the field at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium for the 96th time since 1966.  No team except Hofstra has played there as often.  The Trojans’ opponent, the Roslyn Bulldogs, were making their first appearance on the turf after earning just their second trip to the playoffs and their first in 27 years.  If it sounds as if the Nassau County Class B quarterfinal round game was somewhat of a mismatch, it was.  Garden City, the number one seed, rolled to a 10-2 lead midway in the third period before Coach Steve Finnell removed all of his starters.  Roslyn did not substitute and at the end, the 11-6 score was not indicative of the game.  
   
“We played 40 people in the third and fourth quarters,” said Finnell.  “It was the right thing to do.”  The victory left the Trojans with a 15-2 record and advanced them to last Wednesday night’s semifinals against South Side, a 12-4 winner over Lynbrook.  
    
At the end of the first quarter of the opening round of the Nassau County Class B Playoffs, Garden City was ahead of Glen Cove 8-0 and had missed some excellent scoring opportunities.    In the second quarter when the score went to 11-0, Trojan coach Steve Finnell cleared his bench.  By the time the game ended with a merciful 14-2 score, every healthy player plus seven JV call-ups had seen action.  That has been the pattern since the Trojans win over Manhasset back on April 30.  Despite reduced playing time, some of the key players have continued to score.  Tom Gordon had 4 goals against Glen Cove and 3 vs. Roslyn.  Devin Dwyer continued to pile up assists and Patric Berkery, Rob Savage and Liam Kennedy added goals in each game.
    
Despite all the offensive production, it is the defense which is the hallmark of this talented team.  Steve Jahelka and Brian Fischer are returning All-Americans and even with the loss of J.P. Burnside for the last few weeks, the unit has dominated.  Eugene Berkery, Scott D’Antonio  Elias Georgas, Griffin Eilbeck, Dan McCallan, Ed Blatz, Andre Stone and Pat Niebler have taken advantage of their increased opportunities.  Dan Marino and John Bock have both been outstanding in goal.   Not to be forgotten are a number of midfielders who have excelled on defense, notably Matt Confort, Mark Ellis, Ryan Norton and Conor McDonnell.

LAX NOTES:   Garden City and Manhasset advance to the Class B title game for the first time since 1998.   Manhasset has played in Class C since 2000.  Garden City has won 19 county titles and Manhasset 17.....Sophomore call-up Jack Worstell scored his first varsity goal against Glen Cove.  His father Tim and uncles Peter and Paul scored 432 for the Trojans in the 1970’s.....Devin Dwyer leads GC scoring with 28 goals, 52 assists, 80 total points.  Tom Gordon leads in goals with 39 while Liam Kennedy has 30.  Patric Berkery leads the middies with 21....Rob Savage won 9 of 12 faceoffs in the semifinals.
    
   

TROJAN LACROSSE WINNING STREAK AT 9 AS PLAYOFFS OPEN
BY JAKE WHITE

If the last month is an indicator, Garden City High’s lacrosse playoff opponents should be on notice. This talented Trojan team is playing at the top of its game. Nine straight victories since a 7-5 loss to St. Paul’s of Maryland have raised the GC record to 13-2 over-all and 8-0 in Conference play. Moreover, in their eight league victories the Trojans outscored opponents 108-18. Last week Garden City swept by Bellmore Kennedy, 17-2, and Roslyn, 15-2.

Now the task at hand is to take that level of play into the Nassau County playoffs where GC is the five-time Class B Champions. Playoffs were scheduled to open yesterday (Thursday) at home against Glen Cove. The quarterfinal round is scheduled for Monday, May 21 at Hofstra at 8 p.m. vs. the winner of Hewlett-Roslyn, followed by the semifinals next Wednesday, also at Hofstra Stadium.

While the defense has been a constant, the offense has seemingly caught up. The passing has never been as sharp as it has in the recent winning streak. Most goals have been assisted and the fast break, largely missing early in the season, has greatly improved. Faceoffs have also improved with Rob Savage, James Sullivan, Matt Schmelzinger and Anton Dobrolezhin doing the duties. The attack has been especially potent with Devin Dwyer leading the way with 23 goals and 44 assists while Liam Kennedy has 25 goals and 9 assists and Tom Gordon has 29 and 4. Sophomore Justin Guterding has also been a factor with 9 goals and 15 assists and senior Jack Spencer has been particularly effective on man-up plays and has totaled 13 goals.

Patric Berkery leads the midfielders with 18 goals and 9 assists. He has a bullet shot which is far more accurate this year. Brian Coleman and Rob Savage have each scored 15 total points.

Against their conference opponents the defense has been nearly impenetrable. Goalie Dan Marino and his able back-up John Bock are allowing just 3.4 goals per game. They get plenty of help from All-Americans Stephen Jahelka and Brian Fischer as well as J.P. Burnside, Eugene Berkery and a talented group of reserves who have played increasingly with excellent results. Part of a good defense is midfielders who guard with tenacity, pick up loose balls and help in clearing the ball. Matt Confort, Mark Ellis and Ryan Norton have been outstanding.

This year the sixteen Class B playoff qualifiers have been seeded 1-8 in each of their two conferences and will cross over in the first round. Here are the seedings:

CONFERENCE II (B-1):

1. Garden City
2. Wantagh
3. South Side
4. Carey
5. Roslyn
6. Jericho
7. Great Neck South
8. Kennedy (Bellmore)

1. Manhasset
2. Lynbrook
3. Bethpage
4. Hewlett
5. Plainedge
6. Wheatley/Carle Place
7. Sewanhaka
8. Glen Cove

GARDEN CITY LACROSSE PREPARES TO DEFEND TITLE
BY JAKE WHITE

With two games remaining in the regular season,  Garden City High’s boys lacrosse team has improved its over-all record to 11-2 and its Conference B-1 mark to 6-0.  The Trojans defeated Mepham, 15-1, and South Side,10-1, last week to extend  their  winning streak to 7.  With a defense second to none and an offense that has hit its stride, Coach Steve Finnell’s squad looks ready to begin the defense of their Long Island Class B title.  Following games with Bellmore Kennedy (away, Friday May 13) and Roslyn (home, Monday May 16), GC is tentatively scheduled to open the Class B playoffs at Warren King Field on Thursday, May 19 against an opponent to be determined.
    
Against over-matched Mepham on a cold rainy day that seemed to betray the promise of spring, the Trojans raced to an 11-1 first half lead, then rested most of their starters as the talented reserves of this deep team continued to dominate their opponents from North Bellmore.  Mike Comiskey (3 goals) and Jack Spencer (2 goals) took advantage of the playing time as did Skye MacLeod and Chris Harder who picked up their first assists.  Devin Dwyer (1 goal, 5 assists) and Liam Kennedy (5 goals) led the scoring.
    
At Rockville Centre, the Trojans faced a South Side team which had lost just one league game in three seasons, although it must be added that the Cyclones played in a different Conference than Garden City until this year.  This time it proved to be a showcase for the Trojan defense.  Stephen Jahelka, Brian Fischer and Eugene Berkery frustrated the South Side offense and Dan Marino, with some late help from John Bock, was nearly perfect in goal.  With J.P. Burnside and Matt Confort unavailable this week, Elias Georgas and Ryan Norton (along with regular middie, the speedy Mark Ellis) stepped in to stifle the high-scoring Cyclones.  The Trojans built a 7-0 lead before South Side scored its only goal two and a half minutes into the final period.
    
The high-scoring duo of Devin Dwyer and Tom Gordon led the way with 5 and 4 points, respectively.  Rob Savage added two goals.
    
The 2011 Class B playoffs are structured differently than a year ago when Garden City won its record fifth straight county title, then went on to defeat Comsewogue in two overtimes in the Long Island Championship and Niskayuna in the state semis before losing the final to Jamesville-DeWitt.   This year the Nassau B teams will be seeded 1-8 in each of the two conferences rather than combining them 1-16.  The result is that both Garden City and Manhasset are likely to be number one seeds.  The two conferences will cross over until the two finalists remain.  Because the Trojans beat  highly-regarded Wantagh 11-3  on April 21,  if there are no upsets,  Manhasset would have to play Wantagh in the semifinals.   Other teams in the mix are Hewlett, South Side and Bethpage.
      
Once again Comsewogue (11-0 at this writing) appears to be the best B team in Suffolk with Shoreham-Wading River (10-1) the likely challenger.  Niskayuna, last year’s state semifinalist, has moved to Class A.  Somers (10-4) currently is the top-ranked team in Westchester.  Yorktown and John Jay, two perennial Section I powers often seen in the semis, are now each 9-5.   Last year’s champion, Jamesville-DeWitt, isn’t going to part with its crown easily.  The suburban Syracuse team is undefeated and riding a 35-game winning streak.

LAX NOTES:  Junior Devin Dwyer leads the team in scoring with 19-35-54.  Tom Gordon (26) and Liam Kennedy (24) are the leading goal scorers.... GC is yielding just 3.6 goals per game....Although there have been some close games, Garden City is 20-1 all-time vs. South Side....the seniors will be introduced and honored prior to Monday’s game....GC has qualified for the playoffs for 42 consecutive years since going 5-7 in 1969.

TROJANS BEAT MANHASSET 10-6 IN 120th WOOD STICK CLASSIC
BY JAKE WHITE

It may have been Saturday, but the atmosphere at Manhasset for the 120th renewal of the Wood Stick Classic lacrosse game was much more “Friday Night Lights.” A standing room only crowd of 3,000, live television and more media coverage than many college games receive formed an electric background for Garden City High’s impressive 10-6 win over Manhasset, ending the Indians’ 45-game winning streak.

The longest uninterrupted scholastic lacrosse rivalry in the nation, played between the county’s oldest and most successful programs, has evolved into a Long Island event and a happening for the entire lacrosse community. The game may have been a non-league affair, but it had the feel of a championship.

“It’s wonderful,” said Manhasset coach Bill Cherry. “”There’s nothing like it. Two great teams with great histories. It is the best high school game in the country.”

Veteran referee and former Maryland All-American Bob Boniello added “this is always a great game. As officials, we want to work it. It’s why we love the game of lacrosse.”

Trojan high scorer Devin Dwyer, who had 3 goals and an assist, said “All week long, the game was about all I could think about.” Dwyer had to contend with Manhasset’s returning All-American Bob Duvnjak. “Bob played me very hard. He’s a great player, but we were able move the ball and get some good shots.”

Garden City head coach Steve Finnell confessed to having a hard time concentrating on anything but lacrosse in the week leading to the game. “Coach Cherry and I are good friends,” he said. “We get together and talk lacrosse all the time. We just don’t talk about each other’s teams. I root for Manhasset except when they play us.”

That comment from Finnell sums up the rivalry. Intense, yet respectful and almost friendly. “We know a lot of these guys off the field,” said GC’s Steve Jahelka, who along with Brian Fischer and Devin Dwyer will eventually be teammates at Harvard with Duvnjak.

Interestingly, the rivalry could take on a new meaning this year now that both schools are in the “B” classification by enrollment and, barring an upset, are likely to meet for the County Championship for the first time since 1999. “This could be chapter one”, said Bill Cherry.

The drama started slowly. Manhasset got the first possession and scored the first goal on a shot by Ryan Matthews. The Indians basically held the ball for most of the first six minutes before Liam Kennedy scored on a pinpoint pass from Dwyer. Those two goals would set the tone. All six of Manhasset’s scores were unassisted while 9 of the 10 Trojan goals were assisted. That means ball movement and good teamwork- two things that have been more and more evident as GC improved its record to 9-2.

The teams traded goals until Patric Berkery and Tom Gordon scored to give the Trojans a 4-3 halftime edge. Matthews tied it for Manhasset with 9:21 left in the third period and there seemed no reason to believe that this 120th game of the historic series that began in 1935 wouldn’t follow a familiar script. 19 of the previous 25 games were decided by three goals or less. Then, the Trojans ripped up the script by scoring six straight goals and taking a 10-4 lead. The Indians scored twice in the final minute to account for the final score.

The go-ahead goal was scored by Devin Dwyer on an assist from sophomore Justin Guterding, who had three on the day as he continued to establish himself as a key offensive player. Dwyer added two more scores and Kennedy, Berkery and Gordon also hit the net. Meanwhile, goalie Dan Marino shut the door with nine saves behind a rock, solid defense.

LAX NOTES: Manhasset (9-1) had not lost since dropping an overtime 11-10 game to Comsewogue in 2009....The first annual Wood Stick Classic Alumni Game was a resounding success. Former Manhasset and current L.I. Lizard star Tim Goettelman was the moving force to raise money for “Monster’s Kids”, a foundation formed by him and his wife, the former Lisa Topping of Garden City, to raise money for the Cohen Children’s Hospital. He was aided by Adam Kohart and the Kohart family. A children’s room at the hospital will be built and named in honor of Ryan Kohart, who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001. The game attracted 130 former players who battled through five 20 minute periods with Manhasset holding off a furious GC rally for a 12-11 win. Honorary coaches were the legendary pair of Doc Dougherty and Alan Lowe who won 1,076 games between them for the two schools. Everyone agreed a rematch was in order...... The GC JV lost a thriller to Manhasset’s undefeated JV, 8-7. It was Garden City’s first loss.....

TROJANS ON WIN STREAK AS THEY PREPARE FOR SATURDAY’S WOOD STICK CLASSIC LACROSSE
GAME AT MANHASSET
BY JAKE WHITE

Both the Garden City and Manhasset High School boys lacrosse teams recorded impressive victories last week as they head for this Saturday’s 120th renewal of the Wood Stick Classic at Manhasset’s Ed Walsh Field at 7 p.m. This one should be special as both teams feature potential All-Americans and national rankings.

Just as happened a year ago when Garden City advanced all the way to the state final, the Trojans appear to be putting it all together as they enter the latter part of their regular season schedule. Last week their defense was outstanding in a 10-0 shutout win over Duxbury at Harvard Stadium. Duxbury is regarded as one of the top teams in New England. Then, back on home turf, the Garden City offense lit up the scoreboard in an impressive 11-3 triumph over Wantagh, the team regarded as the most serious challenger in Conference II.

“Duxbury had a very highly regarded attack, but our defense played very well,” said Trojans coach Steve Finnell. “Dan Marino was outstanding in goal and we had some good fortune when they hit a couple of pipes, but I was very pleased with the team’s peformance.” Those good feelings continued against Wantagh when the Trojans scored on 6 of their first 8 shots against the Warriors’ highly-regarded goalie Jake Gambitsky. “Our offense is good and it is getting better,” said Finnell.
“Everyone talks about our defense, and rightfully so, but the offense wants to put its name on things, too.”

Most everyone had a hand in the first half against Wantagh as GC took an 8-0 lead. The first five goals were scored by Rob Savage, J.P. Burnside, Devin Dwyer, Patric Berkery and Liam Kennedy. Tom Gordon added three goals to raise his season total to 20 and Dwyer had two assists to bring his total to 27.

Going into this week’s Conference game at Carey, Garden City’s record stood at 7-2, with big wins over Smithtown West, Syosset, San Ramon Valley, California and Wantagh. Manhasset, with a Conference game against Plainedge this week, has posted an 8-0 record. The Indians last four triumphs have been impressive as they beat non-league foes John Jay, Annapolis and Severin, Maryland and Darien, Connecticut which began the season as the top-rated team in the east. Further, all of the wins have been relatively one-sided.

Coach Bill Cherry’s team has a balanced offense and a defense anchored by goalie Frank Morelli and returning All-American defenseman Rob Duvnjak.

The Wood Stick Classic is the longest uninterrupted scholastic lacrosse rivalry in the nation. It was first played in 1935 when coaches Jay Stranahan of Manhasset and Jim Steen of Garden City brought their teams –the first two public school squads on Long Island – together for the first time. The Indians lead the series 66-53 and have won two straight after GC had taken 11 of the previous 12.

LAX NOTES: For the first time, the Garden City and Manhasset alumni lacrosse players will play a charity game at Manhasset at 2 p.m. Former Manhasset star and current Long Island Lizzard Tim Goettelmann and the Kohart family have spearheaded the effort which has brought an amazing response from former players. About 90 had signed up to play as of last week. The Lizzards will be putting on a free clinic in the hours prior to the alumni game.....MSG Varsity (Channel 14) will televise the Wood Stick Classic live......Steve Jahelka and Wantagh’s 6’5” Ryan Walsh had an amazing physical battle, just as they did in football. Walsh was shut out as the Trojans won, 11-3....Newsday’s Bob Herzog and Channel 12’s Andrew Rappaport both said that Jahelka provides the best interviews of any player they have dealt with in years. That’s a fine tribute to the Harvard-bound senior.


TROJANS WIN 14-7 TO SPOIL WORSTELL’S LACROSSE RETURN
BY JAKE WHITE

The post game scene at Warren King Field last week following Garden City’s 14-7 lacrosse victory over visiting San Ramon Valley, California had the look of a reunion. San Ramon is coached by former Garden City and University of Maryland All-American Pete Worstell and he was joined by his wife and classmate Helen Groh, his parents, brother Tim, his nephew Jack (who played for the Trojans) and classmate/teammate Rich Graham. Also on hand were plenty of friends and his former coach, Doc Dougherty.

“Garden City could not have treated us better,” said Pete. “The kids love the town.” “Especially, the deli’s,” added his assistant coach.

San Ramon Valley is located near San Francisco and has an enrollment of about 2,700. The team came into the game with a 5-1 record and is regarded as one of the best on the west coast. All of its first midfielders are heading for top Division One programs, including Pete’s Syracuse-bound son Patrick, who fittingly opened the scoring with a 20 foot blast two minutes into the game. The Trojans’ offense caught fire after that with 7 straight goals before the first quarter ended. San Ramon came back to make it 7-4, but that was as close as they could get as Devin Dwyer, who recorded a career-high 8 assists, continued to thread passes to his teammates. Patrick Berkery and Liam Kennedy each scored four goals while Tom Gordon and Justin Guterding added two apiece.

“Our first group is very talented,” said Coach Worstell, “but I wasn’t sure we had the depth to stay with Garden City.”
That win was the highlight of the week for the Trojans, who are meeting one national power after another. GC dropped its first game of the season, 10-7 to Ward Melville, the highest ranked public school in Suffolk , and lost in the final minutes to powerful St. Paul’s of Baltimore, 7-5.

At Ward Melville, the Trojans ran into the best offense they’ve seen this year and a Suffolk official who seemed to think that the crowd of 1,000 came to see him rather than one of the best match-ups of the year. From the outset, he and the Garden City coaches didn’t see the game the same way. Things reached a low point in the third quarter when the Trojans, trailing, 6-5, were hit with five straight penalties (11 on the day), two of them on the bench. That led to four straight Patriot goals and effectively put the game out of reach. Was the official looking for a confrontation? Best evidence was that he did not follow protocol and switch sides of the field at the half which would have taken him away from the benches.

It wasn’t all the officiating, however. Ward Melville won too many faceoffs, picked up too many ground balls and got off too many good shots.

Against St. Paul’s –a traditional lacrosse power- the defenses dominated. Only Patrick Berkery, with two goals and an assist, was able to find the net consistently. GC converted only 5 of 30 shots and came up empty on four man-up situations. Still, the game was tied 5-5 with less than three minutes remaining when St. Paul’s (8-3) scored the winner.

After a conference game with Levittown Division, the Trojans travel to Boston for a 10 a.m. game against highly-ranked Duxbury this Saturday at Harvard Stadium. Garden City has a serious Harvard connection with 2007 standout Dean Gibbons a key player for the Crimson and current stars Steve Jahelka, Brian Fischer and Devin Dwyer all headed there.

LAX NOTES: All-time, GC is 5-2 vs. Ward Melville, 1-0 vs. Duxbury, but 0-5 (all close games) vs. St. Paul’s....Devin Dwyer’s 8 assists were the most for GC since Rob Engelke had 8 on April 5, 2006. The school and county record is held by Bruce Corbridge, who recorded an amazing 14 against Division in 1963.....The Trojans trip to historic Harvard Stadium will mark the fifth time the team has played at a major college venue. Previously, GC played at Army’s Michie Stadium, Scott Stadium at the University of Virginia, Franklin Field in Philadelphia and Cornell’s Schoellcamp Stadium.

UNDEFEATED TROJAN LACROSSE TEAM FACES TOP TEAMS
BY JAKE WHITE

So far, so good for Garden City High’s highly-ranked boys lacrosse team. The Trojans improved their over-all record to 3 and 0 with an impressive 6-2 win over Suffolk power Smithtown West and a league opening 14-5 triumph over Jericho. Now Coach Steve Finnell’s squad faces three more non-Conference powerhouses in the next nine days.

This Saturday, April 2 Garden City travels to Ward Melville High School for a 2 p.m. game against the team many regard as the best in Suffolk. The Patriots were the dominant team in Section 11 for decades, although in recent years some of their rivals have caught up. This year they return a strong nucleus. The inter-county rivalry began with three straight Long Island Championship games from 1985-87, all won by Garden City. It resumed in 2007 with the Trojans taking two of three. No game was played last year due to schedule conflicts.

Next Thursday, April 7 should be one of the most interesting games of the year as former Garden City and University of Maryland star Peter Worstell ’76 brings his San Ramon, California team to Long Island. They are regarded as one of the top teams on the west coast, which is quickly becoming a new hotbed for the sport. The game will be played at Warren King Field at 4:15 p.m.

Following the San Ramon game, the Trojans will play host to powerful St. Paul’s of Baltimore on Saturday, April 9 at 10 a.m. St. Paul’s, as always, is nationally ranked and is expected to feature one of the best attacks in the country. This will be the fifth meeting between the team. All four previous games were won by St. Paul’s in very close games.

The Trojans may have faced the best attack on Long Island when they defeated Smithtown West. Rob Pannell and Kyle Keenan make everyone’s all-star list but the Trojan defense did a remarkable job, shutting out the high-scoring duo and their team for the last three quarters. Keenan scored twice in the first quarter, one on a pass from Pannell to give Smithtown West a 2-0 lead. From that point, the Trojans began to take command. Rob Savage and Patrick Berkery scored before halftime to tie the game, then Brian Coleman’s unassisted goal put GC ahead in the third. The final period was dominated by Garden City as Tom Gordon scored off a great pass from Devin Dwyer, and Mark Ellis hit the net on a fast break. The finishing touch came on a great play by J.P. Burnside who capped a brilliant defensive effort by scooping up a loose ball and racing the length of the field where his shot was deflected in by Liam Kennedy. Burnside, Steve Jahelka and Brian Fischer did a remarkable job against a strong offense and Dan Marino, for the second straight game, was almost flawless in goal with 10 saves.

The Conference opener at Jericho took a bit of the pressure off the defense as the Trojans, although again starting slowly, came on to trounce the Jayhawks, 14-5. The starting attack dominated with Tom Gordon leading with four goals and Devin Dwyer and Liam Kennedy getting three each. It was a good day for the rest of the offense as goals were also scored by Mike Comiskey (2), Ryan Norton and Lucas Clay. John Bock, getting his first start of the year in goal, made 8 saves.

LAX NOTES: The J.V. beat Ward Melville’s JV 8-7 in an overtime thriller. Coach Tom Flatley’s squad is 4-0.....Peter Worstell, now coach of the San Ramon, California team, was a high school All-American at Garden City in 1975 and 1976. He is still the school’s third all-time goal scorer behind Dean Gibbons and his brother Tim Worstell.

DEFENSE RULES AS TROJANS BEAT SYOSSET IN LACROSSE OPENER
BY JAKE WHITE

The 2011 Garden City High School Boys Lacrosse season  opened according to script on Tuesday as the highly touted defense was as good as advertised in an 8-1 non-league victory over host Syosset.  With Steve Jahelka, Brian Fischer and J.P. Burnside all back from last year’s Long Island Championship team,  the Trojans kept Syosset off the scoreboard until just 1:17 remained in the game.  “I really wanted that shutout’” said junior goalie Dan Marino who made eight saves in his debut.

It looked for a while as if the defense would need to be near perfect.  GC led just 2-0 at the half on goals by Devin Dwyer and Tom Gordon, who scored as time expired .  Good opportunities were wasted, but the Trojans scored six straight second half goals to take the pressure off.

Rob Savage and Liam Kennedy each scored twice while Jack Spencer and Brian Coleman added goals.  Dwyer finished with four assists while Patrick Berkery had two. But it was the defense that dominated on this day, including the man-down defense which successfully killed all six penalties
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Once again this year, Coach Steve Finnell has put together a non-league schedule which features some of the finest scholastic lacrosse teams in the nation.  It has been his philosophy to play as tough a schedule as he can in order to prepare his squad for the post season.  His formula has worked.  His first four teams since taking over for Doc Dougherty in 2007 have each won the Nassau County Class B Championship and last year’s team took the Long Island title and reached the state final.

Garden City has won a record five straight Nassau crowns (including Dougherty’s 2006 team) and will be looking to add a sixth with an outstanding nucleus of returning talent.  The path to a title has a new obstacle this year, however.  Old rival and two-time New York State Class C Champion Manhasset has moved up to Class B through its enrolment .  While the teams play in different conferences which makes the April 30 Wood StickClassic game a non-leaguer, they will be in the same Class B playoffs when post-season comes.  In addition, Wantagh, a league foe, has very good talent returning.

Following the Syosset game, the Trojans will play host to Smithtown West, one of Suffolk’s best Class A teams, this Saturday at 11 a.m. at the new Warren King Field.  The 2,400 seat grandstand and pressbox is ready to go and it is beautiful.

After a March 29 league opener at Jericho, Garden City will face Ward Melville (at Stony Brook) on April 2, then host San Ramon, California  (April 7) and nationally-ranked St. Paul’s of Maryland (April9).  San Ramon is coached by former Garden City star and Hall of Famer Peter Worstell.   On April 16, Garden City travels to Massachusetts to play another ranked team, Duxbury, at Harvard.

The seven game non-league schedule has been described as “challenging” by some and  “brutal” by at least one veteran coach.  That is fine by Finnell whose team was ranked number two in the  northeast in pre-season write-ups.  It will be hard to hold that ranking with so many outstanding opponents, but the only ranking Garden City cares about will come at seasons end when the County, Long Island and State playoffs are over.

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