Smithtown News Sports 05 21-15

The Smithtown News ~ May 21, 2015 ~ Page 31
SportsThursday, May 21, 2015 Page 31
(Continued on page 24)
GIRLS’ LAX: SUFFOLK D-I QUARTERFINAL
1 2 final
No. 5 SMITHTOWN WEST 6 6 12
No. 4 SMITHTOWN EAST 6 3 9
EastatWits’end
Witteck’s late hat-trick helps West’s
laxstersavengepreviouselimination
losses in growing intradistrict rivalry
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
For 45 minutes, it was as close as
close could be, but Smithtown West
sophomore attacker Chelsea Witteck
was not about to let the No. 4 seed
Smithtown East girls’ lacrosse team
end her season again.
Witteck scored her team’s final
three goals in its 12-9 Suffolk Class A
quarterfinal on the road, sending fifth-
seeded West to the county semifinals
for the first time since the school
district split back into two high schools
in 2005.
“They ended our season the last three
years, and I didn’t want that to happen
again,” said Witteck, who finished with
a team high six points on five goals and
an assist. “I just tried my best and the
three goals were a result of the effort.”
The win sends West to a tough
matchup against top-seeded Middle
Country, Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.
“I’m so super-excited for the girls,”
Smithtown West coach Carie Bodo
said. “This was part of their goal they
set and worked hard all year for it. They
did all the work and they’re the ones
busting their chops, so they deserve
all the credit.”
Bodo is also happy to get another
crack at the Mad Dogs, who defeated
West 17-13 in the regular season on the
strength of a 7-0 run to start the game.
“Now that the girls saw them, they’ll
be ready to take them on,” Bodo said
of her players. “They’ll be playing
a lot more aggressive than the last
time. I also think that because they
scrimmaged Manhasset, the No. 2
team in the country last Saturday, and
played with them, they know they can
EYES UP: Smithtown West junior midfielder Mackenzie Heldberg (above, #11) advances
the ball, and Smithtown East senior attacker Annie Collins (below, #21) attempts to
work past Smithtown West junior midfielder Natalia Lynch (below, #16) in West’s 12-9
quarterfinal win at East, Tuesday, May 19. -Anthony Lifrieri photos

~ The Smithtown News ~ May 21, 2015
Sports
Theempirestrikesout EastlaxmeneliminateformerpowerWestIslipfor
thethirdconsecutiveseason,settingupsemifinal
showdown against S’town West at 4 p.m. Friday
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Time and time again, the West Islip
boys’ lacrosse team has tried to rebuild
its dynasty.
Time and time again, Smithtown
East has gotten in the way.
In the latest chapter of
a rivalry that essentially
beganwhenthen-Smithtown
Central won its first county
title over West Islip in 2003,
Smithtown East ousted the
Lions from the playoffs for the third
consecutive season with a 17-5 home
win in a Suffolk Class A quarterfinal
Tuesday, May 19.
“Any time you get to win in May
it’s special, but it’s even more special
against a great program like West Islip,”
said Smithtown East coach Jason
Lambert, who picked up his 100th
career victory as head coach of the
Bulls (see sidebar, page 22). “It feels
great for the kids to experience that,
and now we get to play in the Final Four
for the third-straight year.”
Senior attackman Brian Willetts,
who recently logged his 300th career
point (see sidebar, page 22), echoed
the sentiment.
“This win feels unbelievable because
it’s the third year in a row we’re
knocking them out of the playoffs,”
Willetts said. “They were the best
program for a number of years, so
it shows the kind of program we’re
becoming. There’s nowhere I’d rather
be on all of Long Island than this team
right here.”
“I think we learned a lot of things from the seniors on the team that beat them in 2013. They
showed us to play the game rather than the shirt [of the other team]. The hardest part is going
out there and playing with a clear mind, not the big, bad West Islip. Just play the game and
the right things will happen.” - Smithtown East midfielder JOHN DANIGGELIS
On the Bulls’ recent dominance of West Islip(Continued on page 22)
BOYS’ LAX: SUFFOLK CLASS A QUARTERFINAL
1 2 3 4 final
No. 7 West Islip 2 1 2 0 5
No. 2 SMITHTOWN EAST 3 5 5 4 17
DISTRIBUTOR: Smithtown East
sophomore midfielder Bobby Burns
(right, #16) looks to make a pass in
the Bulls’ 17-5 quarterfinal victory
at home over West Islip, Tuesday,
May 19.
-Anthony Lifrieri photo

Quandary of
quarterfinals
How single-elimination round is
disadvantagetoleaguechamps
Trench Coat’s take
Section XI nearly nailed it.
While ther e wasn’t
anything terribly wrong
with the then-double-
elimination format for the
Suffolk baseball playoffs,
there was always room for
improvement for a playoff
system which, up until the
early 2000’s, had even seen
many years as a single-
elimination tournament.
So when I heard about
the new format that Suffolk
County was using, I was
cautiously optimistic. And
it has its merits and one
alarming flaw.
The new format grants
byes up to the quarterfinals
for the five champions of
each AA league, which this
year were Ward Melville,
Connetquot, Hauppauge,
Smithtown East and Half
Hollow Hills West.
The remaining
teams that qualify
for the playoffs,
n o w h a v e t o
finish at .500
instead of above
.500, including
Smithtown West,
Commack and
Northport from
the local area.
They play in a
“Qualifying Round,” which
will whittle 13 teams down
to the final three quarterfinal
spots.
This all works well, as
the league champions get
rewarded for winning their
league, while allowing more
teams like Northport the
opportunity of playing
playoff baseball.
My favorite new feature of
the playoffs is the best-of-
three series for the semifinal
and championship rounds.
In theory, this should allow
the best teams to win,
not the team that can be
carried by one dominant
pitcher or player. It also
can protect teams from
having their season ruined
by a single uncharacteristic
performance.
But it is the way the
quarterfinal round was set
up that makes the least
sense. The best-of-eight
“Championship” round will
be decided by a single game.
So seeking to protect the
better teams while rewarding
the teams with worse records
goes completely out the
window, because anything
can happen in one game—a
bad start by the ace, a bad
performance by the cleanup
hitter, some unlikely error—
all could do in a team playing
really well or dominantly at
the end of the year.
Hence, the teams most at
a disadvantage by the new
format become five league
champions, who have to wait
fromthelastdayoftheregular
season, Wednesday, May 13,
until the quarterfinal round,
Thursday, May 21, to play
their next game. A lot of rust
can develop in eight days, so
it’s unfair for league champs
to face teams that have
played through the weekend,
let alone teams that had to
play red-hot to get
there.
I’m not the only
one who feels this
way. Seven of the
county’s coaches
who took a vote
on the change in
the playoffs voted
against it. Said one
coach: “The five
league champions
get rewarded with
a bye, but in the case of
Hills West and Smithtown
East, they are both league
champions and fantastic
teams, but their reward is
playing each other in the
round of eight, with one of
them ending their season.”
“The way it is now, you
can go undefeated the whole
year, win your league and run
into a No. 1 pitcher from any
school; if you lose one game,
your season is over,” another
coachsaid.“Singleelimination
is tough because once you
get that far in large school
playoffs, everyone is good and
any No. 1 pitcher can beat
any team no matter what the
record and seeding is.”
Both coaches noted that if
the quarterfinal was a three-
game series like the semifinals
and finals, they would have
voted yes, and I feel the same
way. If it were a three-game
tilt, the system would have
been perfect. Instead, it is the
sole crack in what could have
been perfect.
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Midfielder overcomes his hamstring injury
to re-enter game late, score game-winner
Wilkomback,Jerrod!
It took the No. 6 seed Smithtown West boys’
lacrosse team 46:35 to take its first lead over
No. 11 seed Bay Shore. For much of that 46:35,
midfielder Jerrod Wilkom was not in the game,
as he was battling a balky hamstring after
getting kneed in it midway through the first
quarter.
That injury didn’t stop Wilkom from playing
at the most important time as he scored the
winning goal with 1:25 left in regulation, putting
the Bulls ahead for the first time in their 6-5
home victory in the first round of the Suffolk
Class A playof fs
Friday, May 15.
“It’s the playoffs; if
we lost, we’re done for
the season,” Wilkom
said. “This is my senior
year, so I didn’t want to
lose like that.”
The game-winning score came as no surprise
to coach Bobby Moltisanti. “In a nutshell, that
sums up the kind of young man Jerrod Wilkom
is,” Moltisanti said. “He’s a relentless, fearless
competitor who’s tough to keep out of a game.
It’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a
hamstring. It’s fitting he’s the guy that ends up
with the ball in his stick to win a playoff game.
You can’t write it better than that.”
The win advanced Smithtown West to the
Suffolk Class A quarterfinals for a road-
showdown with No. 3 seed Connetquot,
Tuesday, May 19, where the Bulls won, 12-9.
West will travel to No. 2 seed Smithtown East
in the semifinals Friday, May 22 at 4 p.m. East
defeated No. 7 West Islip (see story, page 30),
17-5, Tuesday, May 19.
Smithtown West tied Bay Shore at 6 with
3:01 left in regulation, when attackman Jimmy
Caddigan rebounded a shot by midfielder
Garrett Brunsvold and quickly flicked the
ball into the cage. “I saw the ball go and I
was waiting for it; I’m always waiting for the
rebound,” Caddigan said. “A goal is a goal. I’ll
take it because I definitely felt the momentum
swing with the goal.
We never had the lead,
but the seniors and
everyone else were
getting pumped up.”
After midfielder
Dan Varello won the
ensuing face-off, the Bulls worked the ball to
Wilkom, who put the game away with his score.
“We were working the ball around,” Wilkom
said. “[Midfielder Dan] Caroussos got the ball
and the defenseman slid up. That left the back
door open for me and I finished [with a shot on
the goaltender’s] off-stick [side].”
West had to dig itself out of a steep hole, falling
behind 2-0 through the first quarter off scores
from Bay Shore attackman Robbie Sarraga,
the second of which came after he intercepted
a pass and went coast-to-coast for the score.
Caroussos fed attackman Kyle Zawadzki for
BOYS’ LAX: SUFFOLK CLASS A FIRST ROUND
1 2 3 4 final
No. 7 Bay Shore 2 2 1 0 5
No. 6 SMITHTOWN WEST 2 1 1 2 6
TOUGH IT OUT: Smithtown West midfielder Jerrod Wilkom (above, #29) ducks under the check of a pair of
Bay Shore defenders during the Bulls’ 6-5, first-round home playoff victory, Friday, May 15.
-Tony Zawadzki photo

Awet&wildwin
Sports
Awet&wildwin
Tulley’s single, steady pitching down stretch
helps S’town West overcome two-hour delay,
three-run deficit against defending champion
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Everything seemed to be going
against the Smithtown West
baseball team in its Class AA
first-round playoff game with
West Islip. The No. 9 seed Bulls
had made an uncharacteristic
error and fell into a three-run
deficit to the defending Suffolk
County champion Lions in a
game that had already been
delayed by two hours due to
water runoff from one side of the
infield to the other.
But through it all, the West bats
woke up at the right time while
senior pitchers Rob Tammaro
and Brandon LaManna held the
Lions hitless over the final four
innings as West rallied for a 5-4
home win Saturday, May 16.
“These one-run games always
come down to a walk, a base-hit,
a passed ball or a stolen base,”
Smithtown West coach Al Nucci
said. “I’m always on eggshells,
but the kids are so much better at
it than me. They’re the ones with
ice-water in their veins, and they
showed it today.”
TheBulls’resolvewasapparent
in the bottom of the fifth. With
two out and runners on second
and third, senior designated
hitter Vin Tulley hit a line
drive just over the glove of the
leaping West Islip third baseman,
allowing both junior shortstop
Nick Grande and Tammaro to
score and turning a 4-3 hole into
a 5-4 lead that stood up as the
Bulls’ pitching bore down.
“I knew I had two strikes on
me, so I focused on staying calm,”
Tulley said. “He threw a curveball
that hung, and I pulled it to the
left-field line. In a spot like that,
you can’t be nervous—just play
it like any other at-bat.”
Tammaro, with Grande on first
and senior centerfielder Nick
Attardi on second, belted a single
to left field that scored Attardi
to cut the deficit to 4-3. He then
BASEBALL: SUFFOLK CLASS AA FIRST ROUND
R H E
No. 14 West Islip 130 000 0 4 5 1
No. 9 SMITHTOWN WEST 101 030 X 5 5 1
UP THE MIDDLE: Smithtown West junior second baseman Joe Ianuzzi (above, #15) tags a runner and junior shortstop
Nick Grande (#2) makes a catch (right) and swings at a pitch (left) during the Bulls’ 5-4 home playoff victory over
West Islip, Saturday, May 16. -Richard Valeo photos

Sports
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
Fourthatgotaway
Unearned runs eliminate Kings Park
It was a game the sixth-seeded Kings
Park softball team should have won.
No. 11 Longwood scored its first four
runs on errors, negating a late rally in
the seventh as the host Lady Kingsmen
fell, 6-3, in the first round of the Suffolk
County Class AA playoffs, Monday,
May 18.
Longwood hosted No. 14 seed Walt
Whitman, Wednesday, May 20, but
results were not available at press time.
“There’s not much to say but four
errors—those are big mistakes,” Kings
Park coach
Kim McGinley
said. “We tried
to rally back
like we’ve done
all season, but
you can’t make
four errors in a major playoff game.”
An error by sophomore pitcher
Cassandra Cancemi in the first inning
led to a run scored by Longwood
shortstop Leah Mele and a pair
of errors by junior third baseman
Taryn McGinley led to runs scored by
Longwood rightfielder Alex Reggiani
and third baseman Alex Toro in the
second and sixth innings, respectively.
Reggiani added another run in the sixth
when she scored on a passed ball before
leftfielder Gabby Vickemoni and Mele
scored on a two-out bloop single to right
by centerfielder Jenna Beekman to
bust open the game and give the Lions
a 6-1 lead later in the inning.
Longwood nearly scored more when a
throwingerrorbyKingsParkjuniorfirst
baseman Gianna Cancemi off a bunt
by Reggiani put runners on second
and third with no out, but Cassandra
Cancemi struck out three of the next
four batters, including a bases-loaded,
full-count strikeout to end the inning
and escape without further damage.
But while
the Kingsmen
overall had
problems with
the leather,
they still had
theirmoments.
One came in the top of the fifth with a
runner on first. Longwood catcher
Madison Rappold hit a scorcher toward
Kings Park senior second baseman
Cheyenne Giarraputo, but Giarraputo
dropped to her knees, caught the ball
cleanly and quick-flicked to first to turn
a double-play.
Although Cassandra Cancemi
allowed the team’s first four runs,
they were all unearned, as the errors
and a passed ball in the sixth gave the
Lions their fourth run. The unearned
SOFTBALL: SUFFOLK ‘AA’ FIRST ROUND
R H E
No. 11 Longwood 110 004 0 6 6 2
No. 6 KINGS PARK 010 000 2 3 7 4
runs marred a solid performance by
Cancemi, who allowed five hits and
three walks with nine strikeouts over
5 1/3 innings.
Despite the errors and unearned
runs, the Kingsmen still showed a fight,
especially in the bottom of the seventh.
Down to their last out, the Kingsmen
rallied for a pair of runs off a double from
junior centerfielder Kristen Plant that
scored senior shortstop Carly Califano
and a single by Taryn McGinley that
brought home Plant. Kings Park’s other
run was scored in the bottom of the
second, when a single down the first-
base line by Gianna Cancemi scored
senior catcher Arianna Ambrosio.
Although Kings Park’s season
ended far earlier than its coach had
hoped, McGinley was still happy
with its 12-6 record. “It was a good
season,” she said. “We had to battle
for everything. Nothing came easy in
a very competitive League (III]. We
always played hard to the end and
never gave up. We may be losing a lot
of good people, but we have a good
nucleus returning.”
SPIN IT: Kings Park sophomore
pitcher Cassandra Cancemi
(#4) delivers a pitch and junior
third baseman Taryn McGinley
(above, #12) reaches for
a throw during the Lady
Kingsmen’s 6-3 home playoff
loss to Longwood, Monday,
May 18.
-Richard Valeo photos

Sports
Takegoodwithbadminton
Smithtown East girls win first-ever county crown; boys place second
By ANTHONY LIFRIERI
What a year it’s been for Smithtown East
badminton. The girls’ team won its first county
championship, edging Commack 5-4, while the boys’
team advanced to the county final before losing to
champion Half Hollow Hills East, 8-1, at Suffolk
Community College in Selden, Thursday, May 14.
For the girls’ team (13-3), it was all about fulfilling
a vow this year’s graduating seniors made three
years ago.
“We had no league or county championships, so the
girls made a goal of becoming champions by the end
of their senior year,” Smithtown East coach John Hart
said. “They’ve been focused on that goal ever since.
Every practice was about how to become a champion.
We didn’t become champions on Thursday night—we
became champions practicing in the gymnasium
every day as hard as we could. They just fulfilled it
with that 5-4 victory over Commack.”
Right in the middle of the girls’ run to the title was
senior Brooke Mraz, who won the clinching matches
in the Bulls’ 5-4 semifinal win over No. 2 seed Walt
Whitman and No. 3 seed Commack.
“It’s unbelievable to be county champions
because this is the first time Smithtown East varsity
badminton has ever done it,” Mraz said. “It was also
my senior year, so it’s a great way to go out with a
bang and make history.”
In the semifinal against Whitman, Mraz dropped
the first game, 11-13, but rallied to win the next two
11-9 and 11-7 to send the Bulls to the final. “It was
crazy and stressful,” Mraz said of the semifinal win.
“To lose the first, win the second, and finally win the
third was highly emotional for me. I ended up crying
when I was coming off the court because I knew we
were going to counties.”
In the championship match, Mraz rolled to victory,
winning in two games, 11-2 and 11-7, to also clinch
the team title. “I was a little more confident going
into Commack because we all matched up with them
better and had success in the past,” Mraz said. “I
was actually surprised I was the one who ended up
clinching it, but it was still an incredible feeling to
know I was the one to do it.”
But Mraz was not alone in leading the Bulls to
a county championship. Junior Tara Korkus went
13-3 during the regular season at first singles, then
picked up victories over Whitman and Commack’s top
singles players in the team tournament.
“We went into the tournament with one of our
strongest teams and our strongest goal,” Korkus said.
“We’d never made it this far before and we were so
close. I was a little nervous but I was still able to do
well and we ended up finishing well.”
Korkus also had success in the individual
tournament a week prior, where she emerged as the
county champion. “That wasn’t even in the picture
for me,” Korkus said. “Last year I took fourth, so I
just wanted to do a little better. Going into it I was
confident I could win, but I didn’t expect it. I was
really surprised.”
Part of what propelled Korkus to the title was the
support she received in the individual tournament.
“Everyone from both teams came to watch and that
gave me confidence” Korkus said. “Other teams
may have had three or four people, so I didn’t think
everyone would come. So when all the girls, and even
the boys, were there and cheering the whole time, it
really helped.”
That show of unity was nothing new to the girls’
and boys’ teams. In fact, Hart cited the support the
boys’ and girls’ teams gave each other as a source of
their successes this season.
“Team unity was absolutely pertinent,” Hart said.
“Both teams were very united and supportive of each
other. In badminton, you go out as individuals but
you win as a team. If the team is not behind you, the
court becomes very lonely. We were united in every
single match. When kids come off the court and
support each other in close matches, that’s a definite
team effort that can make a very big difference.”
Also helping the girls’ team to victory was second
singles player Julianna Thompson, whom Hart called
a good leader, and the second doubles duo of Brianna
Saladino and Geraldine Hughes, which Hart called
the team’s engine.
“They don’t have the strongest record but they’re
two of the strongest players in terms of rallying the
team,” said Hart of Saladino and Hughes. “They’re
at the center of everything in terms of unity and
supporting everyone. They’re the heartbeat of the
team and two of our captains. Our captains may not
always be the best players but they are always the
best leaders.”
A 7-2 victory over perennial power Half Hollow
Hills East to open its season helped boost the Bulls’
confidence right away. “After we beat them, we were
on the busride home and said, ‘Wow, this could be it,’”
Hart said. “They hadn’t lost in 74 matches over three
or four years, so it was telling. We thought they had a
good program, but we showed a chink in their armor.”
The Smithtown East boys’ team was almost as
dominant. It went 14-2 in the regular season before
reaching the county final, where it lost to a strong
Half Hollow Hills team.
“They were very consistent this season,” Hart said
of the boys. “We had a rough start because the first
team we played was [eventual champion] Half Hollow
Hills and we lost [8-1],” Hart said. “But… we all knew
we could do better and we went through the rest of
the competition playing well. We didn’t blow a lot
of people out because the competition was fierce,
TOP OF THE HEAP: The Smithtown East girls’ badminton team celebrates its first county title after defeating Commack, 5-4, in the Suffolk
championship match at Suffolk Community College in Selden, Thursday, May 14. The team was led by junior first singles player Tara
Korkus (right), who also won the individual county championship.

Sports
but we stayed consistent and played
fantastically.”
Leading the way on the court for
the boys’ team was Alex Gugliata
at first singles, and Will Haff, who
knocked Gugliata out of the individual
tournament in the second round. “That
shows the depth of our entire lineup,”
Hart said. “Will is also the only person
to beat a Half Hollow Hills player in
the finals.”
Leading the team off the court was
the second doubles pairing of Matt
Lyons and Robert Schepis. Hart cited
Lyons’ cool demeanor as the rock that
steadied the team in times of crisis.
“Miller Place nicknamed him ‘Cool
Blonde Guy,’” Hart said. “He’s a very
charismatic team leader who always
gets the team to work its best. He
does it with great sportsmanship and
etiquette, and, whether he’s winning or
losing, he does it with style. That’s what
Miller Place must have seen in him.”
Another key to East’s success was the
versatility of Andrew Edsell, who served
as the team’s utility man. Whenever
there was an absence, sickness or
illness by a singles or doubles player,
(Continued from page 26)
Eastbadmintonteams
enjoyexcellentseason
Edsell was the first person Hart called
upon.
“He was always ready to play when
whenever we needed him,” Hart said.
“You need to have that kind of depth
because you’re always going to have
absences. If you don’t have a strong
kid like that to fill in, you may drop
a match. He always stepped up when
we needed him and worked hard in
practice. He was just an awesome kid.”
Coming off perhaps the most
successful season in the history of
Smithtown East badminton, Hart has
high hopes for the future. “Things
always change but if the bulk of the
kids come back, we’re going to have a
strong year,” Hart said of 2016. “The
boys’ program is always there. We’ve
made the finals four times since 2009,
which is fantastic for any program.
“The girls have been fantastic and
we hope to keep in the top four. We’re
graduating a lot of girls but we have a
lot of girls that have not seen the court
that are good practice and exhibition
players. I think they should transition
into solid starting players next year,
and will work hard every single day in
practice.”
Westdiamondmenrally
stole second base to put the second
runner in scoring position for Tulley’s
two-run single.
“I was looking for a fastball middle-in
that I could drive because I knew he
wasn’tgoingtothrowacurve,”Tammaro
said. “That’s what he threw me, and I
was able to put a good swing on it.”
Prior to the game, the field was water-
logged and unplayable. Although most
of the field was dry by game-time at 2
p.m., prior to that there was a pool of
water down the third-base line, while
the whole left side of the infield was
wet. Eventually, dirt and quick-dry
was dumped on the spots and the field
became dry enough to play two hours
later.
“The infield was so saturated this
morning; we were able to work on the
dirt, but there was nothing we could do
about the grass,” Nucci said. “All the
water ran to the baseline, and I guess
as it was drying underground, it pooled
up in that spot. Still, it was good to be
able to play and I appreciate West Islip
being so patient.”
The rally in the fifth helped erase a
hole dug by the Bulls in the top of the
second, when the Lions scored three
runs on a fielding error by LaManna
while fielding a bunt, which preceded
a two-run double by West Islip junior
infielder Louis Antos and a sacrifice fly
by senior outfielder Alex Barbera.
From there, Tammaro completely
shut down the Lions’ offense, allowing
just two more hits in the top of the third
before retiring the final eight batters
he faced. Tammaro was cruising, but
had to swap places with LaManna after
injuring his thumb. Tammaro allowed
five hits and three earned runs in 5
2/3 innings with two strikeouts and
two walks. LaManna finished the job
with a four-out save, allowing just one
walk against four batters.
“I knew we got off to a bad start, but
with the guys behind me, I knew there
was no way this game would end 4-1,”
Tammaro said. “I knew if I could locate
my pitches, we’d battle back.”
The choice of starting Tammaro on
the mound over LaManna, his top
starter, was a hunch by Nucci, who
wanted to save LaManna for the Bulls’
second-round match-up at No. 8 seed
Patchogue-Medford. “We figured if we
went with Rob today, we could use
Brandon for an inning or two, then use
him for the Patchogue game,” Nucci
said. “We rolled the dice not throwing
Brandon, but that’s because we felt so
confident with Rob. We also thought
Brandon matched up better with a
bigger, stronger hitting team like Pat-
Med.”
The move paid off, as the Bulls beat
Patchogue-Medford, 7-2, Monday, May
18. The Bulls/Raiders advance to a
one-game elimination quarterfinal (see
column, page 29) to play at second-
seeded Ward Melville, Thursday, May
21 at 4 p.m. The winner of that game
will play in the county semifinals
against either No. 6 seed East Islip or
No. 3 seed Hauppauge in a three-game
series beginning Saturday, May 23 at 4
p.m. on the road.
D E U C E : S m i t h t o w n
West senior pitchers
Rob Tammaro (left) and
Brandon LaManna helped
pitch the Bulls’ to a 6-5
playoff win over West
Islip, Saturday, May 16.
Tammaro and LaManna
no-hit the defending
county champion Lions
over the final four innings,
giving the Bulls’ bats a
chance to get back into
the game.
-Richard Valeo photo

Sports
WildWestwininpostseasonBattleoftheBulls
stay with anybody.”
Witteck’s first goal in the run put
West ahead for the first time. She
worked around a defender then put
the ball into the cage to give her team
a 10-9 lead with 5:33 left in regulation.
“We’ve been practicing that play all
year,” Witteck said. “We have a lot of
different options, but I knew I had to
go one-on-one if we were going to get
ahead. I had to have faith in myself to
get it done.”
West’s win seemed unlikely late in the
firsthalf,whenEastbuilta6-3leadwith
about four minutes left until halftime.
East’s early success stemmed from
threegoalsfromseniormidfielderAnnie
Collins, and scores from sophomore
midfielder Katie Schmal (19:36), junior
midfielder Jackie Cuccurullo (10:19)
and sophomore midfielder Shannon
Kavanagh.
However, West answered back with
a free-position goal from Witteck
(3:04 left), a goal on an overhand-shot
by junior midfielder Natalia Lynch
(2:15) and a goal by junior midfielder
Mackenzie Heldberg (1:21) to tie the
score at 6 before intermission.
“It was all about the draws,” Witteck
said. “Winning the draws got us back
into the game. It allowed us to tie it at
the half and give us momentum over
the rest of the game.”
Spearheading Smithtown West’s
effort on draw control was Heldberg,
who slowly took control of the game
as it wore on by working with her
teammates. This gave West a 15-7
advantage in possession against
another of the county’s best draw
controllers in Kavanagh.
“I knew she was strong so I let her
win a little bit so I could get it to the
defenders,” Heldberg said. “I had faith
they were going to get it. It was tough,
but we did it together.”
The first 20 minutes of the second
half was a dogfight, with ties at 7-7,
8-8 and 9-9 before Witteck took
control of the game. Kavanagh and
Cuccurullo logged a goal and an assist
in the run, and sophomore attacker
Julia Smith’s goal with 9:34 remaining
gave East its last lead at 9-8. Lynch
(15:16 left), freshman attacker Grace
Langella (11:54) and senior attacker
Kaitlin Unser (8:51) helped keep West
in the game despite the stellar play
of Smithtown East senior goaltender
Ashley Stoessel, who logged 10 saves
in her final game as a high-schooler.
“It was a good, tough game, but this
was disappointing,” Smithtown East
coach Ann Naughton said. “We had
opportunities, but we lost momentum
on the draw and they answered back.
I’m proud of where we got [12-5 record],
but we wanted to go further this year.
Still, we made it further than we did
last year, and we hope we can keep the
trend going and make it a little further
again next year.”
ON THE RUN: Smithtown West senior defender Katie Aldrich (above, #6) clears the ball in
transition with Smithtown East sophomore midfielder Kate Schmal (above, #23) in pursuit
in West’s 12-9 playoff win over East.
-Anthony Lifrieri photo

Sports
the Bulls’ first goal :08 into the second
quarter, but Bay Shore answered back
with a goal on a high-velocity shot
from midfielder Phil Glynn, giving
the Marauders a 3-1 lead with 7:02
remaining in the second quarter. Two
goals from midfielder Dan Riley (with
6:32 and 1:14 left) helped the Bulls
pull to within 4-3 heading into halftime.
The only scores in the third quarter
came from Caddigan off an assist from
attackman Matt Miller with 9:09 left
in the period, and a Bay Shore quick-
stick from midfielder Ted Nagengast to
Nicole Brieva, a Biology/
Sociology major from Kings
Park, was a member of the
2015 SUNY Oneonta softball
team. The team finished with
a 25-14 record overall. The
Red Dragons were 12-6 in
the SUNYAC and qualified for
the conference tournament.
Brieva made 19 appearances
this season. She recorded two
hits, both doubles, for two
RBIs. She crossed the plate
six times. In the field, she
recorded three putouts.
* * *
Kaitlyn Norton, an Early
Childhood Education major
from Kings Park, was a
member of the 2015 SUNY
Oneonta women’s lacrosse
team. The team finished 7-11
overall this season. The Red
Dragons finished 4-4 in the
SUNYAC and qualified for
the conference tournament.
Norton played in nine games
this season, starting four. She
collected eight ground balls
and caused one turnover.
* * *
V e r o n i c a P e c k , o f
Hauppauge, was named to the
Empire 8 Conference all-star
team for women’s basketball.
Peck started all 25 games at
point guard this season and
contributed 9.4 points and a
conference-best 3.5 assists
per game. She also led the
Golden Flyers with 50 three-
point baskets and was among
the conference leaders in
three-point accuracy at 38.5%
(50-for-130).
Sports briefs
Also leading the charge against
Bay Shore was midfielder Dan
Varello, who dominated the face-
off ‘X,’ winning 13 of 15. “I knew
they had a lot of athletes, and three
different Fo/Gos [face-off/get-off
players],” Varello said. “I tried to
stay away from them, because big,
athletic kids can strip and take the
ball away. I pushed the ball to my
wings the whole time, which is all
I really needed to do. I also was
prepared really well for this game
by Brandon Meir, who gave me great
reps all week in practice.”
Thomas Glynn with 7:56 left.
Although the Bulls were
trailing into the fourth, they
didn’t panic. Some of them
even found it enjoyable. “It
was fun because we’re kind
of used to it,” said Caddigan,
who finished with two goals
and an assist. “Last year, we
didn’t have many close games,
so this year we needed guys
to step up that didn’t have a
lot of experience. That showed
today when you have guys like
Wilkom, Caroussos and myself
playinghard.Everyonestepped
up today when we needed it.”
Westlaxmenpullitout
FIRM GRIP: Smithtown West midfielder Dan Riley (above, #2) cradles left to avoid a
defender during the Bulls’ 6-5 home win against Bay Shore , Friday, May 15.
-Tony Zawadzki photo

Sports
EastbouncesWestI.forthirdpostseason
East has been so dominant against
West Islip that some might say it
can hardly be considered a rivalry
anymore. In their past six head-to-
head meetings including last year’s
county final—all East victories—the
Bulls have outscored West Islip, 84-33.
“I think we learned a lot from the
seniors on the first [Smithtown East]
team that beat [West Islip] in 2013,” said
senior John Daniggelis, a member of the
team for all six victories. “They showed
us to play the game rather than the shirt
[of the other team]. The hardest part is
going out there and playing with a clear
mind—not[beworriedabout]thebig,bad
West Islip. Just play the game and the
right things will happen.”
East’s latest win against West Islip sets
up a Suffolk semifinal showdown against
crosstown rival Smithtown West—which
-A. LIFRIERI
In the same game Smithtown East
boys lacrosse coach Jason Lambert
picked up his 100th career victory
(see story below), senior attackman
Brian Willetts tallied his 300th career
point, becoming only one of two players
in school history (2007 graduate
Matt Hull was the other) to reach the
milestone.
Willetts logged nine points (five goals,
four assists) during the Bulls’ 22-4
win over visiting Commack in the first
round of the Suffolk County Class A
playoffs, Friday, May 16.
“It’s an honor to reach such a
milestone, but I owe a lot of it to my
teammates,” Willetts said. “There’s a lot
of guys that set me up, so this is their
accomplishment as much as it is mine. I
advanced with wins over Bay Shore and
Connetquot (see story, page 29)—at 4 p.m.
Friday, May 22 at Smithtown East.
“This is going to be great for the
Smithtown community,” Lambert said.
“This is a great opportunity for both
teams on Friday. Anytime we play, it’s
a great event between two very, very
good teams.”
Against West Islip, Smithtown East
actually found itself in a 2-0 hole after
a pair of scores from junior Michael
Lombardi, the second of which forced
Lambert to call a time-out with 6:34
remaining in the opening period. “We
came out slow off the ground balls
and their face-off kid did a good job,”
Lambert said. “They were being more
aggressive than us, so we called the
time-out to take a deep breath.”
In the huddle, Lambert stressed
getting to ground balls, which the
Lions were winning the majority of to
that point, and the team responded,
winning most of the loose balls the
rest of the way. Combined with junior
midfielder Gerard Arceri winning 16 of
22 face-offs, the Bulls dominated the
pace from there.
Smithtown East junior attackman
Dan Rooney scored the next two goals
to tie the score, then Daniggelis netted
the first of his three goals, beating a
defender and ripping a sidearm-shot to
the top-right corner of the cage to give
his team a 3-2 lead with seven seconds
left in the opening period.
Early in the second period, East
took control of the game, scoring four
goals in a 53-second span. The run
started after senior goaltender Sean
Turner made one of his seven saves
and made a long clearing pass to senior
defenseman James Sarrocco, who
sprinted past West Islip defenders and
used an underhand shot to score in
traffic with 10:44 left in the first half.
Rooney scored six seconds later on
a fast break before Willetts bounced
through an attempted check and
ripped a shot just under the crossbar
with 10:02 left in the half to make it 6-2.
Although the Lions took a time-out in
an attempt to quell East’s momentum,
it didn’t work. Arceri won the ensuing
face-off, then started a fast break that
concluded with sophomore attackman
Sean Barry scoring a point-blank goal
off a Rooney assist with 9:51 left in the
half. Barry’s goal finished the four-goal
flurry and gave East a 7-2 lead.
“We always say our chemistry is
insane,” Rooney said of the run. “We all
know where each other are and what
we’ll do next, so it’s easy to get bang-
bang-bang goals like that.”
There was little West Islip could
do from there, as East outscored the
Lions 10-3 over the remaining two-plus
quarters. Rooney continued to feast
on the Lions en route to a game-high
seven points (five goals, two assists)
while Willetts had two goals and two
assists, sophomore midfielder Connor
DeSimone two goals and an assist,
freshman midfielder Matt Russo a pair
of assists, and Arceri and Barry a goal
and an assist apiece.
Willettssurpasses300points,eyesschoolrecord
think it speaks a lot to the talent around
me and the faith everyone has in me to
keeptheballinmystickanddomything.
I love and embrace that role because I
love to get after it and compete.”
After tallying two goals and two
assists in a 17-5 drubbing of West Islip
(see story, page 30) Tuesday, May 19,
Willetts sits just four points behind
Hull’s school record of 310. Willetts
could break the record in his next game,
a Suffolk Class A semifinal showdown
against crosstown rival Smithtown West
at 4 p.m. Friday, May 22.
If Willetts breaks the record, he
would surpass a player he has
considered his hero. In fact, if not for
Hull’s inspiration, Hull’s record might
not be threatened.
“It would be a real honor to break the
record considering it’s Matt Hull,” he
said. “He’s the reason I wear No. 40. I
remember coming to the field at 6 years
old and watching him tear it up. He was
a role model I looked up to, and he’s
part of the reason I ended up picking
lacrosse over baseball.”
This season, Willetts arguably is
the best player on Long Island. He
currently leads Suffolk with 100 points
on 65 goals and 35 assists, edging out
his teammate, junior attackman Dan
Rooney, who has 97 points (65 goals,
32 assists). Willetts and Rooney also
are tied for most goals on Long Island
and sit behind only Herricks’ Sal
Cipriano (128 points on 43 goals and
85 assists) for points.Brian Willetts
100thgrandforLambert
Everything seems to be going Jason
Lambert’s way.
Lambert’s Smithtown East boys’
lacrosse team is in the midst of its best
season under his watch. The Bulls
eliminated West Islip from the playoffs
for the third consecutive year on May
20 (see story, page 30), and five days
earlier Lambert recorded his 100th
career victory in East’s 22-4, first-
round playoff victory over Commack.
But while many would boast of
a major coaching accomplishment,
Lambert instead credited his team.
“It’s a testament to the great players
we have,” he said. “This is my eighth
season here, and I’m very fortunate
enough to have had some exceptional
talent. It speaks to the program we’ve
built here. I remember when we started
here in [the spring of] 2006, when the
schools split, and we had no seniors—
we were in Class B that year. As the
program has grown, our players and
youth program got better, and now we
have depth we’ve never had in the past.”
Lambert got his start in Smithtown
as an assistant to longtime coach Kevin
Huff in 2002, and the then-Smithtown
Central squad found near-instant
success, winning the school district’s
first-ever county championship in boys
lacrosse in 2003. That same team was
inducted into the Smithtown Booster
Club’s Athletic Hall of Fame last
weekend.
Lambert continued as an assistant
under Huff when the schools split in the
fall of 2005, and he grabbed the head
coaching reins of the team in 2008.
Since then it’s been an uphill climb to
the top, culminating with East’s first-
ever Suffolk title last spring.
Smithtown East senior co-captain
John Daniggelis, a team member for 57
of Lambert’s 101 head coaching wins,
was happy for Lambert. “It’s a great
honor to be a part of this,” Daniggelis
said. “Ever since he pulled me up [to the
varsity level] the summer heading into
high school and my first varsity season,
we’ve had a great relationship. There is
no coach like him. He’s well respected
and is a player’s coach. We’re very lucky
to have him here, and we never want to
lose him. The way he sets up players
on and off the field, no one compares
to him.”
COACH ‘EM UP: Smithtown East coach Jason Lambert (above, right) discusses strategy
with his players, including senior captain John Daniggelis (above, left) during the Bulls’
17-5 victory over West Islip, Tuesday, May 19. -Anthony Lifrieri photo

Smithtown News Sports 05 21-15

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