After suffering defeat to Massapequa, it could have been a game the Hicksville Junior Varsity Lacrosse team would want to soon forget. However, the game provided a good learning experience.
The Chiefs overpowered the Cosmos for most of the affair in a 13-6 win. At the halftime whistle it was 9-1.
“Don’t think about the scoreboard just make a good lacrosse play. Try to become a better lacrosse player from yesterday to today so by the end of the game, you’re a better lacrosse player,” head coach Mike Magee told his players.
The Chiefs typically prove to be a tough match-up and once again they were well in front from the get-go.
“Massapequa is an excellent club, they’re always an excellent club. Their stick skills are superior to ours and most teams in the league and we were clearly outmatched today,” said Magee. “Once they got up big on us it was tough for our kids to stay with it. At some point we got a second wind, but we made a little bit of a run to make things a little interesting.”
There was another area that helped Massapequa in the game. Assistant coach Joe Surgott noted the Chiefs were “more athletic than us. Bigger, stronger, faster.”
Not only did the game provide lessons in the physical side of the game, Magee was happy with the resolve his players showed in the mental side of the game.
“It’s hard to keep your hop in your step when you go down 7-, 8-, 9-1 like we did,” he said. “Our mental toughness got tested today and most of them passed so that was good. These kind of games test your character,” he said.
That run came after the halftime break, where the Comets settled down. They began to take advantage of their opportunities that they didn’t in the first half.
“Offensively we executed well. I just felt their goalie made some good saves early. We didn’t capitalize on some early opportunities to keep us around mentally.”
For the Comets, Benjamin Burdo tallied three times, while Massapequa had three different players with three goals to their names.
With the season winding down, the Comets now have two games remaining on the schedule. However, several players may have their season’s extended and move up to varsity.
Although Magee didn’t give out names, about four to five players should make the jump up to Varsity when the JV season concludes.
