Winter is coming to an end and with spring weather around the corner, that can only mean one thing in Hicksville—lacrosse season is about to begin. The Hicksville High School Boys Lacrosse team is ready to start their new season off right under the helm of first-year coach Mike Skudin.
Last season, the team finished with a 9-8 overall record and a 5-5 mark in conference play. They defeated Oceanside in the quarterfinals but come up short to a very strong Syosset team in the Nassau Conference Class A semifinals. This year, the boys are hungry for a championship and look to build on last year’s postseason play.
The 2015 team consists of mostly senior players. These players are grooming the underclassmen on the field and are also acting as mentors off the field. This year’s squad is a tight knit group according to Coach Skudin.
“The underclassman have seen the hard work the seniors have done and want to be at their best so they can send them out on top,” said Skudin. “We are a very close group and love competing every day no matter what we are doing.” Camaraderie is the biggest strength to this team.
Leading the team this season are mid-fielders Brian Lang and Matt Arnone, goaltender Isiah Pinzan, defenders Rob Schmidt and Frank Terrasi, and attacker Mike Osmundsen. Lang put up impressive numbers last season. He scored 34 goals and recorded 10 assists, which helped lead the Comets to the Nassau Class A Semifinals. Lang, who was recruited by Ohio State University, was second on the team in scoring last year. Expect him to be one of the go-to guys this year. Lang, along with the rest of the Comets have high expectations for this season under Coach Skudin. He is aiming to take his game to the next level.
“I’m working on developing my skills all around,” said Lang. “I am also working on my off hand and my dodging.”
Returning senior Pinzan will be the goalie to rely on this season. He will provide stability in the net and backstop the Comets. When asked about the defense, Skudin describes seniors Terrasi as a “big and smart defenseman” and Schmidt as a “blue-collared” defender. This pair will anchor the defense in front of Pinzan.
Within the Nassau Class A Section 8 Conference, expect some fierce competition. Skudin believes that every game will be important. The biggest challenges will come from Syosset and Massapequa.
“The two top seeded teams, Syosset and Massapequa, will be great tests for us,” said Skudin. “They are two great teams with rich lacrosse backgrounds.”
Another game Skudin is looking forward to playing against is his alma mater and hometown, Long Beach in a non-conference match. The Comets face off against Long Beach on March 20 at 7 p.m.
Like every team, the goal is the same: win the championship. This team feels that they have a real shot to do so.
“I told the guys in the first meeting that we will go as far with the amount of work we put in,” said Skudin. “We have put in the work, now let’s see how far we can run with it.”
