The Schreiber varsity lacrosse team concluded their last home game of the season with a 17-13 win over Hicksville on Thursday, May 7. It was a great way to end the season with a victory in front of a big crowd on Seniors Day with 17 team members who will be graduating in June.
Despite giving up five goals in the fourth quarter, Vikings Head Coach Tom Rooney was impressed with his boys’ effort in the season finale. “We played well early but I didn’t think we played well at the end of the game,” said Rooney. “I thought we took our foot off the gas a little bit. But they’re [Hicksville] a good team, so they’re going to get some goals.”
At the end of the day, a win is a win. The Vikings finished the year 12-3 overall and 8-2 in their conference. After a huge victory against the Comets, the Vikings go into the postseason as the number three seed.
In the first quarter of the final game, the Vikings struck first, with two goals from midfielder Joey Froccaro and attacker Seth Obadia. Obadia was the best player on the field in Port Washington’s final game. He finished the day with four goals, upping his total to 33, which is good for third on the team. After that, both teams exchanged goals and the Vikings ended up leading 4-3 going into the second quarter.
The second quarter was when the Vikings dominated. They held on to the ball longer, dictated the play, blocked shots, and forced a bunch of turnovers. They also got some secondary scoring from Luke Cummings, Ryan Garry, John Athanasian, and Hayden Braider. Cummings recorded a hat trick and an assist. Garry put up two goals and an assist. Athanasian scored twice and Braider added a goal. Brian Crawley was also outstanding on the field as he also recorded a hat trick, bringing his goal total to 17. The Vikings outscored the Comets 5-1 in the second as they went into the half with a comfortable 10-4 lead.
The third quarter mirrored the first. When one team scored, the other responded. Going into the fourth, the Vikings had a 16-8 lead.
The fourth quarter was where the Comets tried to mount a comeback, putting pressure on the Vikings. After the Vikings took out junior goaltender Nick Ferraro to start the second half, the Comets chased their backup goalie. This resulted in Rooney putting Ferraro back in the net. The Comets outscored the Vikings 5-1 in the fourth, but it was too little too late as the Vikings held on to preserve the win 17-13.
Of course, as they have all season, the Vikings got big contributions from Froccaro and Ferraro. Froccaro, who scored two goals, continued to step up when it mattered and led the offensive onslaught for Coach Rooney’s squad. He led the team in goals with 49 and has 73 points this year.
“Joey is about as good as it gets” said Rooney. “He’s an All-American and every game he seems to do something that wows us.”
Another player who continues to flourish under Rooney is Ferraro. He has been spectacular in the regular season finale as well. The netminder made 12 saves including a couple of nice ones early on.
“Nicky’s been starting since the eighth grade,” said Rooney. “He’s a Division 1 goalie and he’s been excellent.”
With the regular season completed, the boys will now turn their attention to postseason play. They will host the number six seed, who has yet to be determined, on May 13. With terrific defense and secondary scoring, the team depth has been the backbone to the their success. This is and will be their main weapon as they get ready to make a run in the postseason.
“I think we played a lot of guys,” said Rooney. “We rotated a bunch of attackers and midfielders. It was nice for all of them to get out on this field one last time.”
