A young, relatively inexperienced Long Beach team finished with a respectable 8-9 record in 2010, and knocked off Bethpage in the opening round of the Class B playoffs before seeing their season come to an end with a loss to eventual state finalist Garden City.
Heading into this season, the Marines are still stocked with underclassmen, but with a strong defensive unit and a group of very capable midfielders, Long Beach is clearly headed in the right direction.
Head coach Jim Kasper is confident that the program is one that opponents will not be able to overlook. “The league is very strong, and we’re not as deep as most teams, but we have a lot of talented players,” Kasper said.
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“The guys are working hard,” he continued. “We’re trying to build a reputation here at Long Beach as a serious lacrosse program. We're coming along.”
Long Beach has been solid in net in the recent past, with a pair of All-Americans, 2007 graduate Tim McCormack, who is now a captain at UMASS, and 2010 graduate Eddie Collins, who plays at Nassau Community College. A pair of junior goalies, Mike Rourke and George Ambrosini, are both vying for time in net for the Marines.
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Kasper hopes that one will step up to become the number one net minder.
The Marines have the potential to be very good on defense. A trio of juniors, all with the potential to play major college lacrosse, return at close defense for Long Beach. Kris Horvath, Alec Salvadori, and Joe Brand lead a defensive unit that held opponents to just over three goals per contest in games that the Marines won in 2010.
Senior Ben Weiss and sophomore Jake Brown are formidable at long pole. Both are outstanding at scooping up ground balls, and have excellent lacrosse IQ. Senior Matt Shouldis will also be a big contributor on the defensive end. Kasper believes the defensive unit has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in the county.
Senior Damon Whitfield leads a balanced group of midfielders. Along with Whitfield, juniors Connor Sofield, Jake Shapiro, and Matt Sheehan, sophomore James Forkin, and freshman Josh Ayzenberg comprise a skilled unit that has speed and strong stick skills.
At attack, senior Shaun Bogart carries the ball well and sets up open teammates. Juniors Tommy Hamlet and Joe Radin, who could emerge as Long Beach’s go-to guy, should be two players who find the back of net often for the Marines.
The Marines will be face many of the county’s best in 2011. Massapequa, Lynbrook, Hicksville, Oceanside, Hewlett and Farmingdale are all on the schedule.
