Massapequa Boys Lacrosse Roll Over Oceanside, 19-9

The team remained in sole possession of first place in Conference I with a dominating win at  on Tuesday afternoon over Oceanside, 19-9.

The Chiefs (8-2) pulled away in the second half behind their best offensive output of the season to take down the Sailors (6-4).

Jamie Shand set a new season-high in total points with eight, including four goals and four assists. Ian Lukaszewicz did the same with six total points, including four goals and two assists.

Austin Akner and Greg Gilbert led Oceanside with two goals each in the loss.

Massapequa and Oceanside exchanged goals early on, as the first quarter consisted of four lead changes and three ties with Akner striking first for the Sailors. Shand scored three of his four goals to help the Chiefs lead 6-4 after 12 minutes.

Steve Romano extended the lead for Massapequa to 7-4 with a goal just eight seconds into the second quarter. Oceanside charged back to put in three of the next four goals to eventually pull within a goal at halftime, 9-8.

After the Chiefs’ Dylan Sheehan and Sailors’ John Remsen traded goals at the start of the third quarter, the home team found the offensive spark that has allowed them to score double-digit goals in seven of their first nine games. Lukaszewicz scored three goals and Sheehan added two before the quarter ended with Massapequa ahead 15-9.

The goal by Remsen would be the final time his team found the back of the net as Chiefs goalie Joe Danaher, who finished with 12 saves, helped shut out Oceanside for nearly the final 20 minutes.

Sheehan scored his fourth goal in the final quarter and Ryan Kirby scored two goals as Massapequa closed out the 19-9 win for a critical conference victory.

Heroes: Jamie Shand gave his team the offensive spark in the opening minutes and led an offense that scored at will against Oceanside.

“We came out strong offensively and although the defense didn’t play great in the beginning, they stepped up in the second half to let us just one goal,” Shand said.

Turning Point: When Massapequa led 11-9 in the third quarter, Oceanside lost some control as the penalties began to pile up. Shand scored his fourth goal on a two-man advantage as the Chiefs never looked back.

Quotable: “We made some adjustments at halftime. We knew we could score, but it was just a matter of landing it,” Massapequa head coach Tim Radomski said. “We had eight different goal scorers which is great. Joe [Danaher] made some great saves and was the catalyst in the second half for us.”

Bottom Line: Massapequa rebounded from a tough overtime loss to Connetquot last Wednesday to remain undefeated in Conference I with a 6-0 record. Oceanside has dropped some tough decisions this year as they stand in the middle of the pack in the conference.

Key Stat: Massapequa set a new season-high in goals with 19, topping two 18-goal performances against MacArthur and Freeport as eight different Chiefs scored.

Who’s Next: Massapequa vs. Farmingdale, April 29th, 4:15 p.m. Box Score:

Goals-Assists: O: Akner 2-0, Gilbert 2-0, Swanson 1-2, Remsen 1-1, Hughes, 1-1, Schwasnick 1-0, Grassi, 1-0, Sherry 0-1. Totals: 9-5. M: Shand 4-4, Lukaszewicz 4-2, Sheehan 4-2, Lawless 2-1, Kirby 2-0, Romano 1-2, Pellizzi 1-0, Savona 1-0, Muller 0-2. Totals: 19-13. Goalies: O: Failla- 10 saves; M: Danaher- 12 saves, Haran- 4 saves.