WI Boys Lax Team Honored at Hofstra

Winning has become so synonymous with West Islip lacrosse that it seems the only days they fail to do so is when the sky isn't blue and the sun doesn't rise.  They have adopted the Tiger Woods method to becoming champions; replace the pacifier with a stick at a very early age.  And become freakishly good with it.

This was evident last Thursday night when the 2010 boys lacrosse team were honored at Hofstra University. Fans packed Shuart Stadium to support the state champs as they were recognized during halftime of a Long Island Lizards Major League lacrosse game.  Kids were practically hanging halfway over the bleacher railings, screaming the names of the their favorite players with jerseys draped over their backs and sticks glued to their hands. 

The Lizards were taking on the Chesapeake Bayhawks at Hofstra University, but with all the blue and yellow t-shirts in the stands, it was apparent who the fans were there to see.

"I think it's outrageous that we're in a situation that we're getting honored in a lot of different venues," head coach Scott Craig said.  ""I think Long Island lacrosse from a national standpoint is very, very big.  So when you get recognized at the highest level that we do and to get voted to No. 1 in the nation and people are talking about your program and your kids, it's just outrageous. 

"It's great for our guys, it's great for our town and as you can see today, we get great support from West Islip."

Sans a few players, the Lions were called up one by one to receive a plaque for their achievement.  They finished the season as the unanimous No. 1 ranked high school team in the country, a clear representation of a beach town with a big-time lacrosse problem.

And generally with winning comes complacency;  teams get comfortable at the top spot, and then get caught napping.  Don't expect that this season from the Lions, though.

"Our pressure is to be the best," Craig said.  "I think the biggest adjustment for us is not going to be being No. 1, we've been there and every team knows that is their legacy.  It's not last years team, or the year before that, this is your year." 

Craig said he and the team were wearing down from playing so often in the summer, and that a few months off were on the horizon.  The Lions will return to action on the third week of November when they compete in the Shoreham-Wading River tournament.  Next season, they'll will be vying for an unprecedented eighth- straight county championship and fifth state title in the past six years.

"We try to be the best we can be," he said.  "That's what we strive for, taking it one game out at a time."