More than 100 student-athletes, coaches, parents and family members officially closed Suffolk County’s Half Hollow Hills East High School boys’ lacrosse season with an awards dinner and season recap at the end of May at Bella Verde Restaurant on the Heartland Golf Course in Deer Park.
Reflecting on the season that was highly rewarding when compared to the tough season of a year earlier, Coach Gordon Hodgson said that the number one goal this season was for everyone to come together as a team and to play as a team.
“We play as a team, practice as a team and grow as a team,” said the coach and the team did just that, rising from 16th the previous year to rank as a Super Seven Champion in Suffolk County.
The Thunderbirds finished 10-3 in league play and 15-5 overall, sparked by the seniors and many younger players who upgraded their conditioning and commitment.
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“The team practices and plays together a lot,” said Hodgson, “and they know that they have to come ready to play. Throughout the season, from fall to spring and into the summer, we regularly regroup and teach.”
This season, the players bought into their roles on the squad and into the team concept to help make the significant jump in the county standings and to make the playoffs. One opposing coach told Hodgson during the season that “your kids continue to work hard to get better.”
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Teams usually don’t make adjustments, especially when they win, Hodgson told the gathering, but “our players are willing to take these risks to play better. We had such great practices going into this year’s playoffs, and the shots our players took were high percentage shots that you would see in a college game.”
The varsity boys’ lacrosse team will lose eight seniors to graduation. But, with the bulk of the squad returning next year, and with the addition of seasoned players moving up from the junior varsity team along with the dedication and teaching skills of Assistant Coach Michael Conway and Goalie Coach George Fox, Hodgson expects the team to build upon this season’s lessons and to move higher in the standings.
Award Recipients
A number of Thunderbirds players were rewarded with school and county awards for their scholastic and athletic achievements this season.
Named to the Suffolk All-County Team were seniors Nick DiPietro, Dan Bockelman and Nick Pellegrino. Seniors Jordan Eichholz and Justin Rothstein were named to the All-Division Team.
The fourth annual James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award was presented to Dan Bockelman, who had 48 goals and 30 assists for 78 points this season. His season high was seven goals against Sachem East on April 11. The award is named for a leading Half Hollow Hills High School East benefactor who also was an All-American student athlete at the school during the 1970s.
“Dan has been an exceptional player and student during his four years at Half Hollow Hills,” said Metzger, who personally presented the honor. “He is a team player, a leader and, as his numbers show, a scorer who we believe will lead him to additional lacrosse success at Cornell University.”
Metzger is CEO of The Whitmore Group, a leading insurance services and estate planning company in the New York metropolitan area that is headquartered in Garden City. He set assist records (82 in one season) and won many awards during his high school playing days, including All-American honors and the 1977 Ray Enners Award for outstanding Suffolk County lacrosse player when he scored 102 points. Metzger also starred in football and played varsity basketball as a sophomore in the Suffolk County playoffs.
After graduation from high school, Metzger played lacrosse for two years at Hofstra University. As an All-American, he led Hofstra in assists during his freshman and sophomore seasons (1979 and 1980). His single season points per game average (4.9) ranks fourth all-time and his single season assist average (2.8) ranks eighth.
Other Half Hollow Hills East High School varsity lacrosse award winners included Zachary Kleinbaum and Justin Gottlieb (Coaches Award), Richie Hogan (Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation Award) and Fran McCall (Unsung Hero Award).
The first annual George Fox Award, named for the current team goalie coach who has influenced many lacrosse programs on Long Island and nationally since 1962, was presented to Dante Mifsud for his dedication to himself and to the team.
Senior Jordan Shapiro received the second Eric Geringswald Community Service Award that is named for a Half Hollow Hills school trustee who is involved in youth education and athletics. Shapiro was recognized for his consistent contributions to the Half Hollow Hills Challenger Lacrosse Program for which he has been the lead peer mentor. The program provides athletic and social opportunities for children with special needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Downs Syndrome and physical disabilities.
