Sports

Hills West Boys Lax Falls to East Islip

Fast start for Colts sputters out Wednesday to strong Redmen team.

Senior gunslinger Vito Marsico helped the boys lacrosse team race out to a 4-2 lead over East Islip Wednesday, but the Redmen proved too powerful in the end. 

After the Colts quick start, the Redmen scored 18 of the game's last 21 goals to sweep aside Hills West 20-7 on a chilly late March afternoon in East Islip. 

"Some of the inexperience and key absences on defense started to become evident," Colts head coach Nils Haugen said of his team's performance after the game. 

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Ian Peyser put the Colts on the board first and with two goals from Marsico (who finished with three and one assist) and another from Dale Cornetta, Hills West was flying high halfway through the first quarter. 

In the huddle, a Colt yelled out, "This is business." 

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It was the Redmen, though, who turned on the jets, scoring on virtually every ensuing possession. Kevin Wendel, who finished with five goals for East Islip, sprinted from the sideline with 6.9 seconds left in the half and fired one home to give the Redmen a 13-6 lead at the half.

Chris Joyce scored four times and two time all-county selection Tyler Begley, who is headed to Hofstra in the fall, had three goals and five assists for the Redmen. 

Hills West's Michael Primiano had a goal and two assists. Colts goaltender Nicky Badaracco finished with nine saves.

It was first league game of the season for both squads with Hills West trying to prove it deserves to be mentioned alongside the Division I elites.  East Islip was ranked fifth in the preseason coaches poll. The Colts clocked in at No. 10.

Hills West faces a particularly tough early season schedule.  Following a non-league match at home against Islip Friday, the Colts will tangle with the top four ranked teams in the division over the next two weeks (Sachem North, Ward Melville, Smithtown West and the state champs, West Islip). 

Coach Haugen said his team is ready to take on the best.

"We are going to fight as hard as we can every game expecting to win," he said, "but most of all build and learn and making our way to the playoffs." 


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