The Carey vs. Farmingdale cross-conference contest did not disappoint. This game went down to the wire and was most certainly up for grabs.

The beginning of the first quarter was all Carey, with two highlight reel goals from their sophomore sensations, Michael Faerone and Jimmy O’Connell. Scoring from either side of the cage, the slick sophs executed two pretty Lyol Thompson esq goals after dodging from X. Soon after, the Dalers settled in and found their groove. Farmingdale rattled off 4 goals to gain a 4-2 lead. Scoring was balanced, with Woodland, Cavaioli, Matalone, and Decker finding the back of the net. Towards the end of the 1st, Carey got a quick one, making it a one goal game going into the second.

In the second quarter, Carey shut out Farmingdale and notched two goals on the board. Halftime was left for adjustments to be made. Farmingdale’s number one objective was to slow down O’Connell on attack. The Dale bumped down Lorenzo Ramos to create a gem of a match-up in the second half. Farmingdale also strategized how they could dissect what would most likely be a zone a second half. Carey was playing great ball in the second. Cleaning up some unforced turnovers and executing their looks seemed to be the primary objectives going into the second.

By the end of the third quarter, Farmingdale was within 1, the score now Carey 7, Farmingdale 6. In the fourth, Dalers locked it down on defense, not allowing a goal, and their offense stepped up. Sean Gillman did a great job in net, finishing with 14 saves on the day. On offense, sophomore Thomas Decker stuck his second of the day sweeping across the middle. With minutes left, Dom Ciaccio carried from the high left wing towards the middle of the field, Jack Cavaioli executed a little dive cut to the middle of the zone. Caccio fed the ball inside to a right handed Cavaoili, who caught the pass, turned away from pressure to his right, and scored a shovel shot goal off the goalies hip while getting hit. This play ended up becoming the game winner for Farmingdale. An unbelievable goal! In the end, Farmingdale finished stronger, held onto the lead, and captured their second win of the season, with a final of 8-7.

Carey Analysis

This team is filled with promise. Not only is Carey built to succeed in Nassau Class B in years to come, but they have a shot of making a run this year. They are loaded on the offensive end with young talent. They have skill, size, athleticism, and are well coached. They have a very good stopper in net, Robert Flohr. His size allows him to take up cage, and make shooters jobs much more difficult. Carey’s young attack is going to make some noise over the next few years. Jimmy O’Connell & Michael Faerone are sophomores who play like Seniors. They have size, skill, IQ and are good under pressure. Junior, Conor Murray will get to spend the next year and half being a part of and helping build a top-tier attack unit in Nassau. On defense, Jojo Todaro is one of the best sophomore poles we’ve seen. His physicality and athleticism makes him a force on the field. His communication skills superior for someone his age. Watch out for the Seahawks for the next few years, who knows, you might even see these boys fly into Hofstra in 2019.

Farmingdale Analysis

Tough. This team is tough. Their brand of lacrosse is old school, and I love it. They fight for everything. Something this team was lacking over the last few years was skill. After watching them play, its apparent they now have this too. Their top offensive players are very good. Not only are they skilled, they are dynamic too. Woodland a big strong, finisher. Ammirati a tough, old-school, scrapper. Matalone a skilled, slippery shooter. Cavaioli a big, tough, big moment contributor. Hayden, a vacuum, speedy, initater. Dacker, a big, smooth, stretch the defense shooter. Caccio, a young, south-paw laxer. Oemcke, your old-school, do-it-all midfielder. Hickis, a super athletic, grinder. On defense, the Dalers are always so fundamentally sound. They gave up more unassisted goals then they’d like, but overall, they are becoming great as a unit. I thought Lorenzo Ramos, sophomore, stood out as someone who is very solid and consistent. He will be the answer to opponents best weapons this season, and in seasons to come. Sean Gillman, Junior goalie, really stepped up in this Carey game. 14 saves on the day, only letting in 7. With Carey’s skill and precision on offense, he made some unbelievable saves. Expect Farmingdale to be in the mix come late May. Who knows? With continued growth, a healthy roster, and one of the best sidelines for celebrations, this team could surprise some people in Nassau Class A this year.

TKO Strong

At the end of the day, two great teams competed for a greater cause. Win or lose, this game was for TKO Strong, a campaign designed to raise awareness, inspiration, and funds for one special young man, Thomas Onorato Jr. Thomas was named Honorary Captain for the 2019 season. Thomas is just 4 years old and suffers from a rare disease called Microvillus Inclusion. This results in intestinal failure. Thomas is a Franklin Square resident turned lacrosse fan. This game was dedicated to Thomas because he’s an inspiration to the Carey Lacrosse team and now the entire lacrosse community. Thomas fights each day with a smile on his face and his attitude is contagious. Please be sure to support Thomas by following @tkostrongfoundation You can even donate by clicking their instagram bio. #TKOStrong #TheMedicineGame