Baldwin aims for playoff return

Seeded fifth in a revamped 16-team Nassau Conference A, Baldwin will look to get back to the playoffs after failing to qualify last spring for the first time in coach Rich Garguilo’s 14-year tenure.

“We were really young last year with 10 sophomores getting a lot of playing time and only a few seniors,” Garguilo said. “We’re a more experienced team, but we’re still trying to find our identity. We have really good kids who play hard and tough all the time.”

While Garguilo said the Bruins’ offense was a step ahead of the defense heading into April, the team’s most accomplished player will be a driving force to the scoring column. Senior Tyler Warner, a two-time All-County selection headed to Yale and expected to flex between midfield and attack, opened 2014 with six goals and one assist in an 8-7 victory over Long Beach. “Tyler’s the whole package,” Garguilo said. “He’s got tremendous stick skills, but we know he’s not going to get us seven points every game. Teams are going to try to lock him constantly and other guys need to step up when that happens.”

Tyler’s younger brother, junior Jared Warner, is another versatile standout. Jared, who had a goal and three assists against Long Beach, will take the majority of faceoffs, Garguilo said, and brings a lightning-quick first step to the table. “He’s shifty and fearless,” the coach said.

Senior Gerard Lyle’s craftiness comes in handy when he’s running the show on offense from the X position, though Garguilo is also looking for him to shoot more. Additional attackers stepping into bigger roles include Sam Ferguson, Chris Baker, Jessie Nolan and Brandon Hemens. “We have to see who’s going to step up and claim some starting jobs,” Garguilo said. “Those that value the ball most will be on the field the most.”

After the Warners, the midfield is relatively young but should benefit from last year’s experience. Juniors Christian Cummings, Dylan Darnulc and Matt Eberhart, and eighth-grader David Garcia are some of the personnel Garguilo will be counting on a lot. Senior Myles Wilson brings plenty of speed and energy to the long pole middie position. 

With a few rule changes put in place to speed up the game, such as substituting on the fly instead of during a brief whistle stoppage, the pressure is on the midfielders to contribute more at both ends. “I like the concept,” Garguilo said. “It helps the teams running two full midfield groups.”

Baldwin returns a quality goaltender in Tom York, a junior who was Honorable Mention All-County last spring. “He’s super athletic and an intense competitor,” Gargiulo said. “He’s very quick with great hands.”

The in-close defense features senior Aasin Pritchard, who is headed to Hofstra, and juniors Nick Deluca and Noel Smith. Deluca, an All-Conference performer, will normally get the toughest assignment.

The Bruins host defending Nassau Class A champion Massapequa this Saturday at 10 a.m.