Elmont moving in positive direction

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There was a day when the boys’ lacrosse program at Elmont could rival any other. The Spartans, who amassed six county titles, four Long Island championships, and a pair of state crowns in the 1970s and 80s, had 11 players named All-America.

In fact, nearly 40 years later, one of those All-Americans, 70’s star Jim Zaffuto who later starred at Johns Hopkins, still holds county records for career goals and assists.

While a return to the glory days is not on the horizon, Justin Casano, in his second year as coach at Elmont, believes the Spartans are on the road to respectability. Elmont competes in Nassau Conference B-I.

With its 6-4 home win over West Hempstead on April 8, Elmont improved to 3-2, equaling last season’s win total. Matthew Penelvert had three goals, and senior goalie Tariq Qureshi turned aside 17 shots to lead the Spartans.

Casano likes the direction his program is in. “We have a lot of interest in lacrosse from the junior high level up to the varsity,” Casano said. “Things are definitely looking up. We’re in the building stage, right now. We’ll have a new turf field, so we’ll be able to have clinics, and get more of the young children from the community involved in lacrosse. I like where we’re headed.”

If the Spartans are to be successful in 2015, defense will be the key. Seniors Marc Cruz and Jermaine Dyer, and junior Trevor Desire are a veteran group of defenders who have shown excellent chemistry. Casano is impressed with how the unit feeds off one another.

Qureshi has shown tremendous improvement in his second year as starting net minder. Stick work, positioning, and the ability to get his team started in transition are among Qureshi’s attributes.

Penelvert is the Spartans’ go-to player. The junior attacker’s 22 goals ranks him among the top 10 goal scorers in the county. Penelvert scored six goals to lead Elmont to a 9-3 victory over Island Trees in the season opener. A pair of seniors, Tosg Crossfield and Malcolm Walker, joined Penelvert at attack.

Elmont has speed and strength at midfield. Senior Tony White is a versatile performer who handles the majority of the face offs. White’s ability to handle the long pole is a plus. He had a pair of goals in the win over West Hempstead.

Junior Harold Elizee is a second-year starter who dodges well. Senior Kendall St. Louis and junior Aston Brown complement each other. Both players have excellent speed and athleticism.

Casano, who is assisted by Joe Watson, has high hopes for his team. “The top teams in our conference are very strong, but I think we can compete with the teams on our schedule,” Casano said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve made the playoffs, so that’s the goal that we’re going to shoot for.”

The Spartans will travel to Jericho this Friday for a 4:30 p.m. start.