Carey primed for playoff run

After dropping its opening game of the 2015 season to Massapequa, the defending Class A boys’ lacrosse state champions, Carey caught fire, running off a string of seven consecutive victories.

The Seahawks have had a tough go as of late, but hope a convincing win over New Hyde Park last Friday will be a sign of things to come. Richie Katz scored five goals and Nick Spillane added four goals and five assists to lead Carey (9-4 overall, 6-3 in Conference B-1) to a 17-3 road win. Mike Kadnar chipped in with a goal and five assists.

The Seahawks came into the game having lost three of their past four contests. They dropped nail biters to Wantagh, defending Long Island Class B champion Lynbrook, and to perennial power Garden City.

Carey coach Tom Aiello hopes his team is primed for a playoff run. “We had a tough week against some strong teams,” Aiello said. “We were in every game, but we turned the ball over too often, and made too many mistakes. We’re close to where we need to be going into the playoffs. We need to cut down on mistakes, value the ball, and communicate better.”

The Seahawks started to find their stride in late March when they traveled to Long Beach and beat the Marines 8-6. Spillane found the back of the net three times, and senior goalie Dom Serio had eight saves as Carey handed Long Beach the only loss it has suffered at the hands of a Conference B1 opponent.

One of the early season highlights was an impressive 7-6 double-overtime win over visiting West Islip. Dom Scorcia scored the winner, his third goal of the game, with 1:22 left in the second overtime session. Serio was terrific in net, registering 17 saves against a team that regularly competes for championships in Suffolk County. Spillane’s goal with 34 seconds remaining forced overtime.

Carey’s defense has been a stronghold. The team has yielded four or fewer goals in six of its games. Senior Tom Gallant has played at a high level, and has been tough to beat all season long.

Senior Casey Kloepfer has been a standout performer on defense as well. Kloepfer, who suffered a first quarter injury that was costly to the team in a 9-8 loss to Wantagh, is a ground ball magnet who plays a key role in getting the team started in transition.
Scorcia, a player who represents a big part of the present and future at Carey, is second to Spillane on the scoring chart. The sophomore has 25 goals and 14 assists on the season, including a five-goal, three-assist effort in a 17-8 win over Bellmore JFK. Spillane had a goal and six assists in the contest.

Aiello is confident going into the playoffs. “We’ve regrouped after some tough losses, and have played well,” Aiello said. “When we’re on our game, we can play with anyone.”