Carey faces challenging schedule

Carey comes off a season that saw the Seahawks advance to the quarterfinal round of the Nassau Class B boys’ lacrosse playoffs before falling to Manhasset. With a pair of All-County performers returning, and a slew of experience up and down the field, Carey should be in the mix in one of the state’s toughest classifications.

The Seahawks will face one of the most daunting schedules. In addition to league games with perennial power Garden City, Wantagh, and Long Beach, Carey will play non-conference games against West Islip, defending Long Island champion Lynbrook, Farmingdale, South Side, and Bethpage.

Carey coach Tom Aiello is hopeful his team will progress as the season goes along. “I would like to be a little further along than we are at this point, but we have a few injuries, and we’re a little bit behind,” Aiello said. “We’re going to get stronger, and hopefully we will be playing our best lacrosse in May.”

Carey is off to a 1-1 start. The Seahawks opened the season with a non-league loss to Massapequa, the defending Class A state champions, and then rebounded for an 11-3 victory over visiting East Meadow on March 23.

Nick Spillane, a four-year varsity player and All-County honoree, leads the way for the Seahawks. The Penn State-bound senior is an attacker who can feed, dodge, scoop up ground balls, and, of course, fill up the net.

Sophomore Dom Scorcia should be an excellent complement to Spillane at attack. Scorcia, who scored four goals in the win over East Meadow, is terrific off the ball, makes great cuts, and possesses excellent lacrosse IQ.

Carey should be strong at midfield. Senior Tom Mayer moves from attack to middie. The three-year starter has a knack for finding open teammates. Mayer had a goal and four assists against East Meadow.

Mike Kadnar, a junior who has already committed to play at Stony Brook, and senior Mike De Leo have talent and experience. De Leo is lightning quick, while Kadnar is more of a physical presence.

Senior Brett Campos is a solid on face-offs, and this year he will make more runs on offense. Seniors Richie Katz and Gary Roes provide depth at attack, with juniors Angelo Cona and Kevin Meaney each seeing time at midfield.

Carey should be very strong on defense with a trio of seniors returning for their third year as a unit. Tommy Gallant, an All-County recipient, Kieran Murchie, and Jorge Cerquera comprise a formidable backline. Senior Casey Kloepfer returns at defensive middie.

Returning in goal is senior Dom Serio. Aiello likes the way his goalie is looking in the early going of the season. Serio registered 11 saves and allowed no goals in the opening half to help the Seahawks earn their first victory. Seniors Pawel Koprowski and Bobby Marino will contribute.

Carey will travel to Bethpage on for a non-league matchup on April 7 at 11 a.m.