Fun turnaround for Elmont

A year removed from a winless season, first-year coach Connor Bennardo has guided the Elmont boys’ lacrosse team to five wins in addition to some hard-fought defeats.

"Our real focus wasn't on wins and losses,” he said. “Our real focus was on building a culture that's sustainable and then turning that culture into a winning program. The kids bought into that early in January. They were out here in the freezing cold practicing every day.

“Elmont lacrosse is on the rise and we're going to keep building it and hopefully in the next couple of years, we're one of those teams that are talking about playoff berths instead of our first win,” Bennardo added.

The Spartans (5-7) are led by seniors Alex Williams and Aaron Michel. Williams is an offensive midfielder who takes faceoffs as well and leads the team with 25 goals. Michel was called the team’s “ultimate playmaker” by Bennardo and is third in Nassau County with 30 assists.

“We’re trying to build off of our first couple of wins and then rattle some more off,” Michel said. “My team is finishing up and scoring after I make the right read. Then we score a goal, and I celebrate with them right after, I enjoy that.”

The Spartans are loving the season they are putting together so far and that shows in the locker room and at practice. One of the most important parts of this run has been just having fun.

“They absolutely love to be here. Even last year when we weren't winning many games, they still showed up with a smile on their face ready to play,” Bennardo said. “Now that we've got a few wins, the smiles get a little bit bigger. So right now the team's close, they're excited, and it makes it really fun to coach them.”

The senior leadership on this squad shines through. They not only want to end on a high note, but they want to set the tone for the entire program going forward. “Some of the newer guys that are just coming out for the first time and they're picking up the game,” Williams said. “They love it, they definitely want to come back. I wish I wasn’t graduating.”

Senior Dkhari Dennis and junior Steve Lambert are additional keys on offense. In the back, senior Justus Nathaniel is thriving as a first-year player and has scored a bunch in transition. Juniors Derick Espinosa and Vincent Laffey, a long pole middie, also lead the defense in front of sophomore goalie Julius Sylvian-Jenkins. “Julius is probably our most-improved,” Bennardo said.

Added Michel: “We definitely built off trying to win our first few games and then rattled off after that. We’re making it better for guys next year because next year I won't be here, but, you know, we'll try to improve from there. Just one season at a time.”

Elmont looks to keep the good times rolling with games against East Meadow, Great Neck North, and New Hyde Park.

“We know each opponent's a little bit different and every day is an opportunity to beat an opponent. We kind of take it step by step,” Bennardo said.