The 2022 boys lacrosse season ended with a winning record and high hopes. 

Although the boys lost in the first round of the state tournament to Mahwah (8-6), they fought hard and finished the season strong, ending with a 9-7 record. 

One game that stands out this season was the overtime win over Pompton Lakes. After losing to them by one goal in the county tournament, Coach Kate Kennedy, called it a “very personal game” that brought the team a sense of “redemption” to conclude their season. The winning point was scored by senior Vincent Stoffel, one the team’s leading scorers. 

Coach Kennedy credits all her players for the standout year, especially after the team suffered injuries throughout that made it “tough to maintain a consistent lineup” and “forced [them] to have new kids playing together on a weekly basis.” She tells The Ledger, “Everyone rose to the occasion and gave it everything they had.”

Coach Kennedy highlighted the starting varsity lineup for bringing the team together despite these difficulties:

Sophomore Brady Kennedy, who has been on varsity since his freshman year playing the attack position, ended the season as the second    highest scoring attack man sophomore in the county and tenth highest point scorer in the conference overall. Coach Kennedy said he is a “huge part of our offense.”

Stoffel, also playing the attack position, earned 1st Team All County honors and over 100 points over the last two seasons. Stoffel has been described as a player the team can count on to “finish and assist in big games.”

Senior Marcello Santora, midfield, also made a name for himself by being the sixth highest point scorer in the county and leading the ground ball stat for the team. Coach Kennedy stated, “Cello gives this game EVERYTHING he has whenever he steps on the field.”

Sophomore Antonio Santora is another rising star on the field. Playing midfield and face off, Santora is the second highest ranked face off winner in the county and conference. According to Coach Kennedy, he has a 72% win rate, which is “insane.”

Sophomore Jake Spear earned his starting position on varsity this year as a long stick midfielder. Not only can he “read the defense very well” and leads the team in clears, he is also credited as being “one of the best communicators” on the field. 

Senior Justin Ganci ended his career strong playing defense. Ganci earned the honor of 1st Team All County and leads the team’s defense in ground balls and turnovers. Coach Kennedy described Ganci as “patient, calculated, and almost ALWAYS winning in a 1-on-1 situation.”

Junior Tommy Castiglia, the team’s goalie, joined varsity as a starter this year and already hit 100 saves. Coach Kennedy said he is a goalie “worth watching,” having the highest save percentage in the county and conference.  

Coach Kennedy has been coaching lacrosse for 10 years. As a former Division 1 lacrosse player from the University of Albany, she brought her knowledge and love of the game to Lakeland Regional. 

The LRHS community is looking forward to seeing how the young varsity boys lacrosse team continues to make a name for themselves in the coming seasons.