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PREVIEW: SSHS Boy's Lax Ranked Third in Preseason Poll

Head Coach Steve DiPietro hopes a mix of veterans and talented underclassmen can lead Cyclones to fourth consecutive conference title.

After winning three straight conference titles, one would think the boy’s lacrosse team would be ranked first in the preseason rankings.  Instead, they find themselves looking up at rivals Garden City and Wantagh, and that’s exactly the way they want it.

The Cyclones went 11-6 last season before losing to Lynbrook in the Nassau County quarterfinals. This season, they'll aim for a fourth consecutive conference title, albeit without a few key players who graduated, including three all-county athletes. The Cyclones will try to surprise the doubters with a combination of seasoned veterans and skilled underclassmen.

Head coach Steve DiPietro, who has led the Cyclones to conference titles in each of his three years at the helm, said he knows the season may come down to how well his older players can steer the ship, and how quickly his young studs develop.

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“We graduated some key pieces last year, but we bring back a nice mix of veterans with some talented underclassmen, so it should be an interesting year,” he said. “Our captains are Bryan Gerrato, Zach Scaduto, Mike Firestone, Mike Hayes and Pat Finnerty. We need some strong leadership from them and for our young guys to learn on the job quickly so we can make some noise in the playoffs.”

As they try to win its first New York State championship since 2004, the Cyclones will try to jump start its season with a difficult non-league schedule against defending Colorado State champion Cherry Creek (March 29), as well as Cold Spring Harbor (March 21), Syosset (March 24) and Hewlett (April 1).

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“We have a very tough non-league schedule, which will prepare us for conference play, and most importantly, the playoffs,” DiPietro said. “Garden City and Wantagh are both seeded ahead of us in the conference, and the B-conference is generally extremely competitive with the teams we have.”

Despite its recent conference dominance –  including a 27-game conference winning streak – and a tough non-conference schedule, South Side still enters this season as a potential dark horse. 

If the Cyclones can get production out of its underclassmen – including Cole Considine, Matt Berry, Dan Cecere, Eric Gennari, Stephen Tita and Hunter Rainis – South Side could be a dangerous team come playoff time.

“Garden City, Wantagh and Manhasset are the clear favorites in the conference, but I think that is a good thing for us,” DiPietro said. “No one expects much from us, which is a good place to be. If we work hard and do the little things well, we can be a dangerous team as the season progresses.”

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