Farmingdale boys lacrosse drops state Class A final in overtime to McQuaid Jesuit

It took over 51 minutes to decide a winner between Farmingdale and Section V’s McQuaid Jesuit in Saturday’s state Class A boys lacrosse championship.

But in the end, the Dalers fell to McQuaid Jesuit, 8-7, in overtime at Hofstra. Farmingdale, which was playing in its second straight state championship game, ended its season with a 17-6 record.

“Obviously we’re disappointed,” Farmingdale coach Eric Dunne said. “But I couldn’t be more proud of the effort these guys have given.”

D om Giangreco scored the winning goal with just 28.6 seconds left in the first overtime period for McQuaid Jesuit, which won its first state championship in program history.

Farmingdale senior captain Brendan O’Keefe, who scored three goals, assisted on two of Farmingdale’s three fourth-quarter goals to erase a 7-4 deficit.

“That’s been the story of us all year,” O’Keefe said. “Even at our lowest points, we were still a tough team.”

“He’s a generational talent,” Dunne said. “The last guy we had like him was in 2011 when we won states. He’s a guy who can see the field the way he does and shoot the ball and make everyone else better. He’ll be a huge loss, but he did a great job of wearing that No. 40.”

O'Keefe's effort floated from player to player and eventually found itself on the stick of Sal Posillico, who scored off a rebound from a powerful O’Keefe shot to tie it at 7 with five minutes left. Farmingdale goalie Jimmy Caputo (six saves) made two saves within five seconds of each other with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter to keep the Dalers alive. Caden Lennon scored two first-half goals.

McQuaid's John Harding had three assists and quarterbacked an offense that continued to threaten Farmingdale's stout defense. The Dalers, who came into the state championship on an 11-game winning streak, were allowing just five goals per game since their 11-4 loss to Wantagh on April 22.

“[McQuaid] was good today,” Dunne said. “I thought we had some good looks that we couldn’t put away. They moved the ball well and they found open guys.”

Farmingdale and McQuaid went into halftime tied at 4. It was the first time the Dalers did not lead at the end of the first half since that April 22 game at Wantagh. Too many shots either went wide or into the stick of McQuaid goalie Will Gordon, who totaled 12 saves.

“It’s kind of what we expected, we knew they were a tough team,” O’Keefe said. “We just played too sloppy today.”

The Dalers fell just short of winning their first state championship since 2011, but the impact the program had on the community was on full display in the stands. From shirtless fans to a sea of green t-shirts, the town of Farmingdale was well-represented during Saturday’s championship.

“I love Farmingdale, I’ve been here for 14 years,” Dunne said. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get the job done, because I think the community deserves it … We’re happy to be here, but it’s unfortunate we couldn’t get the job done two years in a row.”

“It was an honor [to be a captain],” O’Keefe said. “I love them all, and I’m sad it’s over.”