Spillane, Miller lift Nassau sophomores in Showcase
Nassau's Patrick McCormick of Hicksville, left, is marked by Suffolk defenseman Logan Greco (Smithtown West) during the second half of the Long Island Lacrosse Showcase Rising Seniors Game. (June 20, 2013) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
After four years of futility, Nassau County's sophomore boys lacrosse players do not have to dial 9-1-1.
Nick Spillane (Carey) had four goals and two assists, and Griffin Miller (Calhoun) made a spectacular save in the closing seconds as Nassau defeated Suffolk, 11-10, Thursday night in the fifth Long Island Lacrosse Showcase at the new St. Joseph's College (Patchogue) facility.
"It's great to represent the 5-1-6! We were extremely motivated,'' said Miller, who robbed Ryan Bray (Shoreham-Wading River) on the doorstep with 10 seconds remaining. Bray already had scored two goals with two assists when he took a pass directly in front of Miller.
"I watched his head. He faked high and faked low, then came back low. I got my left toe on it. That was a lot of adrenaline right there. Our coaches told us before the game we had never beaten Suffolk.''
Spillane, who has committed to Penn State, put on a show for the Nittany Lions' Jeff Tambroni, one of more than 40 college coaches who sat on lawn chairs on the turf to watch the tripleheader.
Spillane scored two goals in 27 seconds in the first quarter, then tallied again late in the first half as Nassau built an 8-3 lead.
Suffolk went on a tying 5-0 run, but Alex Concannon (Syosset) scored twice in 28 seconds for a 10-8 lead. Bray and Jack Sullivan (Rocky Point) answered before Spillane put in the winner off a slick feed from Paul Dilena (Massapequa) with 4:48 left.
"I saw the defense ball-watching, so I cut off the ball,'' Spillane said. "Dilena came up with a great look. We really wanted to win it for Nassau.''
In the Rising Seniors game, Ryan Keenan (Smithtown West), another Penn State recruit, scored three goals with two assists, and five others contributed two goals each in Suffolk's 14-8 victory. Patrick McCormick (Hicksville), a North Carolina recruit, had three goals for Nassau.
Keenan's Smithtown West teammate Matt Smidt came up huge in the cage with five saves in a fast-paced first quarter.
"I was seeing the ball very well,'' said Smidt, an Ohio State recruit whose future coach, Nick Myers, was on the sideline. "Summer ball is my favorite time of year, playing with my boys from all the different towns. I wanted to be aggressive and show Coach Myers I can be a starter.''
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