William Birney gives Massapequa boys lacrosse a thrilling win over Syosset

In a season highlighted by perfection within conference play, there was still one challenge the Massapequa boys lacrosse team had yet to face entering Friday afternoon.

Conquering the defending county champion.

And just as Massapequa began pulling away in the second half, Syosset stormed right back in front of the home crowd, leaving Massapequa in search of one emphatic final response.

Then along came William Birney.

Following four consecutive Syosset goals to even the score with just under four minutes remaining, Birney possessed the ball just behind midfield and saw plenty of open space ahead of him. The junior subsequently burst through the middle and fired in the eventual winning goal with 3:07 left as Massapequa earned a thrilling 9-8 Nassau A victory.

“I just sprinted up the field, knowing that I’m faster than a lot of these guys,” Birney said. “I ran right by them seeing that nobody picked me up. I knew I had to put it in the goal and finish the play. It felt great. I love to get the team a win.”

Syosset (4-3) failed to convert on its final two shots with 55 and 31 seconds left before losing possession. Massapequa (7-0) then ran out the clock to secure the tightly-contested win.

Massapequa coach Michael Draper said passing this test was another demonstration of how his team continues to maintain its composure during the most critical junctures.

“This test was hugely important for us,” Draper said. “The Syosset guys are well-coached. They’re super-athletic and have been doing this for quite a long time. It’s always a grind in Class A – a ton of close games and our guys are gritty. When things get a little crazy, we like to get calmer.”

Jack DeTommaso led Massapequa with three goals and Patrick Radomski added two more. Goalkeeper Matt Jannotte recorded 17 saves.

“This was definitely a different kind of challenge for us,” DeTommaso said. “We lost to a bunch of these teams last year and we wanted to redeem ourselves this year.”

Massapequa started strong, taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to successive goals from Radomski, Anthony Mollica and DeTomasso. Back-to-back goals from DeTommaso over the final three minutes of the second extended Massapequa’s lead to 6-2 entering halftime.

Adam Giovinco, who had two goals and three assists, capped off a 4-0 run by Syosset and knotted the score at 8 with 3:58 to go. Birney then proceeded to score his only goal – the most significant – of the day.

“We’re feeling great right now,” Birney said. “We’re ready to go into the playoffs and finish what’s ours.”