South Side boys lacrosse outlook: New team, same dream
Cullen Lynch of South Side goes over the top of Jake Mangio of Farmingdale as he dodges during a Nassau boys lacrosse game at South Side on April 17, 2024 Credit: David Meisenholder
They were back-to-back epic comebacks to remember in a South Side season to remember.
The Cyclones rallied from five goals down in the third quarter in both the state semifinal and state final, capturing the title in sudden death.
“They’re a fantastic team,” coach Dan Stone said after South Side stormed back to take the lead in the championship game against his Victor team, then lost it, then forced OT with eight-tenths of a second left, then won 12-11.
The Cyclones stood on the top rung of 2024 Class B boys lacrosse — Nassau, Long Island and state champs for the first time in 20 years after a 21-1 run.
“That was like the best feeling ever, just being able to end the season with all those guys that we had last year,” midfielder Cullen Lynch said. “Being able to end it like that was just amazing.”
Now the new season is here.
The team has moved down to Class C and really doesn’t look the same because 27 of those guys are gone, including all but two who started throughout. Only three returnees saw significant time.
But the internal expectations are still high. The Cyclones plan to contend again.
“I definitely think people aren’t expecting the same thing out of us,” Lynch said, “but I think we know what we have and what we need to do to just keep getting better every day and end up in the same spot, playing our best lacrosse in May and June.”
There are 14 players back, plus another 10 who were called up from the JV to watch and experience the postseason. There are promising new players on hand despite the perception that South Side is starting over.
“Look, obviously on the outside, that’s what everyone sees and I totally understand that,” said Steve DiPietro, their 18th-year coach. “We’re very confident. Our JV went 13-1 last year and beat Garden City and beat Manhasset. So it’s not that we didn’t have talent coming up.”
They received the preseason's second seed in Class C behind defending champ Wantagh. And they are off to a 3-1 start. The Cyclones’ most accomplished player is Lynch. The Iona-bound senior will surely draw attention after scoring 53 times, including three goals each time in the county, Long Island, regional and state finals.
“It’s a different dynamic for him this year,” DiPietro said. “We’ve had those conversations. Obviously, he had an unbelievable, unbelievable year for us and playoff run for us last year. And now he’s got to shift to being the No. 1 guy.”
Senior defensive midfielder Michael Benfante also started, and senior long stick middie Brayden Gamberg started during the regular season before being limited by injuries.
South Side teammates celebrate after their dramatic 12-11 overtime win over Victor in the NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse Class B state final at Shuart Stadium on June 8, 2024. Credit: James Escher
But South Side’s 2024 All-America faceoff specialist, Newsday Player of the Year Michael Melkonian, moved on to Cornell. Sophomore Alec Notaro, a JV grad who worked with Melkonian in the offseason prior to last spring, steps in at the X.
“Obviously, while no one is going to be Michael . . . we do feel very confident in his ability in facing off and getting us possessions, which is obviously going to be a big key for a group kind of finding themselves early in the season,” DiPietro said.
Senior Cole Schiefelbein, a reserve in 2024, and sophomore Jack DiSarlo, who was mostly with the JV, start out in a timeshare protecting the cage.
Overall, DiPietro sees a hungry team. But Wantagh is a big obstacle.
“They bring a lot of guys back, especially on the offensive end,” DiPietro said. “My expectation for us is we’re in the championship game against them.”
