South Side boys lacrosse tops Wantagh in double overtime thriller
Cullen Lynch of South Side celebrates his game winning shot on goal to end a Nassau Conference I boys lacrosse game in the second overtime against host Wantagh on Friday, May 2, 2025. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The Cyclones from South Side took themselves and their fans on a boys lacrosse thrill ride last season, rising up from way behind to win in the state Class B semis and final. Then 27 players took their diplomas and moved on.
Yet this 2025 version, now in Class C, is showing that same Grade A comeback capability.
After rallying from seven goals down in the fourth Tuesday to stun Syosset, they found themselves in a five-goal hole in the fourth Friday at Wantagh.
They scored the next five goals, then fell behind by one, then tied it again. On to overtime. Then on to double overtime. Finally, senior midfielder/attackman Cullen Lynch scored his fourth goal with 1:57 left in that second extra session to give South Side a 13-12 victory.
“We try and instill in them about not quitting and believing in themselves and the next play and each quarter,” coach Steve DiPietro said. “We drill that in from the offseason.
“So even though it’s a different group personality-wise, they’ve been buying in and they’ve been doing what we’ve asked of them and learning along the way and have made some mistakes . . . But overall this group has got a no-quit attitude. They saw what happened last year with it.”
South Side (9-3, 4-2 in the Nassau Power League) got production from two sophomores. Luke Mullen posted five goals and an assist and Chaminade transfer John Hawthorne added three goals and two assists.
It was Hawthorne who fed Lynch for his winner, a shot from about 5 yards out on the right side, beating Gianni Passaro, who had made 23 saves.
“I think it’s a great team,” Hawthorne said. “All of us work very hard together in practice and it shows in the games.”
Still, Wantagh led 11-6 with 8:19 left in regulation after Matt Giacobello completed a run of seven straight goals.
Cue the comeback: Mullen, Mullen, Lynch, Hawthorne, Hawthorne. The five goals came in 4:28 — 11-11.
“We’re still looking to put a complete game together,” Wantagh coach James Polo said.
Joe Nicholson scored his fourth to give Wantagh (8-4, 3-3) the edge.
One more comeback: Mullen tied it at 12 with 1:35 on the clock.
“I think it’s just because everybody trusts each other so much,” said Lynch, one of just two Cyclones who started throughout the championship season. “We have so much trust in each other to make the plays.”
DiPietro expects a rematch against Wantagh in the Nassau C final May 31 at Hofstra.
“I’m hoping my boys can become driven to get there,” Polo said. “I hope that they can take this loss as a learning experience like we did the last time we lost.”
