“I’m sure this event touches everyone,” said SWR boys head lacrosse coach Mike Taylor. “Just about everyone knows someone that had cancer. This event means a lot to me personally because I lost my mother to cancer. When I got the job here, the event was already going on. But I felt like I wanted to not only keep it going but to blow it up.”

LaxOut Cancer is an all-day affair that starts early in the morning with lacrosse skill competitions for younger players. Prizes are awarded for each winner before the slate of games begins, featuring both JV and varsity boys and girls teams. This year, raffles and good times ruled the day and with the varsity boys ending the night on a 7-4 win over Comsewogue.

It’s been a rocky season for the Wildcats boys squad, which has lost the most games in more than a decade. They came into the day with a 5-7 overall record, teetering on the verge of missing the playoffs. Graduating a full squad of Division I-bound recruits last year left the team scrambling to fill spots.

“It’s been a challenge this year for sure,” Taylor said. “We’re just inexperienced out there. Our [top] dog is a freshman. And you can’t put so much pressure on him.”

The “dog” Taylor mentioned is Noah Gregorek. He’s the last of a long line of Gregorek boys who have since gone on to play for major lacrosse programs including Navy and Johns Hopkins University. In time, he’ll join his brothers at the next level. 

“Next year I’ll put more on his shoulders,” Taylor said. “This is his second year of varsity and he really can’t be that guy yet, even though I know he can. He can take over any game.”

In the win over Comsewogue, Gregorek netted three goals and assisted on three others, putting his imprint on just about every goal the team scored.

“Off ball they weren’t that great,” Gregorek said. “When we move the ball quickly on offense, good things happen. It breaks them down. I tried to take advantage of the space we got.”

Gregorek has lit up the scoreboard all season, scoring 70 points on 37 goals and 33 assists — in keeping with the family legacy. Two years ago, brothers Liam and Alec had 104 and 97 points, respectively. Though he won’t match those numbers this season, it’s hard to imagine he won’t eclipse them in the years to come.

But the defense, especially the goal tending, was the real story in Saturday’s win. Surrendering just four goals against this level of competition all but guarantees being in a position to win. Angelina “Cheeto” Price had one of her best games of the season, coming up with 10 saves and not allowing any goals through five penalty kills. Taylor named her MVP of the game.

“It’s always a tough, gritty game against Comsewogue,” Price said. “It meant a lot to do it at an event like today. My mom had cancer. She’s better now but it’s super scary. I always play for my mom, but today was a little more special.”

If the Wildcats want to make the playoffs, they need to win the remaining three games to ensure a spot. Winning two out of three will leave it up to the power rankings.

“We have to win-out, point blank,” Price said. “Leave it all on the line.”

The post Wildcats notch key win at SWR’s annual LaxOut Cancer fundraiser appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

May 2: Riverhead 18, Central Islip 2

Riverhead’s win streak continues! The latest victory over Central Islip now makes it nine wins in a row. With six games left to play, they only need one more win to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Camden Wallace threw four innings and struck out three while only allowing four hits and one earned run. Wallace also went 1-for-2 at the plate with 2 RBIs and three runs scored. Brady Hubbard hit 4-for-6 with two RBIs and four runs. Matt Zambriski had two hits and Max Gajowski went 4-for-4. Riverhead hosts William Floyd Thursday, May 8, at 4 p.m.

May 3: Shoreham-Wading River 15, Smithtown East 10

In another non-league game, the Wildcats take down another team in a higher division. They’ve played better against the top leagues in the county than the teams in their own division. Aidan Reilly lead the way for Shoreham-Wading River (7–7) as he drove in five runners on his team-leading four hits on the day. Reilly doubled in the first scoring two and then singled in the sixth plating another two. SWR had a total of 12 hits in the victory. It was a well-needed victory after dropping two of three to Kings Park last week. SWR travels to Rocky Point Thursday, May 8, for a 4 p.m. game.

Boys Lacrosse

May 5: Bayport-Blue Point 11, Shoreham-Wading River 3

In a rematch of last year’s Suffolk County Class C championship, Bayport-Blue Point came out on top as Shoreham-Wading River (4–5, Division II) continues to try to find their identity amidst losing nearly their entire lineup to graduation last year. Andrew Cimino scored all three goals against Bayport-Blue Point as the Wildcats struggled to stick with the reigning champs. SWR still has five games to right the ship and make the playoffs. Coming up, they’ll host Eastport-South Manor Thursday, May 8, for a 4:30 p.m. start.

May 2: Northport 16, Riverhead 3

The struggles continue for Riverhead a year after setting a program record in wins. After losing their best playmakers and scorers to graduation, Riverhead (3–7, Division I) has had trouble scoring goals against the top teams in the division. Logan Dempsey, Connor Downs and Nathan Nentwich all scored one goal against Northport, which scored 11 goals in the first half of the game. The playoffs may be off the table this go around, unless they manage to win the final four games to have a shot. They’ll travel to Smithtown East Friday, May 9, for a 4:30 p.m. game. 

Girls Lacrosse

May 2: Mt. Sinai 19, Shoreham-Wading River 10

It’s been a rough go for Shoreham-Wading River in Division II play. They’ve won all five games against opponents in Division I. The latest loss against Mt. Sinai puts their league record at 1–4 with six more games to play. The Wildcats came out strong with a 4–3 first quarter, but they were unable to stop Mt. Sinai’s attack the rest of the way. Charlotte Erb scored a team-high three goals. Reese Marcario led the team in assists with five. Shoreham-Wading River will travel to Bayport-Blue Point Thursday, May 8, for a 4 p.m. game start. 

May 1: Middle Country 9, Riverhead 6

After a very promising start, winning their first four of six games, Riverhead (3–7, Division I) has now lost five games in a row to essentially eliminate themselves from playoff contention. The Blue Waves have been dealing with injuries all season long and have lost a handful of close games. Against Middle Country, Logan Pilon led the way with two goals and an assist. Evelyn Skop, Adrianna Mosca, Sacha Richard and Molly Stevens all scored a goal in the game. Riverhead will host Connetquot Thursday, May 8, for a 5:15 p.m. start.

The post The Roundup: Riverhead baseball squads boasts sweeping win appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

April 28: Riverhead 9, Patchogue-Medford 5

All season long, Patchogue-Medford was the top dog in the division, sporting an undefeated 11–0 record. That was, until they came to visit Riverhead. Mya Marelli pitched five innings and struck out 10 in the 9-5 victory. Bella D’Andrea hit 2-for-4 with a double, triple and four RBIs. Jordyn Kwasna went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Patchogue-Medford went on to lose their next game against Half Hollow Hills, so Riverhead (9–2) is now tied for first place and in control of their own destiny for another league title. Riverhead will travel to Half Hollow Hills Thursday, May 1, for a 4 p.m. first pitch. 

Boys Lacrosse

April 29: Smithtown West 8, Shoreham-Wading River 3

Shoreham-Wading River is going through a rough stretch in the middle of the season. The most recent loss against Smithtown West now marks three losses in a row for the Wildcats — uncharted territory for a lacrosse program that routinely makes the playoffs and competes for championships. In the loss against Smithtown West, Andrew Cimino, Tyler Nowaski and Noah Gregorek each scored a goal. Angelina Price made 12 saves. SWR will try to turn things around Thursday, May 1, when they travel to Mattituck for a noon start. 

April 24: Riverhead 19, Copiague 1

After two straight losses, Riverhead broke out with a season-high of 19 goals against Copiague to bring their Division I record to 3–5. The Blue Waves had 11 different goal scorers in the blowout victory. Jaxson Binkis led the team in goals scored with three. Ruairi McElhinney had six points with one goal and five assists. Logan Dempsey scored twice and assisted on two others. Nine goals were scored in the first quarter. Riverhead will travel to Northport Friday, May 2, at 4 p.m.

Girls Lacrosse 

April 29: Smithtown East 13, Riverhead 12

In a back-and-forth battle against Smithtown East, Riverhead came up short in the final quarter of the game. After a 0–0 first period, both teams scored seven goals in the second. The third quarter featured no goals as well, before Smithtown East was able to score six times versus just five for Riverhead. This now marks two consecutive losses by only one goal for the Blue Waves. Logan Pilon scored five goals and Evelyn Skop scored four times. Riverhead (4–6) will travel to Middle Country Friday, May 1, for a 4 p.m. game start. 

April 28: Shoreham-Wading River 17, Bronxville 10

In a non-league contest, Shoreham-Wading River came out on top with goals scored in every quarter of play. The Wildcats scored as many as five goals in two of the quarters. Reese Marcario and Maddy Herr led the team with six points apiece. Herr scored five goals and tallied one assist. Marcario scored twice and assisted on four goals. Grayce Kitchen scored four goals in the high-scoring affair. Though their overall record sits at 6–3, SWR has struggled in the league with a record of 1–3. SWR will travel to Mt. Sinai Friday, May 2, for a 5 p.m. start. 

Girls Golf

April 29: Riverhead 6, Mt. Sinai 3

Riverhead continued its winning ways with a victory over Mt. Sinai on Tuesday. The win improved their league record to 6–2 — only losing matches this season against Sachem and Southampton. Madison Marshak led all golfers with a 45 through nine holes, with the winds whipping through Long Island making for less than desirable playing conditions.

The post The Roundup: Blue Waves softball team beats top dog Patchogue-Medford appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Price has been playing lacrosse since kindergarten. Even though she started with the girls back then, she always wanted to play with the boys. 

“I’m very competitive,” Price said. “When I saw them on the other field playing hard and having fun, I wanted to be a part of that. Not that the girls aren’t competitive, I just wanted the challenge. I wanted the physicality.”

Her parents were against the idea at first. But after seeing goalkeeper Devon Wills become the first female player to sign to the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse, she kept badgering for permission until they finally gave in. 

“I was very persistent,” Price said. “I wanted to be like Devon. She was someone I looked up to. My parents had no choice but to let me have a try.”

Price started playing with the boys around the same time her nickname was born. In second grade, preparing for a practice session with trainer Steve Costello, Price downed a bag of Cheetos so quickly on the way over the dusty orange coating was all over her face. When Costello saw her, he decided that “Cheeto” should be her nickname — and it stuck.

Playing goalie in lacrosse is brutal. You don’t have much protection, especially on the legs. Bruises are a way of life. 

“When I was little I used to have my dad just hit me with the ball.” Price said, laughing about it now. “I was in third grade playing for Team 91 against Team Spallina, and I flinched when a shot came my way. I wanted my dad to get that fear out of me. So, yeah, I got a couple screws loose for sure.”

All the years playing travel lacrosse and playing reserve on the varsity boys team have brought her to this big moment in her high school career. It’s finally her time.

“I told her coming into this season that it’s her job to lose,” SWR head coach Mike Taylor said. “She prepares more than anyone on the field. She wants to always have an edge on the opponent. She studies the game constantly.”

Price has made 25 saves this year for the Wildcats and has led them to a 2-1 Division II record. In the last two league matchups, Shoreham-Wading River only allowed five goals per game. 

“She’s been on varsity for three years now, and she’s played in some big games for us when Jaden struggled,” Taylor said. “So even though she hasn’t started until this year, we had no worries putting her in. She’s been in tough spots before. I’ve never met someone before that’s all compete, all the time.”

Her competitive spirit and poise on the field has led her to commit to playing in college for the women’s lacrosse team at the U.S Naval Academy next year.

“She’s one of the top girls lacrosse goalie recruits in the nation,” Taylor said. “She could undoubtedly make a major impact on our girls team, but she’s going to play boys lacrosse until they force her not to.”

“I think playing with the boys prepares me better for my future,” Price said. “I see shots coming in from the outside at top speed. When I transition to playing with the girls again, there’s going to be an adjustment, but I trust my preparation.”

But sometimes playing with the boys comes with some not so nice things. People try to get under her skin. 

“Some teams will say some nasty things to me during the game,” Price said. “But it doesn’t bother me to be honest. If they’re talking about me, I must be doing something good.”

What keeps her going is the inspiration she wants to provide for the younger players, especially girls. 

“I’ve had little girls come up to me and say how cool it is that I play with the boys,” Price said. “And that they want to try to do it too. It’s really a full circle moment for me, and it’s very special because that’s exactly what Devon Wills did for me when I was their age.”

SWR made it all the way to the Suffolk County Class C championship last year. Price is aiming to lead them right back to that game once again.

“I love my team,” Price said. “We have so much talent on the field. They all believe in me and that means everything. I can’t wait to see what more this season brings for us.”

The post Angelina Price takes over in goal for Wildcats boys lacrosse team appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

BASEBALL

April 15: Riverhead 12, Brentwood 0

Have a day, Matthew Zambriski! The sophomore phenom hurled five innings of shutout ball and struck out 12 en route to the victory over Brentwood. He also went 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, a triple and four RBIs. Drew Legrady went 2-for-4. It’s a big win for Riverhead (3-4) as it’s just one win away from tying their win total from last year with 13 games left to play. The Blue Waves will be in action again Tuesday, April 22, for a 4 p.m. first pitch at Westhampton.

BOYS LACROSSE

April 11: Shoreham-Wading River 14, Port Jefferson 5

The Wildcats have now won two in a row following their opening two losses. They got ahead 8-1 by halftime and never let off the gas pedal against Port Jefferson.

Noah Gregorek led the team in goals scored with five — marking a career-high. He also had four assists. Lucas Diamond wasn’t too far behind with four goals.

Andrew Cimino had a massive day as well, scoring three times and collecting six assists. Shoreham-Wading River (2-2) will host Hauppauge Monday, April 21, at 4 p.m.

April 10: Riverhead 9, North Babylon 2

Riverhead (3-4) came out of the gates storming against North Babylon, scoring six goals in the first quarter alone.

Nathan Nentwich led the team in points with two goals and three assists. Logan Dempsey scored three times. Ruairi McElhinney scored twice and assisted on two others. The Blue Waves need to string together some wins to get themselves back in the playoffs after last year’s historic run. Riverhead will host Commack Tuesday, April 22, at 5:15 p.m.

GIRLS LACROSSE

April 15: Riverhead 16, Lindenhurst 4

Riverhead’s girls lacrosse team is on fire! In what looks to be their best start in many years, the Blue Waves put a hurting on Lindenhurst in their latest victory that pushed their record to 4-2. It’s now three wins in a row for Riverhead. Logan Pilon and Sadie Shultz both registered five points in the win. Pilon collected three goals and two assists. Shultz led the team in goals scored with four and registered one assist. Molly Stevens completed a hat-trick as well with three goals. Pilon is now tied for fifth in Suffolk County with 23 goals. Riverhead will travel to Sachem North Thursday, April 17, for a 4 p.m. game to continue its hot streak.

April 14: Shoreham-Wading River 17, West Babylon 7

After losing their first game of the season against Westhampton, Shoreham-Wading River (4-1) got back to their winning ways with a blowout win over West Babylon. Eight different players found the back of the net in the commanding victory. Reese Marcario led the team in points with three goals and three assists. Grayce Kitchen and Kady Keegan each scored four times. Maddy Herr scored twice and assisted on two goals. The Wildcats continue their charge to the top of the division. They’ll host Harborfields Tuesday, April 22, at 5 p.m.

SOFTBALL

April 15: Patchogue-Medford 6, Riverhead 5

There’s been some chinks in the armor early on the Riverhead (5-3) as they’ve found themselves in the losing column multiple times this season. With Mya Marelli still not at full health, Riverhead has been trying to piece together a pitching staff in her absence. Riverhead had the lead against undefeated Pat-Med, 5-2, after home runs by Marelli and Jordyn Kwasna — but they couldn’t keep the Raiders off the board and eventually came up short in the end.

Riverhead will look to get back on track Monday, April 21, at Central Islip for a 4:30 p.m. game start.

GIRLS GOLF

April 10: Riverhead 7, Shoreham-Wading River 2

Riverhead dominated the matchup against Shoreham-Wading River with ninth-grader Madison Marshak leading the way with a 41 through nine holes.

Consistent play at the top three in the lineup has paced the Blue Waves to a 3-1 record in the league. The match they lost was by one single stroke. Angelina Gust carded a 51 and Annabelle Dunn finished with a 57 to snag wins in the top three slots. Taylor Dietz led the way for Shoreham-Wading River with a score of 54. Riverhead will travel to Rocky Point Tuesday, April 22, for a 4 p.m. tee time.

The post Sports Roundup: Blue Waves hurler twirls shutout appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Riverhead (3-4) was able to register only two goals in the first half and trailed 4-2 going into halftime. It only got worse when Patchogue-Medford scored the opening goal of the second half. 

“I think having no school today was a big part of our slow start,” midfielder Ruairi McElhinney said. “Maybe we were tired, I don’t know. First half we weren’t running our offense correctly. Defensively we weren’t talking. At the half, we made those corrections immediately.”

When asked by the referees how much time he needed for halftime, Riverhead head coach Vic Guadagnino asked for 10 minutes — a lot longer than the typical 5-7 minute midway break.

“I don’t want to take all the credit for our turnaround being a ‘rah-rah’ speach at halftime,” Guadagnino said. “But we had to fire them up and get their heads in the game. This was a game we felt that we absolutely should win.”

Though Riverhead was getting decent looks at goal in the first half, the shots were just off line or right at the goalie’s oversized stick. The coaching staff kept shouting reminders about the pre-game scouting report. The idea was to either bounce shots towards the net or deke low and finish high. Despite the advice from the coaching staff, Riverhead continued firing shots toward the five hole, which the opposing keeper had little trouble corralling.

But after the Blue Waves gave up that fifth goal, everything changed. Brayden Miller deposited his first career varsity goal with that exact low-high deke move to make the score 5-3. Logan Dempsey followed up with another goal a minute and a half later, and then McElhinney tied it at 5-5 with a strike from 20 yards out. 

“We knew the goalie, and we knew the scout on him,” said Dempsey, who scored three goals total. “We just had to hit the shots we weren’t hitting in the first half. We changed things up in that second half and played with some grit.”

Jacob Ohlbaum put Riverhead ahead, scoring his first career varsity goal.

“We talked about the guys breaking out of their shell at halftime,” Guadagnino said. “The seniors on defense encouraged our offense to show up and show out. They really responded to everything we said at half. I mean, we had two guys score their first goal, and this is our seventh game.”

Riverhead posted seven consecutive goals to open up the lead and ultimately put the game away, taking over the entire fourth quarter. Miller scored his second, and McElhinney netted his third. Nate Nentwich scored the final goal of the game, diving across the front of the cage. 

But defense was the key to sparking the comeback, conceding just two goals in the entire second half to give the offense a chance to regroup. Dillon Zaleski snatched 11 saves on the day, and the experienced defenders he had up front put a hurting on the attackers coming their way. Whether it was Brendan Wallace, Mike Gabriel, Liam Lennon or Kevin Qualey, they kept laying the boom.

“We know that the offense feeds off our energy,” Lennon said. “We have been trying to build up our offensive guys all season long. We know they have what it takes, but anything we can do as a defense and captains to help them along — we’re right there for them.”

Tucker Suter also had an impressive run during the goal-scoring stretch. The freshman kept winning faceoffs, showing that his youth has little effect on achieving the desired results.

“We’re young and there’s a lot of teaching that we’re doing right now,” Guadagnino said. “We’re getting better every week. Other games were just like this but we couldn’t make a comeback. This is an encouraging sign for things to come.”

The post Young Blue Waves boys lax team flashes some grit in comeback win appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“The guys we have out there are just inexperienced,” SWR head coach Mike Taylor said.  “There’s just so many variables they have to learn on the fly here. It’s one thing to play in practice, and it’s another being thrust into top quality game competition. There’s so many small little things that come up and need to be corrected.”

After the opening two losses, the captains got together and vowed to be more involved in the leadership aspect of the team. 

“We had all these great seniors last year that went to big Division I schools like Duke,” long-stick midfielder George Greene said. “We all looked to them for support and now that support has to be us. We realized that early on. It’s up to us to step up and be those leaders.”

Shoreham-Wading River took the field on a wet, damp rainy Monday evening at Miller Place High School and dominated all four quarters of play. They got ahead and never looked back, ending the night with a 16-5 victory — their first of the season. 

“The goal coming into today was to play quarter by quarter,” Taylor said. “I wanted us to win a quarter first because I felt like we hadn’t done that all season. Today we won all four quarters so that’s a great sign for us.”

Andrew Cimino — one of the few returning starters from last season — had a big day, netting five goals and registering an assist on another. 

“It came down to learning how to work with each other,” Cimino said. “It was like a me-me situation in those two games. We realized that we can’t win games like that. Everybody needs to contribute for us to come out on top.”

Those contributions were evident as six players found the scoring column throughout the game. Lucas Diamond led the team in points with three goals and four assists. Noah Gregorek scored twice and collected four assists. Eighth grader Jack White scored three times and Anthony Mullen found the back of the net twice.

“The ball was flowing on offense,” Diamond said. “The defense was working hard. We were getting after ground balls — it was a full team effort today for sure.”

Playing a game against two of the top teams on Long Island in Massapequa and East Islip back to back to start the season was a major test for the Wildcats. It showed how much work they have to do to keep pace with the top echelon teams in the division.

“We’ve been really working hard on the fundamentals. We don’t have the flash this year. We don’t have 16 Division I guys on the roster,” Taylor said. “Very talented, don’t get me wrong, but just inexperienced. I think in time things are going to click.”

The post After two opening losses, SWR boys lax squad bounces back big appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Liam Kershis did it all for Shoreham-Wading River during his years as a Wildcat. He consistently scored 30-plus goals every season dating back to his freshman year. In his junior season, he scored 59 goals and notched 38 assists while guiding the Wildcats to a Suffolk County title.

Kershis finished his senior year ranked fifth in all of Suffolk County, with 86 total points scored, before later being named an All-American. After starring in the Senior All-America game, he was named MVP for his final high school career hurrah. The scoring star was fiercely recruited out of high school and decided on Duke University to continue his academic and athletic careers. 

Playing with the best in the country for the perennial powerhouse Duke, Kershis has found his way into the lineup not only as a substitute but, more often than not, as a starter. 

“I’m settling in pretty well,” Kershis said in a text this week. “I’m getting good playing time. Love the guys and the coaches I’m surrounded by.”

Duke has sprinted out to a 7-1 overall record and Kershis has played in all eight games, starting in five of them. He’s scored seven goals and assisted on three others. The seven goals are good for sixth on the team as he continues to adjust to the ramped up speed of college play. His highest scoring effort was a two-goal game — which happened to be against his brother Alex’s team, Jacksonville University.

 “There hasn’t been that much of a difference,” Kershis said, comparing college play to his high school years. “I mean, everyone is more talented for sure, but that makes the offense easier as well.”

Fellow local standout Griffin Sumwalt played a major part in Riverhead’s lacrosse resurgence. As a senior last year, he led the Blue Waves to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They posted their best record in school history (14-4) and even won their opening round playoff game against Commack. 

Sumwalt set school records in his senior year, including 83 points in a single season, 54 goals in a single season and 192 points in a career. His legacy as a Blue Wave will be written in bold letters throughout the record books for years to come. After the season, he was tabbed a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American. 

The senior attacker decided on the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to continue his athletic and academic career. He fits right into his new surroundings and has started five of the six games this season en route to a 3-3 record. The lefty sharpshooter has registered four goals and two assists to start the season.

“The college lax experience has been great so far,” Sumwalt said. “I feel like I’m settling in well. The competition is definitely high. I’d say the speed is faster compared to high school, but I feel right at home.”

Getting playing time as a freshman is out of the ordinary, but Kershis and Sumwalt are threatening to break that mold and become instant contributors to the D1 programs — further proof that East End lacrosse is a growing hub for the best talent in the nation.

The post Wildcat and Blue Wave alums succeeding in D1 college lacrosse appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

“My parents’ main idea was to get me and my brother into every sport imaginable and see what would stick,” Kershis said. “But there was something about lacrosse that just stood out to me. The sport is amazing. Playing the game on the front foot, the hand-eye coordination, running full speed. It was similar to playing tag, using juke moves and stuff. I just wanted to get better at it; whether it be catching the ball, shooting the ball, moving without the ball, or making the right pass.”

That passion for the game only grew as he got older and, by his junior year, Kershis developed into one of the highest-rated recruits in the country. He was recently named to the New Balance Senior All-America game — just a cherry on top of his illustrious high school career. But before he became the face of Shoreham-Wading River lacrosse and a Duke University commit, Kershis was just a regular kid playing on his dad’s lacrosse team, the Long Island Long Boards, which consisted of players from Shoreham-Wading River and Riverhead.

“We were just having fun and I wasn’t really taking lacrosse serious until I got scouted by Legacy Lacrosse in fourth grade,” Kershis said. “They asked my dad if I would try out for Legacy, which was a really good team in our age group. I ended up making the team and my lacrosse career kind of took off from there.”

Lacrosse dominated his life. Kershis was constantly away playing in tournaments all over the East Coast, playing with the best of the best. It became more than just a game. He became obsessed with trying to improve and spent hours upon hours perfecting his game. The results speak for themselves. Kershis remembers that even as early as his freshman year, college scouts were watching his games. They couldn’t contact him at the time because of NCAA rules, but they were there.

“The scouts were off to the side, usually on some kind of beach chair with a clipboard,” Kershis remembers. “They wore gear from the university they were from and they just seemed to always show up when I was playing.”

Those scouts saw something in him from an early age. Kershis was different. He didn’t have that typical arrogance most top athletes do. He was a humble kid who kept his head down and worked as hard as he could.

“The highest honor you can get is to be called a good teammate,” Kershis said. “I never tried to force goals. An assist still got a goal on the board. I tried to always let the game come to me. It just comes down to effort and hard work. I just tried to always outwork the person in front of me.”

Kershis was a force to be reckoned with on the varsity lacrosse team at Shoreham-Wading River even as a small-framed, wide-eyed freshman. He scored 35 goals that year to go along with his 20 assists and his production level only increased. His sophomore season he netted 45 goals with 35 assists. He ramped that total up to 59 goals and 38 assists in his junior season, leading the Wildcats to a Suffolk County championship.

“Over the years I’ve seen Liam grow into a confident and mature young man who leads by example both on and off the field,” SWR head coach Mike Taylor said. “His commitment to his teammates, his relentless work ethic and his positive attitude have made him a cornerstone of our program.”

Being able to play in college was always Kershis’ ultimate goal and there was one team, even as a kid, that stood out among the rest.

“It was always a dream of mine to play for Duke since I was a little kid,” Kershis said.“They were always one of the best teams so naturally as a kid you gravitate toward them. They always had the best players so I wanted to be able to call myself one of the best.”

Collegiate offers poured in by the bunches. Kershis estimates he had scholarship offers from more than 30 schools. He earned scholarships from the all of lacrosse hierarchy, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. But even after going on visits to those schools, Duke was always in the back of his mind.

“I just felt the most comfortable there,” Kershis said. “Those schools are amazing but they just didn’t compare to Duke in my eyes. Duke had the total package. The campus was nothing like I’ve ever seen. I love all the coaches, the players, it’s got such a social atmosphere. I visited the campus many times and I could really picture myself wearing the Blue Devils uniform.” With his commitment in tow, Kershis set his eyes on hoisting a state title in his final year as a Wildcat. It would have been a perfect ending to his high school career. Unfortunately, a late penalty in the Suffolk County championship was called when a SWR player reentered the game too early after injury, which ultimately derailed a comeback bid against Bayport-Blue Point as the Wildcats lost, 9-8. They had a chance to tie before the referees deemed a change of possession. At that point, when the final seconds ticked off, Kershis thought he had played his last high school game — that was until he got a call shortly after the season.

“I was told that I’m going to be part of the Senior All-American game,” Kershis said. “I knew I was going to be one of the players considered but I’ve got to be honest, I felt like I had a pretty down year in my opinion and I didn’t expect to be called.”

A committee made up of the nation’s most knowledgeable figures in high school lacrosse sat down and decided on the top 44 seniors in the country. It was clear from his production level that Kershis deserved to be there. His play at Homewood Field on the Johns Hopkins campus Saturday proved he belonged. He scored two goals, one of which he whipped by the goalkeeper backhanded, and assisted on four other goals as he propelled Team North to a 16-15 victory. He was named the MVP after it was all said and done.

“While earning the MVP in such a prestigious game is always a significant achievement I can’t say I am entirely surprised,” said Taylor, who coached an underclassman team in another All-American event last weekend. “Liam demonstrated exceptional skill, work ethic and skill throughout his time with us. His dedication to improving and his ability to rise to the occasion always made him a standout player.”

“It’s supposed to be a fun game,” Kershis said. “But when we fell behind early, we all started to play harder. I was getting on our team a little bit saying we had to pick it up. And honestly, I’m a super competitive guy. I don’t have it in me to take it easy. The game is just more fun when we’re in a competitive environment.”

Not a bad way to end a high school career. It became the perfect segue into his college years. Kershis got a chance to play with some of his future teammates in Ben McCarthy, Nikolas Menendez and Nolen Connor at the All-American game — simply a taste of what’s to come in his upcoming years at Duke.

“I expect everyone in college to just be on another level,” Kershis said. “It’s not the best recruits in the country anymore. It’s the best players in the country, period.”

Once he dons that Blue Devil uniform for the first time, it will truly be a dream come true.

The post SWR lax star Kershis earns national MVP honors appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

A month ago, SWR and Kings Park met in a regular season clash and the Wildcats emerged victorious, 10-9, in a back-and-forth battle so the playoff tilt was expected to be hotly contested.

A pair of brothers, however, proved to the lacrosse world that the Wildcats were not only back but lightyears ahead of their opponents Friday night. Shoreham-Wading River (11-6) defeated Kings Park (10-6) handily by the score of 13-5. It was never close and substitutes even got a chance to play in the fourth quarter.

After a sloppy first few minutes, that had head coach Mike Taylor throwing his clipboard as the Wildcats turned the ball over more often than not, the Gregorek brothers put the team on their backs to send the Wildcats to their third consecutive Suffolk County Class C final.

Liam Gregorek, a senior heading to Johns Hopkins University in the fall, had three goals. None was more impressive than when he was double-teamed in the second quarter, got knocked off his feet and somehow held onto the ball, only to emerge from the turf, shake the defenders and finish with a strike past the goaltender to make it 4-2. It was a massive moment that sparked the rest of the team.

“We’ve been locked in at practice all week,” Gregorek said. “We had to ask ourselves, ‘do we really want this? What are we willing to do to win?’ We had an alum stop in to practice, Francisco Cortes, who was on the 2019 state championship team. He told us how much it matters to our community and to win a championship is something that’s very special and lasts a lifetime. That was definitely motivating for us going forward.”

Noah Gregorek, an 8th-grader starting on attack, had some issues early on this season fitting in and finding a role on a team mostly dominated by seniors. 

“I was nervous at points in the season,” Noah said. “I dropped some passes I shouldn’t have a few times this year. I’m definitely getting more confident and feel like I belong.”

The younger Gregorek had perhaps his best performance of the season —in his first varsity playoff game —scoring three goals to match his older brother. 

“We’ve always known Noah had it in him,” coach Taylor said. “I told him before the game if we get three goals out of you, we will win. And that’s exactly how it shook out.”

That 2019 state championship team also featured a young 8th-grader on the team in Liam and Noah’s older brother, Alec, who was a key factor in an explosive offensive attack. Will history repeat itself? Only time will tell.

The Suffolk County final brings another matchup against a juggernaut team in Bayport-Blue Point. It’s like a rematch of last season, when SWR took on and beat an undefeated Mt. Sinai side to advance to the Long Island Championship game. Bayport-Blue Point, the No. 1 seed sporting a 16-1 record this season, defeated the Wildcats 10-5 in the final game of the season.

“Being that it was the last game of the season and that they were always going to be the top seed and we were going to be second, we didn’t show them too much,” Taylor said. “We also had three important players missing. We’re going to be at full strength this time around and with some solid game-planning I think we will be right in the game with a chance to win. The team has been working hard and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.”

The Suffolk County Class C final will be played Thursday, May 23 at Longwood High School. Game time slated for 8 p.m.

The post Boys lacrosse: Wildcats advance to county final appeared first on Riverhead News Review.