By Lucas Rider
Winter is ending, and with it, the spring sports are coming back into season. Following a successful year in most sports here at NCHS, the final season of school sports is starting. In the coming weeks, we will see all major spring sports start their programs, but for this week we will focus on the boys lacrosse program.
For the boys on the lacrosse teams, that means finally taking the field at Dunning Stadium following a winter stuck in box lacrosse. The regular season hasn’t started yet so head coach Buzzeo and all other coaches for the boys’ teams haven’t started coaching yet per FCIAC guidelines. Guest coaches have made appearances in the preseason program, which aims to help returning players get back into their groove following time away from the turf, and almost all players on New Canaan’s roster for the 2024 season can be found here.
Varsity Captian Gray Tamasco is aiming for a state title this year and has voiced confidence in the team’s defensive strength, whilst noting that core skills are essential before the regular season starts.
Notable changes come to this year’s roster as the goalie drought has finally subsided, following last year’s season. This year’s freshman class has brought 3 goalies into the program, which will undoubtedly be extremely helpful. Sophomore Chase George might have some competition in JV to hold onto his position, although he has improved significantly in the past year.
Junior Varsity will be particularly interesting this year, as the sophomore class’s best players have now moved solidly into Varsity roles, including Samuel Schoonmaker (Defensive), Bennett Pertusiello (Defensive), Cole Campisi (Offensive), and Blake Schwartz (Offense). Although they will undoubtedly play in many of the Junior Varsity games, it certainly will be interesting to see how the remaining sophomores adapt to the gaps in their ranks. Among the sophomore players on the JV track currently, two expected to outperform in the coming season are Caden Leslie and Teddy Blanc. Both midfield players, Caden is a rare defensive middy without a d-pole who is among the fastest runners on the team, while Teddy is an offensive middy whose shots have been described as robotic. William Teles is expected to return this year in another successful season on the face-off. While the offense for JV is looking to be formidable, there is a distinct lack of a long-pole middy for the team with Schoonmaker on Varsity, which might turn into a problem later in the season.
With the first scrimmages only days away, the boy’s lacrosse program is looking to be extremely strong this year with the serious possibility of a championship. For all the spectators out there this will certainly be a welcome return to the sunny stadium of Dunning over the long drives to the ice rinks and courts. This sports writer will also note that he is looking forward to getting the locker rooms back, as he is extremely tired of taking his bag on the bus every day. The players are certainly ready to hit the ground running once the regular season begins, and this is shaping up to be a fantastic season.
