Nassau County Playoff Preview: Full Breakdown of Each Class

May madness has arrived, and Nassau County boys' lacrosse playoffs will start this week for Class A, B, and C. As usual, there are a ton of exciting teams with high-level talent.

We have an overview of each conference displaying: the first-round matchups, my “team to beat”, an underdog team to watch, and some impact players you have to keep an eye on!

1st Round Matchups on 5/16

#1 Farmingdale vs. #8 Plainview JFK

#2 Massapequa vs. #7 Hicksville

#3 Syosset vs. #6 Herricks 

#4 Port Washington vs. #5 Oceanside 

Team to beat: Farmingdale 

Going undefeated against Class A opponents, the defending county champs have secured the top seed once again. They have been led by senior trio Brendan O’Keefe Brendan O’Keefe 5'9" | 160 lbs | M | Right Hand Farmingdale | 2024 NY (Albany), Caden Lennon Caden Lennon 6'6" | 225 lbs | A | Left Hand Farmingdale | 2024 NY (Bryant), and Springfield football commit Sal Posilico. Lennon and O'Keefe had an unstoppable 1-2 punch last year in the playoffs. Down low for the Dalers, Jimmy Caputo (Pace) has been excellent in net. No team in this bracket has been able to score double-digit goals on the Dalers this season.

Sleeper: Port Washington

Port's 3-11 record is very misleading, and the Vikings are still a real threat this postseason, having given Syosset and Farmingdale all they could handle in the regular season and capturing a win over Massapequa. Joe and Steven Braunshweiger lead the way as the top two scorers and combined for eight goals in a dominant win over Long Beach to end the season. The Vikings will also rely on freshman star Max Enyon between the pipes to make a bunch of saves. 

Impact players to watch:

David Disque David Disque 6'0" | M | Left Hand Loomis Chaffee | 2025 #65 Nation CT '24, A/M, Syosset / Johns Hopkins - The senior from Syosset has been the most prolific offensive player in this bracket this year. He has 50 goals on the season including scoring 5 each against Port Washington and Massapequa. He has become the heart and soul of this Syosset team. If the Braves make a run this postseason, it starts with their guy Disque. He'll head to Hopkins after a PG year.

Brendan O’Keefe Brendan O’Keefe 5'9" | 160 lbs | M | Right Hand Farmingdale | 2024 NY , A/M, Farmingdale / UAlbany)- O'Keefe is the true quarterback of this Farmingdale offense. He has been a complete attackman, registering 28 goals and 28 assists so far this season. He'll lead the favorites in an attempt for a second straight county title. 

Michael Jannotte Michael Jannotte 5'9" | G Massapequa | 2025 NY '25, G, Massapequa - The uncommitted goalkeeper from Massapequa has put together a statement junior season. In the power conference, he's posted a save percentage over 60% this season and has been top five in all of Nassau County in overall saves. If the Chiefs hoist the county title, Jannotte will play a big role.

1st Round Matchups on 5/17

#1 South Side vs. #8 Long Beach / #9 MacArthur 

#2 Garden City vs. #7 Mepham / #10 New Hyde Park

#3 Manhasset vs. #6 Roslyn 

#4 Calhoun vs. #5 Carey 

Team to beat: Garden City 

The Trojans aren't the top seed, but their body of work has been the most impressive out of any public school on Long Island. Since their loss against South Side, they have defeated some of the island's top teams, including Northport, Ward Melville, and Manhasset. Carson Kraus Carson Kraus 5'10" | M Garden City | 2024 NY (Hamilton), Andrew Ottomanelli Andrew Ottomanelli 6'3" | 175 lbs | A | Left Hand Garden City | 2024 NY (Holy Cross) and sophomore Charlie Koester Charlie Koester 6'0" | M Garden City | 2026 NY have been excellent offensively. Denis Fargione Denis Fargione 6'1" | 195 lbs | G | Right Hand Garden City | 2024 NY (Villanova) has been great in net for a Trojans team that hasn't let up more than eight goals all season.  

Sleeper: Carey

The Seahawks will be in a war against Calhoun (15-1) in the first round of the playoffs, however, the Seahawks will be extremely tough to score on. TJ Wakley (RPI) leads a strong defense and Rich Metzger (Marist) is one of the county's top goalies, ranking top three in the county in save percentage (68.8%) this season. Carey will look for Chris Obertis to continue his prolific offensive season to help Carey score against Calhoun and move on to the second round.   

Impact Players to watch:

Daniel Kolin '25, A/M, Manhasset / Navy - Manhasset is looking to make another run at a county title this season. Kolin has been solid with 23 goals on the season. The Navy-bound junior is an excellent offensive weapon, and he'll need to have a great postseason. Manhasset is looking to get by Roslyn and have another chance at beating rival Garden City. Kolin will be key for the Indians to get to the title game. 

Matt Kephart '24, D, Garden City / Princeton - Kephart has held it down for Garden City on defense. He is one of the top defenders on Long Island and he will draw some exciting matchups in the playoffs. It's always hard to score on Garden City, and Kephart is one of the main reasons this year.

Michael Melkonian Michael Melkonian 5'11" | FO South Side | 2024 NY '24, F/O, South Side / Cornell) - South Side proved that it could beat Garden City, and the Cyclones feel that this is the year for them to win it all. Melkonian is one of the top faceoff specialists in the country and will be a game-changing factor for South Side in those difficult matchups down the road.

1st Round matchups on 5/16

#1 Wantagh vs. #8 Plainedge / #9 Mineola

#2 Seaford vs. #7 Lynbrook / #10 CPW vs. #11 Hewlett (play-in game)

#3 Island Trees vs. #6 North Shore 

#4 Bethpage vs. #5 Floral Park 

Team to Beat: Wantagh 

There's no debate, Wantagh is the top team in this bracket. The Martini show has been electric. Jake (Cornell), Dylan (Albany), and 8th grader Luke have combined for 134 goals this season. Sophomore Devin Paccione Devin Paccione 5'8" | 150 lbs | A | Right Hand Wantagh | 2026 NY has been a true quarterback, dishing out 53 assists this season. William Greaves (Adelphi) has been dominant at the faceoff X, and down low, the Warriors are led by T.J Carlo (Adelphi) and netminder Kyle Conklin. 

Sleeper: Island Trees

This is the year it seems like Island Trees have been building for. This is a scrappy team that plays hard against good competition. They were a few plays away from monumental wins against perennial powers Syosset and Cold Spring Harbor. Kian McCoy (Stony Brook) and John Echezuria (NJIT) lead Island trees, who've formed an elite scoring tandem.

Impact Players to watch: The Jake's

 Jake Anzelone '24, D, Seaford / Navy- The do-it-all long pole has been a monster for Seaford. He does everything, scoring goals, winning face-offs, and taking the ball away. Anzelone puts on a show and is a must-watch player for a Seaford team looking to meet up with rival Wantagh in the county title.

  Jake Martini Jake Martini M Wantagh Senior | 2024 NY , M, Wantagh / Cornell - The oldest Martini has been incredible this season. He's shown the ability to take over on offense by either scoring or feeding. Wantagh has a lot of young talent, but look out for the senior to be a monster in a year in which Wantagh has state title aspirations. 

 Jake Kelley '24, G, Bethpage / Western Connecticut - The top goalie in Nassau County in save percentage, he's been over 70% this year and has helped Bethpage slow down many teams. Kelley will be a must-watch player against Floral Park and a potential date with Wantagh's elite shooters.

1st Round matchups on 5/16

5/20: #2 Friends Academy vs. #3 Oyster Bay 

Winner plays #1 Cold Spring Harbor