Suffolk County Playoff Preview: Full Breakdown of Each Class

It's the most wonderful time of the year for lacrosse fans on Long Island. The playoffs for Suffolk County boys lacrosse will start this week for Class A, B, and C. This postseason features plenty of teams that can make a run and win a title. 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:

#1 Half Hollow Hills vs. #8 Connetquot 

#2 Northport vs. #7 Bay Shore 

#3 Ward Melville vs. #6 Riverhead 

#4 Huntington vs. #5 Smithtown East 

Team to beat: Northport

The three-time defending county champions are my top team headed into the playoffs. The Tigers aren't the top seed due to the power points system, but they had a statement win over top-seeded Half Hollow Hills, holding Hills' high-powered offense to a season-low three goals. Northport has an experienced and talented defense. Seniors Giancarlo Valenti, Quinn Reynolds, and Quinn Napolitano Quinn Napolitano 5'11" | 160 lbs | G | Right Hand Northport Senior | 2024 NY (Mercer) have been incredible. On offense, Jack Deliberti Jack Deliberti 5'10" | A Northport | 2025 #132 Nation NY (Ohio State) has proven to be one of the top goal scorers on Long Island. Northport's experience and elite coaching staff give them a strong edge. 

Sleeper: Huntington

It's tough to count out Huntington with the pieces they have all over the field. The Blue Devils are led by senior Thomas Girmonti, who has netted 50 goals this season. He's accompanied by a very strong group of two-way midfielders in Colin Lennon Colin Lennon 6'1" | 170 lbs | M | Right Hand Huntington | 2025 NY , Tommy Kline (Loyola), and Timmy McDonald. The trio of juniors brings a tough presence on both sides of the field. Huntington's Luca Cuozzo (UMass) will be a key factor at the faceoff X and will help them secure possessions. 

Impact players to watch:

Anthony Raio Anthony Raio 6'1" | 175 lbs | M | Right Hand Half Hollow Hills | 2025 #2 Nation NY '25, M, Half Hollow Hills West / UNC - One of the most entertaining players in the country, Raio has racked up over 100 points this season with 64 goals and 40 assists. He is one of the best shooters on Long Island and taken control of games with his dodging ability. He's been an elite distributor, finding his teammates James Bruno, Zach Marco Zach Marco 6'0" | 175 lbs | M | Left Hand Half Hollow Hills | 2025 NY (Bryant) and Joseph Filardi Joseph Filardi 6'0" | 170 lbs | D | Left Hand Half Hollow Hills West | 2025 #28 Nation NY (Syracuse) for plenty of easy goals.

Zach Brittman '24, A, Ward Melville / Iona - Ward Melville lost by a goal to both Northport and Half Hollow Hills this season. The Patriots are very much in the race to win a championship this spring. A big reason why is how great Brittman has been. One of the best passers you'll see in Suffolk County, he has totaled 40 assists so far and will look to feed excellent shooters like Stephen Rosano Stephen Rosano A Ward Melville Senior | 2024 NY (Sacred Heart) and junior Liam Banks. 

Brendan Carroll '25, G, Smithtown East / Drexel - Last year, Smithtown East made an underdog run to the championship game as the No. 5 seed. East had a great Class of 2023, but down low, Carroll made a ton of great saves to help them win two close games on the road. If the Bulls want another deep run, it starts with Carroll proving why he's one of the county's top goalies. 

Playoff matchups 

#1 East Islip vs. #4 West Islip/#5 Hauppauge

#2 Smithtown West vs. #3 Comsewogue  

Team to Beat: East Islip 

East Islip has earned the right to be labeled the favorite in Class B after a fantastic regular season. Coming into the postseason at 15-1, the Redmen have been an offensive juggernaut. They are averaging over 13 goals per game and have dominated against great competition. Matthew McIntee Matthew McIntee 6'0" | M | Right Hand East Islip | 2024 #45 Nation NY (Syracuse), Matthew Baldino Matthew Baldino 5'10" | A East Islip | 2024 NY (Pace), Matt Ferraro (Boston University), and Jack Kalinowski Jack Kalinowski 5'9" | 170 lbs | M | Right Hand East Islip | 2025 NY (Stony Brook) have formed a prolific offensive unit. On the opposite side of the field, they have Drew Walendowski Drew Walendowski 5'8" | G East Islip | 2025 NY (Villanova), who has been excellent between the pipes.

Sleeper: West Islip 

Many people counted out West Islip after early season losses, but the Lions can't be underestimated. They've caught fire as of late, winning five of their last six, including a major win over Shoreham-Wading River. Their offense has some terrific weapons with Quinn Reilly (Bucknell) and Derek Busking Derek Busking 5'10" | 155 lbs | A | Right Hand West Islip | 2025 NY (Siena) leading the way, so look for West Islip to surprise some teams.

Impact players to watch: 

Necco Cottage '24, F/O, Smithtown West / Stony Brook - Cottage has been a special talent at the faceoff X. He's won 92 percent of his draws this season and has taken over games. He'll look to help Smithtown West control possession against Comsewogue and potentially a date with high-powered East Islip in the finals. Cottage is one of the premier FOGOs on Long Island and is a must-watch player in the postseason. 

Ryan Meyers Ryan Meyers A Rocky Point | 2024 NY '24, A, Comsewogue / Binghamton - Comsewogue has the tools to make a very deep run this postseason, due in part to a late in addition to Meyers to boost the offense. The future Bearcat lefty is a talented offensive threat and will be a key factor in Comsewogue's success. The Warriors handed Bayport-Blue Point its lone loss of the season, and when they play at their best, Comsewogue can beat any public school on Long Island.

Charlie Kalinowski '24, LSM, East Islip / Adelphi - I talked all about the East Islip offense earlier, but now it's time to highlight the defense. They are gonna need to be good on that side of the field and they'll ask a lot from Kalinowski. The dynamic LSM will have big responsibilities and if he can anchor East Islip's defense to get a lot of stops, they can pull away from teams quickly with how potent their offense is. 

#1 Bayport-Blue Point vs. #4 Westhampton/#5 Harborfields 

#2 Shoreham-Wading River vs. #3 Kings Park 

Team to beat: Bayport-Blue Point 

This has truly been the Phantoms' year so far. They are led by a special senior class that has been dominant from start to finish. Bayport has a record of 15-1 and some impressive wins over Long Island's top teams. Danny Aiello (Navy), Ben Morris Ben Morris 5'9" | 175 lbs | A | Left Hand Bayport-Blue Point | 2024 NY (Navy), and Connor Curran (Towson) have been unstoppable together. On Bayport's defense, Mike Luce (Boston University) and goalkeeper Brady Smith Brady Smith 6'0" | 170 lbs | G | Left Hand Bayport-Blue Point | 2024 NY (UAlbany) have been dominant. 

Sleeper: Kings Park

The KIngsmen have put together some impressive showings against tough competition. They have the offensive talent to potentially upset Shoreham-Wading River in the semi-finals. Luke Griffin (Maryland) and Jack Salva (Merrimack) are two of the top players in Class C here on Long Island. 

Impact players to watch: 

Liam Kershis Liam Kershis 5'11" | A | Right Hand Shoreham-Wading River | 2024 #18 Nation NY '24, A, Shoreham-Wading River/ Duke - Shoreham made an unexpected title run last spring after some rough losses. A big reason why was Liam Kershis Liam Kershis 5'11" | A | Right Hand Shoreham-Wading River | 2024 #18 Nation NY , who scored 16 goals in those three playoff games to guide his team to a championship. Could it be a similar story this season? Kershis is arguably the top senior on Long Island and can take over games with his athleticism and scoring prowess 

Mike Luce '24, D, Bayport-Blue Point / Boston University - The big defender from Bayport has made plays all over the field. He's one of the top poles on Long Island and will look to win his matchups against the opposing team's top-scoring threat.

Charlie Beasley '25, G, Westhampton Beach - After failing to make the playoffs last year, the Hurricanes are back. 2025 netminder Charlie Beasley has made some noise this season. The last time he played against Harborfields he had 17 saves in the massive 7-6 victory. He was the difference maker and will be a player in the rematch against the Tornados and all postseason long if they advance.