Carey excels through adversity

An offseason spent adding muscle in the weight room seemed to pay off instantly – yielding the desired, difference-making edge for a Carey boys’ lacrosse team looking to flex in its return to Conference B after last year’s demotion to Nassau CD due to enrollment.
A romp to open the season at league foe Jericho, 13-1, was followed by a gutsy 5-4 win in overtime against Long Beach.
Next Carey dispatched rival Roslyn, 8-2 – the Seahawks powering past opponents just as they’d planned, led by Chris Obertis’ and Christian Todaro’s combined 13 goals and seven assists in the season’s first week and a half.
But early Seahawks celebrations were muted, as Carey had learned by the end of Game 3 it would need more than physical strength to lean on. Having already lost two starters to preseason injuries, Carey saw defensive standouts Will Cooper and Michael Lucsczynski go down against Roslyn, casting a sudden cloud over the club’s fine start to the season.
“That was rough,” coach Tom Aiello said of the Roslyn game. “We played well, but then it was a double whammy. We’ve had to be tough mentally to hang in there. We always talk about the ‘next man up.’ And so far, guys have stepped up.”

Though fallout from the injuries likely had a hand in Carey’s ensuing loss at defending two-time state Class C champion Manhasset, 13-5, the Seahawks regrouped winning four of their next six matchups, logging back-to-back 16-3 league wins at Great Neck North and Glen Cove – Obertis notching a season-high five goals and three assists in the former, and recording his fourth straight hat trick (he has seven on the season) in the latter.
Obertis’ team-leading 26 goals are tied for tenth-most in Nassau, while fellow junior Todaro – who after his team’s early injuries has shifted from offensive midfield to help defensively – sits ninth in the league with 12 assists.
“Christian’s a great shooter,” said Aiello, whose club, at 7-2, sits second in Conference B. “But he’s had to play more defense, pick up the slack. He’s been tough and it’s helped us. Really, that’s been everyone’s mentality. We’re banged up, but it’s a tough group of kids.”
Added Aiello: “I do think weight training has helped. We still look strong, especially on defense.”
Defensive pillars T.J. Wakely and Billy Koutsoumbaris – an All-County senior and All-Conference junior, respectively – have stayed healthy, helping Carey post Conference B’s lowest goals against average at 3.33 per game (tied with Long Beach). While touting next-men-up Johnwood Altenor and Luca Cirotti’s contributions filling in for fallen teammates, Aiello pointed to goalie Rich Metzger – whose 71.8 save percentage leads Nassau – as a key reason his club has excelled through adversity.
“Richie has answered the test,” Aiello said of the Honorable Mention All-County junior. “We’re getting by on solid defense and really great goaltending.”
Attackman Ethan Pelzer, who’s had a pair of team-high four-goal games, is second on the Seahawks with 13 goals, while midfielder Christian Korzloski has 10 tallies with a team second-leading 11 assists.
“Our conference is tough,” Aiello said. “But if we stay strong, and maybe get healthier, who knows?”