Newsday's All-Long Island NSCHSAA/Private Schools boys lacrosse team 2026

Newsday NSCHSAA/Private Schools Player of the Year: Danny Rooney, St. Anthony’s, A, Sr.

Danny Rooney’s injury was along for the ride during an early chunk of the schedule.

“He played the first probably third of the season, if not a quarter of the season, with a pretty good hamstring strain,” St. Anthony’s coach Keith Wieczorek said. “And then the healthier he got, the better he got, culminating in just an outstanding championship game.”

Rooney contributed two goals and one assist in the 13-12 win over Chaminade that gave St. Anthony’s its seventh straight state CHSAA Class AAA title.

“It means everything to us,” Rooney said. “It means everything to the alumni. We just had to do it. To get three in a row specifically for me was really special.”

Wieczorek called Rooney’s overall season “tremendous.”

“We went on offense as he took us,” Wieczorek said. “. . . He was the straw that stirred the drink. He could feed the ball. When we needed the big goal, he got the big goal.”

The 5-10, 185-pound captain posted 29 goals and set up 34 more. He said he “tried to put the team on my back at some points” along the way.

“I think I’m a high IQ player,” Rooney said. “I think I pass the ball well. And I think I know when to take good shots and not force bad opportunities.”

Now he will see what he can do playing for Maryland.

“I’m hoping that my game just translates really well to the next level,” Rooney said. “I think it will because I’m a smart player.”

Wieczorek said Rooney “is as hardworking and prepared as any player we’ve ever had. So he’s going to put the work in. He’s extremely fast and athletic . . . I think the door’s open for him to continue his success at the next level.”

FIRST TEAM

John Balsamo, Chaminade, A, Sr.

Balsamo had 25 goals and 45 assists, including nine points against Iona Prep and five assists against St. Anthony’s, now ranked No. 7 by USA Lacrosse, in the state CHSAA Class AAA final. The Virginia commit and captain drew more attention while teammate James Gillis was sidelined for seven games, but coach Greg Kay saw Balsamo continue “to orchestrate the attack and make plays when the team needed them most.”

Ethan Bramoff, St. Anthony’s, LSM, Sr.

Coach Keith Wieczorek described the Maryland commit as “one of the best defenders in the country,” who “has the unique ability to create offense from the defensive position.” Bramoff showed as much in consistently throughout the spring, finishing with two goals, six assists, 36 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.

Charlie Cacciabaudo, St. Anthony’s, A, Sr.

Cacciabaudo had a team-high 38 goals and three assists, with the UNC commit scoring four goals against Chaminade in the regular season and two in the state final. Coach Keith Wieczorek called him a “tremendous finisher” as the standout also scored three goals against No. 4 Lawrenceville.

Jonathan Catanzaro, St. Dominic, LSM, Soph.

Catanzaro caused 37 turnovers and contributed 11 goals and five assists. “He was a game-changer,” coach Mike Schwalje said. “He was a pole. He was all over the field. He would create havoc and really just put us in position to make a lot of plays in transition. Jonathan created a lot of transition for us with his takeaways.”

Aiden Cromwell, St. Dominic, A, Sr.

Cromwell helped power the state CHSAA Class A champion Bayhawks with 57 goals and 32 assists. Coach Mike Schwalje said the Iona commit was “basically another coach on the field. Really brought tremendous calm and composure to the players, and really, for the most part, he was just a great leader. He could slow the offense down; he could push it.”

Gavin Duran, Chaminade, D, Sr.

Duran, besides collecting 30 ground balls and causing 10 turnovers, radiated energy for the Flyers and helped power the transition attack. Coach Greg Kay felt that this Princeton-bound player’s “physical, aggressive style enabled our defense to extend and apply relentless pressure on opposing offenses.”

James Gills, Chaminade, A, Sr.

The No. 1-ranked 2026 recruit in the country was limited to 11 games because of a back injury, but Gills provided leadership during his downtime and 20 goals, 22 assists and 22 ground balls when he played. The Duke commit “consistently won his matchups against opposing teams’ top defenders — a testament to his skill and his competitive drive,” according to coach Greg Kay.

Dylan Harrigan, St. Anthony’s, A, Sr.

Harrigan had 26 goals and 12 assists, many of which came against some of the best teams in the country. That includes three goals and an assist against No. 14 Haverford and 11th-ranked Chaminade in the state final. He’ll take his talents to Maryland, where the Terps will get a lefty “who shoots well on the run or under pressure,” according to coach Keith Wieczorek.

Pat Heron, St. Anthony’s, D, Sr.

Heron led the Friars’ defense and had 29 ground balls with seven caused turnovers. Coach Keith Wieczorek called the Navy commit a “tall, athletic lefthanded close defender” who was “excellent on the clear and in transition.”

Jacob Johnston, St. Anthony’s, M, Sr.

The Johns Hopkins commit followed up a stellar junior year with a strong finish to his high school career, with 19 goals and nine assists on top of providing suffocating defense in the midfield. Coach Keith Wieczorek praised how he “can cover anyone on the defensive end of the field and still be able to lead transition and half-field offense on the other end of the field.”

Ryan Lasko, St. Anthony’s, LSM, Jr.

Lasko attacks ground balls like a dog to a tennis ball, thriving off the wing on faceoffs. A tenacious defender, the Boston University commit had 34 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers, three goals and four assists. Coach Keith Wieczorek described him as “an athletic defender with quick hands and great stick skills.”

Brody Richert, St. Anthony’s, M, Sr.

The Towson commit is a fantastic on-ball defender as a short-stick defensive midfielder, winning 38 ground balls and causing 13 turnovers. Coach Keith Wieczorek hailed Richert’s tenacity on the wing off faceoffs and his ability to launch transition offense.

Liam Trainor, Chaminade, D, Sr.

Trainor had 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Coach Greg Kay praised the Fairfield commit for his “relentless work ethic” despite being plagued by an injury and for his efforts defending against the top threats, “in many cases, some of the best players in the country, and he answered the call with grit and consistency.”

Kieran Walsh, Chaminade, G, Sr.

Walsh made 152 saves, including 17 in a 7-6 win over now No. 18 Seton Hall Prep and 10 in a 10-5 win against Iona Prep. He’ll follow in former Flyers goalie Liam Entenmann’s footsteps and suit up for Notre Dame next season. Coach Greg Kay pointed to Walsh excelling with outlet feeds to fuel the transition game and to his knack for keeping “this team in game after game with big stops at critical moments.”

NSCHSAA/Private Schools Coach of the Year: Keith Wieczorek, St. Anthony’s

Wieczorek steered St. Anthony’s through a difficult schedule and got the Friars ready for a formidable obstacle in Chaminade in the state CHSAA Class AAA championship game. Then they made a second-half comeback and edged Chaminade 13-12 to claim the title for the seventh year in a row. Wieczorek’s 26th season as head coach ended with a 12-4 record.