Massapequa boys lacrosse finishes the job this year to win Long Island Class A title

So much of what happened with 9.7 seconds left in the 2025 Long Island Class A championship game at Hofstra had to do with what happened in the 2026 Long Island Class A championship game at Stony Brook.

Massapequa’s boys lacrosse team fell on a late goal by Half Hollow Hills last June.

“They have been working since that game last year,” coach Kevin Catalano said. “That was kind of the statement that we lived on all season, that we wanted to get back here. We didn’t want to lose twice. And they really worked their tails off all year.”

Catalano was feeling pride early Saturday evening. His guys had left nothing to chance at the end. Massapequa defeated Sachem North, 19-6, to claim the championship plaque.

“This win definitely means a lot,” said Nolan Wieczorek, the junior attackman who was named the game MVP after delivering four goals and five assists. “Being able to get back to the same spot, it’s not a common thing.”

This was Massapequa’s third Long Island championship, the first since 2019.

“It’s an incredible feeling as a team,” junior attackman Rocco Spallina said. “One of the worst feelings in my life — a lot of the guys can [speak] to this — was walking off the field last year with the loss at Hofstra. We knew we wanted this from the beginning of the season.”

Spallina contributed four goals and two assists. Tyler Byrnes and Dylan Milio each posted three goals and one assist. Sean Durnin had two goals and two assists. And Ryan Chabus won 22 of 27 faceoffs.

“We have an extreme amount of talent on this team,” Catalano said. “When we play as a group collectively for 48 minutes, we can get it done against anybody.”

Massapequa (17-3) will play Section I champ Mamaroneck in the state Class A semis at 7 p.m. Thursday at Middletown High School. Mamaroneck beat Massapequa, 16-10, back on March 28.

“We came in thinking we would dominate,” Spallina said. “… Unfortunately, we fell short, but it’s a good thing that we have a chance in the coming week to get some revenge.”

So what are the chances that Massapequa ends up taking the program’s first state title since 2019?

“I think it’s pretty good,” Sachem North coach Anthony Muratore said.

His team trailed 5-4 early in the second quarter after Lucas Bouchard scored the second of his three goals. But by halftime, it was 10-4. And by the end of three, it was 17-5.

“We have a lot of firepower,” Wieczorek said.

Sachem North, which won the program’s first Suffolk County title since Sachem High split into North and East in 2004, finished at 16-4. Muratore passed much credit to his seniors.

“They cemented their legacy here at Sachem North, getting us to this game, obviously winning the Suffolk County championship,” Muratore said. “… Now it’s time to pass the torch on to these juniors and underclassmen. Hopefully, we’re back here next year if we get the same type of leadership we got this year.”