High school lacrosse teams prepare for '08 season

Just a couple of days after seeing his ice hockey season end at Brick Township in the state tournament, James Murphy was back in action but in a different setting.

The senior was drenched practicing in a downpour last Friday during the opening day of spring practices for his school's lacrosse team. But he didn't mind the adverse weather conditions. He was just glad to get back onto the field for a sport that he and some of his fellow seniors petitioned hard to the township's Board of Education four years ago to allow it as a varsity sport.

"This is good because a lot of us wanted it to be passed as a sport," said attackman Murphy as the parents organization raises money for uniforms while the district handles many of the other expenses since Brick Township and BrickMemorial began competing on the varsity level three years ago after one season as a club team.

"It's very satisfying.We had to push for this four years ago and we're all seniors now and we've gained respect from everyone else," said senior midfielder Mike Brancaccio, a co-captain with senior defenseman David Egee.

"Most of the seniors and some alumni have made it what it is," said Egee.

"That was huge because now, it's growing."

More than 40 players came out for Brick Township and about 64 came out for the team at Brick Memorial under new coach Brett Middlemiss, who was an assistant under Guy Lassen. Middlemiss, who has been teaching television production classes at the school the past two years, brings a wealth of experience in the sport.

After a high school career as an allleague defenseman at West Windsor- Plainsborough and a year on the prep school state championship team at Peddie, Middlemiss went on to play for NCAA Division I Butler. He spent five years as the head junior varsity coach at St. Xavier High in Lexington, Ky. during which time the varsity reached the state finals all five years, won three titles, and had two high school All-Americans.

But family members coaxed Middlemiss to pursue coaching and teaching opportunities along the Jersey Shore.

"This is a young group, a very dedicated group of students," saidMiddlemiss, who takes a team that went 6-10 after a winless maiden season. "The kids are really into lacrosse."

Ben Schiebel remains on board as junior varsity coach and Davin St. Jean works with the freshmen.

SteveMaurelli, meanwhile, returns for his third season at Brick Township after his team was 4-10 last year and he must replace five graduated players, including goalkeeper Noah Morris, but likewise has some good young prospects.

"All the kids are optimistic and ready to play," said Maurelli, who has John Schmitt back on his staff and newcomer Charles Pazmino taking the junior varsity. "We're excited to play on (artificial) turf this year at Drum Point Complex.With the senior class having made a really hard push to start the program four years ago and presenting it to the board and fundraising, this year means a lot to them."

"We look a lot better," said Brancaccio. "There are a lot of returning starters. Everyone's really dedicated."

Egee felt similarly. "There's a lot of senior leadership with 13 returning seniors. We've had a lot of participation in captain's practices. I'm just looking to be a leader and more vocal to help the other guys."

"There are good leaders on the team and they know what they're talking about," said Murphy. "We lost a couple of strong offensive players and a couple of defensive guys graduated but a lot of guys look like they're stepping up."

One of those seniors - Jesse Faulkner - moves over from being a field player to goalkeeper. "I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of good things from him," saidMaurelli.

Some of those seniors includemidfielders Mike Colabella at midfielder, Nick Iacoves as a defensive midfielder, Tim Firrman, Frank Poalillo and Bob Koste on the attack andMarkMasefield on defense.

"Some players look at the hockey players out for the teambutwe're just as tired as the others are," said Murphy, referring also to Masefield andKoste, after the opening practies. "It's a different type of running on the ground from skating on ice."

Also back is junior Ken Bogert, whom Maurelli hopes will share the scoring load with Firrman and Brancaccio. Jim Whalen, who also was expected to be a scoring threat, is out with a broken hand suffered during hockey season.

"We're growing as a team and it's working well.We're working on team chemistry and pushing the ball up the field," said Maurelli.

Middlemiss at Brick Memorial also is looking for a goalie to replace Quinn Heald, who leads the graduated players from last year's team along with midfielders Justin Mailloux, who led the team in scoring last season and is at Newman College, and Will Wilson.

Four players are vying for goalie andwill get an opportunity when the team plays its first scrimmage on Friday at Ocean, including Joe Roselli, a junior, and Joe Dimeno, a sophomore, who both played forMiddlemiss on the junior varsity team that went 10-4 last year. The other two- senior R.J. Smith and John Bartomolei - are field players. Bartolomei plays for the hockey team that extended its season into the state tournament quarterfinals onMonday this week.

Two other bright prospects will miss the season with injuries - Dylan Hornblum, who blew out his anterior cruciate ligament of his knee in the Thanksgiving Day football game against Brick Township, and Nick Alvarez, who broke his wrist in the opening round of the NJSIAA hockey tournament two weeks ago.

"Our goal is to be .500 and make the state tournament," said Middlemiss as last year's team beat Brick Township in both head-to-head games and just missed qualifying for the state tournament at the cutoff. "Our defense is pretty solid with seniors Dan Burke and Dave Moore and sophomore Dan Lamela and they could be among the top defenders in the Shore."

Burke, a kicker for the school's football team, will continue that pursuit in college at Monmouth University this fall.

Although Middlemiss said, "the defense is ahead of the offense," he has two solid attackmen in senior Sean Donald and sophomore Rob McSweeney and a steady junior midfielder in Jesse Kirkut.

"We need to keep improving our stick skills and general knowledge of the game," the coach said. "Scoring will be difficult with the main part of the scoring from last year gone but we expect to see Sean, Rob and Jesse pick up the scoring."

The answers will unfold for both coaches when the season begins for them early next month.