Lacrosse Preview: Top-Seeded Boys' Lacrosse Team Awaits Its Chance

It's going to take a lot to topple this team.

We say 'a lot' because of how far the undefeated Ward Melville boys' lacrosse team has come this season, which it entered having returned just six players from last year's team. In fact, they are ranked the No. 2 team in the country according to Laxpower.com.

"The total is greater than the sum of its parts – the teamwork and the unselfishness and the ability of everybody to do their job without worrying about who scores and who gets the credit," head coach Mike Hoppey said in an interview this week.

The Patriots' defense has allowed an average of 4.4 goals in 16 games this year, while the offense has scored an average of 14.5 goals per game. Among the 12 other teams contending for a Division I title, the Patriots didn't play only two of them – No. 10 Patchogue-Medford and No. 12 Lindenhurst – and everyone else, they've defeated already.

"I think the real key to the team is the play of the defense, because I think that was our biggest question mark coming into this year," Hoppey said. "We only had one starter back from last year. Everyone else was going to be brand new and we thought it was potentially going to be a problem, but in fact they’ve played as good as any defense we’ve had around here in a long time."

Ward Melville is led by a pair of Division I college-bound midfielders in Jack Bruckner (headed to Duke University) and Christian Mazzone (headed to Rutgers University). Hoppey said senior goalie Danny Nemirov has been consistent all year, while senior attack Brendan Hegarty has really improved his game since last year. Senior Jake Kepes and sophomore Danny Bucaro have also been key offensive players for the Patriots. Standouts on defense include senior Mike Zerbo, senior Robert Mendez and sophomore Tommy Reilly.

The playoffs opened Thursday afternoon, but the Patriots won't have to lift a stick in competition until Tuesday at 4 p.m., when they play a home game against No. 8 Connetquot, which won an overtime thriller against No. 9 Sachem East, 13-12. Ward Melville previously beat Connetquot this season, 15-2.

"I think they’re very confident," Hoppey said. "They really haven’t played a bad game yet all year, and the longer you go without one the less likely you are to do it at some point.