Half Hollows Hills East Completes Memorable Boys’ Lacrosse Season

Following the unexpected retirement of their longtime coach after last season, the returning players of the Half Hollow Hills East varsity boys’ lacrosse team pulled themselves together during last summer’s training program and quickly began preparing for the 2018 season. Before a new coaching staff was appointed, leadership among the team’s senior players created the foundation for one of the Thunderbirds most successful seasons.

During the fall, the school district appointed Paul Benway as boys’ lacrosse head varsity coach. He had been an assistant and then head varsity coach at Sachem North High School in Ronkonkoma for 10 seasons. Justin O’Connell, Mike Rimmer, Shane Deboer, Rob Merckling, Lee Giddens and Gary Engelthaler joined Benway at Hills East. Legendary goalie coach George Fox, who has influenced many lacrosse programs on Long Island and nationally since 1962, agreed to return for another season with the Hills East program. Collectively, the players and coaches pushed the team into the county playoffs.

“Though the coaching staff came in after the summer program, the student leaders of this team kept the group together at its level of excellence and all of our athletes worked to advance their individual games and the team’s play,” said Coach Benway. “The players excelled this season, because they wanted to be good.”

The Thunderbirds finished the season with a 15-4 record and competed for the Suffolk County championship. The team finished third of 22 Suffolk County Class A teams. The team was ranked 11th in the country by Inside Lacrosse during week eight. The publication ranked the Thunderbirds 23rd during week 13. USLacrosse Magazine ranked the team 16th on May 29.

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Photo: Senior defenseman Mike Gomez received the annual Half Hollow Hills East High School James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award for boys’ lacrosse from Eric Geringswald, school director of the youth lacrosse program and school board trustee. M. Virgintino photo

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The Thunderbirds defeated teams for the first time in recent memory. Key wins included a 7-6 victory over Ward Melville, the only loss that team suffered in two years versus a league opponent. Other important victories were 12-4 over Smithtown East, 12-10 versus Connetquot, a 14-6 playoff win against Commack and an overtime 11-10 playoff win against Smithtown West to reach the Suffolk County Class A Championship Game. The team averaged 10.8 goals per game with a 7.7 goals against average per game.

“No doubt we had a great season, but the important thing was not the wins but that the athletes had a great experience and continued to develop respect for their teammates, coaches, game officials and their opponents,” added Benway. “This was a special team. Players were out with injuries throughout the season, yet we continued to win. We lost one of our best players, Ryan Doran, for the first 11 games and we won 10 of those games.”

Community service also was a significant component of the team experience during the entire school year. Led by parents Wendy Fitzpatrick and Linda Armyn, and with the support of Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the Be The Match program, the students extended their school spirit into the community. With the credit union, the players collected food that, through Island Harvest, ensured a celebratory Thanksgiving holiday for families. Seniors became blood donors through the Be The Match program to support patients coping with various cancers.

MVP, Outstanding Player Awards

Six seniors were named 2018 All-Division players: defenseman Conor Caiazza, defenseman Mike Gomez, midfielder Drew Martin, midfielder Brett Martin, midfielder Mike Monitto and long stick midfielder Sal Pascarello. Gomez, Martin and Monitto also were named All-County players.

Martin was named team most valuable player and he will enter the United States Air Force Academy this fall as a lacrosse player and to train as a fighter pilot. Martin was varsity captain of the school’s football and lacrosse teams. For football, he was a two-way starter and named All-County and an All-Star. For lacrosse, he was a five-year varsity player with 47 goals, 20 assists and 180 ground balls. He became the 20th point leader in Suffolk County.

Gomez received this season’s James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award named for and endowed by a leading Half Hollow Hills High School East benefactor who also was an All-American student athlete at the school during the 1970s. Metzger is the founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group, a leading insurance services and estate planning company in the New York metropolitan area that is headquartered in Garden City.

Gomez played varsity lacrosse for five years. His defensive efforts set the tone for the team. He rarely made a mistake and always covered the leading players on opposing teams. During his senior season, Gomez scored 11 goals and nine assists and recovered 80 ground balls. He was an Under-Armour Top 44 Senior Game Selection and a Suffolk County Honorable Mention All-American. Gomez will play lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University.

Enners, Metzger Jerseys Retired

As a tribute to two outstanding school players from the 1960s and 1970s, Half Hollow Hills East retired the jerseys of Ray Enners and James Metzger. Beginning with the 2019 season, their banners will be showcased on the school’s "fence of honor" at every home game.

Lt. Raymond J. Enners was an officer in the United States Army and a champion high school and college lacrosse player. He attended and played for the United States Military Academy at West Point and he was killed in action during the Vietnam War. During his high school days, Enners was captain of the football, basketball and lacrosse teams.

Enners excelled at lacrosse and was fondly nicknamed "The Machine" by his teammates. During his senior year, he was named All-County, All Long Island and Honorable Mention All-American. He played varsity lacrosse for five years and he played in the first five Suffolk County championships. At West Point, Enners was the 1967 NCAA/USILA Honorable Mention All-American. Heart of Gray, a book that reveals how West Point and its values of "Duty, Honor, Country" influenced Ray Enners, was written by his brother, Richard Enners, and published during 2016.

Metzger set assist records (82 in one season) and won many awards during his high school playing days, including All-American honors and the 1977 Ray Enners Award for outstanding Suffolk County lacrosse player when he scored 102 points. Metzger also starred in football and played varsity basketball as a sophomore in the Suffolk County playoffs. After graduation from high school, Metzger played lacrosse for two years at Hofstra University. As an All-American, he led Hofstra in assists during his freshman and sophomore seasons (1979 and 1980). His single season points per game average (4.9) ranks fourth all-time and his single season assist average (2.8) ranks eighth.

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Paula Martin contributed to this article.