Conor Gowan returns in goal for Fordham Prep. (Robert Cole)
The Fordham Prep boys lacrosse team, as a whole, talks about patience and potential when speaking about its season. The Rams defense on the other hand is thinking more along the lines of dominance.
“We want other teams to see us and go, ‘That’s the Fordham Prep defense. It’s going to be a tough game to score goals in,’” senior long pole J.C. Sullivan said.
The defending CHSAA NY-AA division champions lost six of 11 starters, five of which are on offense. The bulk of a talented defense returns, starting with the stalwart Sullivan, classmate Max Kampe, junior Logan Williamson and athletic midfielder Brendan Kennedy will slide back to defense. Sophomore Anthony Febbo will also see time and Jon Lazar with be the long pole middie. William Randell and Mike Withers will play defensive midfield.
“If you give up five or six goals, you should win the game,” Rams head coach Len DeLucia said.
Added All-American attack Ben Andreycak: “It’s going to make a lot of teams scared to play us. “
It also helps having two-year starting goalie Conor Gowan back. DeLucia said he is not Superman, but can certainly wow at times. He can make the routine save and be flashy. Gowan is great with the ball in his stick. He scored his first career goal to open the second half of the Rams’ 9-7 win over rival Iona Prep in the NYCHSAA Class AA title game last season.
“We take it for granted sometimes when we are getting lazy and he starts making some outrageous saves,” Sullivan said. “We want him to make the easy ones. We never want him to have to make those.”
The team’s biggest playmaker is still Andreycak. The reigning Post All-City Player of the Year is headed to Tufts, currently the No. 2 ranked Division III team in the nation. Andreycak was looking for the best balance of academics and lacrosse. He scored 57 goals and tallied 38 assists last year. He can dodge and get to the cage, score from the outside and feed his teammates in front of the crease.
“My main goal is to try to manage the game and not forces too much, just let it come to me and try to make everyone else better,” Andreycak said.
There is inexperience and talent around him with the graduation of Chris Smith, Matt Casella and Joe Regan and Jack Lee transferring to Taft (Conn.). Colum Sleeper should help with the goal scoring. The injury bug has also bit in the early season with midfielder Jack McCombe nursing a groin injury and attack Rob Grinnell is coming back from a knee injury. Faceoff specialist Taylor Smith will be out at least two more weeks after breaking his elbow during football season. Joe Delasho takes over that role for now.
“We need just a little bit more time to jell together,” Gowan said.
The goal of a CHSAA ‘AA’ state title remains the same. With Stepinac moving down to the ‘A’ division, all it will need to do is win three games: Iona Prep in its league final, the Long Island winner and then the Buffalo representative.
“Every game of the season is a building block, to get better to get prepared for the end of the season so we can make a run at the state championship that we wanted to win so badly last year,” Andreycak said.