Last week, three graduating student-athletes reflected on their years of playing lacrosse in the South Orangetown Central School District. “I remember playing on the first-ever youth league team when I was just nine years old,” said Angus Goldman, who will continue his athletic career and major in education at SUNY Purchase. “This program has seen me through half my life and I’m the man I am today because of it.”
The district’s athletics program and the young athletes that it produces have always been held to a high standard. Boys Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Andrew McIntosh has noted that players have become increasingly driven over the past few years to top the previous season’s performance and secure places for themselves at the collegiate level.
Coach McIntosh, a former lacrosse player and coach at SUNY Oneonta, is about to close the playbook on his second season as Head Coach and fourth overall at TZHS. “The program was already competitive when I got here,” he reports. “I wanted to take it one step further by exposing the true talent these guys have and opening them up to the possibility of playing in college.”
A powerful first step: Traveling to Long Island for the annual Fall Classic, one of the biggest college recruitment events in the Northeast with more than 200 coaches scouting fresh talent. The team has competed in the tournament for the last two years and players have seen results. “I got an offer to play for Oneonta right there,” said Jack Dinnegan, who recently signed with the SUNY college. “It worked out perfectly.”
This fall, nine lacrosse alumni will be playing across Division 1, 2 and 3 college teams, including Aidan Egazarian. Aidan, who has committed to Union College, hopes to be among those alumni who return to their roots and help position the next generation of players to win. “People are coming back in one way or another to support our growing program,” said Egazarian, who intends to double-major in economics and computer science. “Whether it’s accepting coaching positions on our youth, JV and modified teams or coming out to games, the outreach has just been incredible.”
Off the field, there’s much to gain by getting involved in sports. “Lacrosse is a great platform to teach the importance of things like accountability, teamwork and leadership,” Coach McIntosh observed.
“It gives you your brothers,” Dinnegan said. “It’s a shared experience and set of values that makes bonds like ours possible.”
Best of luck to Angus, Jack, Aidan and all our graduating athletes who have signed to compete on college teams!
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