Continuing where they left off last season, the boys from Springfield jumped out to a 15-1 record including wins against “A” teams from Nutley, Ridge, New Providence, Warren Hills, Somerset, Chatham and Summit. Compared to last season, Brady's Bunch not only added wins, against better competition, but also increased in Goals Scored (5.1 per game, vs. 3.7 last year) and fewer Goals Against (2.3 goals per game, vs. 3.3 last year).
Lacrosse Club of Springfield Team 2021 (Left to Right)
TOP: Coach Brady, Anthony Apicella, Brandon Doran, Zach Abramovitz, Sam Roth, David Ares III,Daniel Munoz, Mike Kanarek, Gavin Dzikowski, Cole Kebea, David Greenman, Evan Kay, Anthony Corigliano, Coach DeCicco
ON KNEE: Nick Stampoulos, Joe Grzybowski, Elijah White, Ethan Coelho, Ryan Sickinger.
Not Pictured: Alex Gary, Gary Migone, Matt Gomes, Jordan Berkowitz, Jordy Frei
This hard work earned the five-year-old Lacrosse Club of Springfield team the number one seed in the state tournament. In the semi-finals, though down 4-1 at the start of fourth quarter, the team rallied to score three additional goals. Unfortunately, Cedar Grove, a team the Jr. Dawgs had won against earlier in the season, also scored one more goal, winning the game 5-4.
When the Lacrosse Club of Springfield was formed in 2013, the oldest players were in fifth grade. Now ending their eight grade season, those Jr. Dawgs finished their Youth Lax careers at the “Romp In The Swamp” Tournament with a 4-1 record, again beating Cedar Grove, as well as Sparta and Parsippany and only losing to Cranford’s AA team, 5-4.
Celebrating at The Romp In The Swamp
This year, in addition to starting its first junior varsity high school team, a girls youth team, and showing continued growth at the youth levels, the Lacrosse Club of Springfield held a number of “Here to Stay” fundraisers to support a lacrosse program at Dayton High School Lacrosse where their original players would be students next school year.
In the team’s first two seasons, the Lacrosse Club team only had two wins. But, Coach Brady Hendrickson, a knowledgeable lacrosse fan with no child on the team, stayed patient and stayed the course as he continued to stress the fundamentals and motivated his players into participating in clinics, lessons, and playing summer Club ball. Last year, his coaching was beginning to show the fruits of his labor as the boys, then in seventh grade, posted a 9-9 record. Playing mostly a “B team” schedule, Springfield showed that they could compete and beat teams that were larger and more experienced. Wins over towns like Millburn, Cedar Grove, Monroe, West Orange, and Franklin were promising. However, playing against A to AA teams like New Providence, Summit, Scotch Plains, and Nutley still proved to be more difficult.
This year the team also added Assistant Coach Andrew DeCicco, an All-American high school and college player. DeCicco was inducted into the NJ Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2003 having played for Rutgers University and then was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Wings. Coach DeCicco served as assistant coach at Drew University, Rutgers University, Sacred Heart College, and Lafayette University. A four time New Jersey Coach of Year, he led Seton Hall Prep to its only State Championship, while also coaching Morristown Beard and St. Joseph Regional High School to successful seasons.
For more information about the Lacrosse Club of Springfield, visit http://springfieldlaxnj.com/