The New York Saints: LoCascio In Charge

By Josh Blumenthal

"Long Island Team, Long Island Pride" is a marketing tag used by the team but owners and Long Islanders Mike Gongas and Charlie Russo mean it. The team is admittedly not an investment in the popular sense according to Gongas and Russo. The retired businessman and the attorney got in this business to help kids, spread lacrosse and promote Long Island. "We run camps and clinics all year. We're community oriented and get involved locally.

    


    
    Charlie Russo
The two of us, and most of our players, live in this community. We sponsor the Long Island high school lacrosse on television, and the football too." Russo, the attorney, said in a recent E-Lacrosse interview with both.




While the two seem content in knowing that the business enhances and supports the Island and lacrosse, they take the wins and losses very seriously. And they are tired of losing. They've put the task of winning again in the hands of a trusted old friend and former star, Sal LoCascio. LoCascio announced on draft day that he had been named the new head coach of the New York Saints. He would replace Scott Huff and would likely name brothers Norm and Bob Engelke as his assistant coaches.



Sal LoCascio

LoCascio was the Saints goalkeeper and an All-Pro. He is considered to be the best ever in the field version of the game, with every accolade imaginable under his belt. It was known in the outdoor game for a long time that getting Sal to play on your team in a summer tournament meant that you would likely take home the trophy. Gongas can't say enough about Locascio, "Sal was a true warrior in the game. He's the only US goalie that has succeeded in recent years in the league. Most of the great ones are Canadian."

Russo pipes in, "He's a Long Island icon."


A week or two before the draft we asked him to be our new coach, but he experienced no real learning curve before the draft because he's always been involved in our decision making process while he was a player," continues Gongas.


LoCascio did name the Engelkes to be his assistants along with another former Saints goalie and St. John's University standout Jim Mule. Both Engelkes were instrumental in the Saints championship season in 1988 when they were known as the New Jersey Saints and played out of the Meadowlands arena. Bob was the head coach while Norman was a star player. Mule, a member of the 1999 US World Cup Team and the 1999 USCLA Champion NYAC, was a relatively unknown field goalkeeper outside of New York until late in his career and is still an exceptional goalkeeper. He retired from the Saints before last season and will return this year, wearing a necktie.



Jimmy Mule

The goalie position will likely be filled with Canadian Gord Nash, the number two pick overall in the 1999 draft. "Nash had a great summer in Canada, even though he was on a losing team. He played extremely well and will be one of the premier goalies in our league. He was someone everyone wanted in last year's draft," reports Gongas. Long Island native Andy Piazza is on the roster for now but is considering retirement. Piazza was chosen by the Columbus Landsharks in the expansion draft when left unprotected by Philadelphia, where he had been a solid backup for years. A trade last month sent Cory Kahoun and Chris Dusseau back home to the Midwest in return for Piazza who is still deciding what to do. E-Lacrosse's Brian Carcaterra is also in the Saints camp this year and may surprise some folks with his quickness and shot blocking abilities.


Matt Panetta




Jason Wulder Interview

Last year's nucleus is back, including 1999 Second Team All Pro Matt Panetta, nine year veteran Steve Sombrotto and USA World Team member and Hofstra University graduate Blake Miller. Veterans, Darren and Kevin Lowe return along with Gewas Schindler, Tom Naglieri, Jon Hess, Jason Wulder, Pat McCabe, Steve Huff, Tim Langton and Mark Frye.

Panetta, who is a coach at Stony Brook, was not happy at all with his play last year. "He's been working out like an animal and will be back with a vengeance." Says Gongas


Frye, the Loyola College star who also tried out for a Canadian Football League team last year, will be a big part of the Saints physical play this year. Gongas likes his speed too, "He has the best first step in the league."

Russo agrees, "yeah."

Gongas adds, "Best athlete in the league probably."

Russo again, "I think he is."


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The Saints hope that they get a repeat performance of last season from Roy Colsey, who was a Second Team All Pro member and finished fourth in the league in points scored with 68. "Roy comes to play every day. He's a physical specimen. He coaches at Dartmouth and works out with the team. He's one of the best in the game," Russo boasts of his star.

According to the retired businessman and full-time team president, Gongas, the Saints are looking to become a physical and big team. "When someone comes into our house, they are going to know they've been there. We've been taking the punishment for a few seasons and this year we are going to be giving it out," he declares. "We brought in a lot of strength and size and we are going to physically take it to every team this year."

And big guys they've got. 6'1", 205 lb Draftee Chase Martin out of the University of North Carolina won the E-Lacrosse fastest shot contest at Vail in 1998. "He's a big, quiet guy and a great lacrosse player," says Russo, who's son plays for Virginia and has seen Martin play for years. Robb Doerr is a big, defensive oriented, player who was drafted last year out of Johns Hopkins but could not play. He will bring his trademark athleticism and aggression to the Dogs this year as well. Doerr is also a local Long Island product.

The Saints have loaded themselves up once again with Long Island players through drafting 6'1" Hopkins All-American and Bethpage native A. J. Haugen and two from Manhasset in 6'1" Dan Denihan of Hopkins and 6'3", 205 lb Tim Goettelmann of Loyola. In addition the Saints drafted Hofstra University All-American, 6', 195 lb defender Brian Spallina. Brian will make the move across the street from Hofstra Stadium to the Nassau Coliseum.


A.J. Haugen                                 Brian Spallina

Spallina has been on Russo and Gongas' radar for years, "We used to watch him when he was a little guy. He eats nails for breakfast. He was a first team All-American and he's already a star here."

"A.J. is one of our favorite people," the management duo explains. "We think A.J. is going to be spectacular. We did not draft him, though, for his talents alone. He's a great person and a role model for kids. Our focus is on getting youth involved and A.J. is just the best quality person to represent us. We've known him for years."

The draft also yielded a few good players from other areas. Though not especially large, Mike Battista was a star with a rocket shot at Loyola College and Newtonville North in Massachusetts.

  
Peter Ragosa

6', 185 lb Peter Ragosa, from Deerfield Academy, also in Massachusetts, played with Nick Russo at Virginia. Nick's dad likes his toughness, " He's a second team All-American. He's hard working and a tough kid. He was still available in a late round. He was a great pick for us."


And don't forget the Canadians. The first player selected by the Saints in this year's draft, Ben Prepchuk, is from Sherwood Park, Alberta. In fact, he and fellow Saint Jason Wulder of Calgary are among only a few players in the NLL from Alberta. The 6'1", 195 lb Prepchuk scored 38 goals in 12 games for Radford University in 1999.

He was ranked the #2 junior player in Canada and won the Minto Cup with the Burnaby Junior Lakers. Gongas said they got information about Prepchuk from Saints players. "G. Nash raged about him after playing with him last summer and we liked what we saw. He's going to make an impact right away.


      
      Ben Prepchuk


Drafted in the 5th round from British Columbia, on Canada's west coast, was Scott Frizzell, a big, strong defensive player with a tough style of play. But the Canadian newcomer that has the most potential for immediate stardom came by way of a draft day trade with the Toronto Rock. 6'3", 230 lb Brad Dairon sat behind three superstar lefties in Toronto and is ready to break out this year playing for the Saints. Gongas says he's a scorer and a leader who just had no opportunity with the rock and was well worth a 2nd round pick.

If the Saints can take advantage of all this size and talent and fight the urge to play Baha Men's "Who let the dogs out?" at their games, they look to have a much improved season. One of the largest field lacrosse hotbeds in the world, Long Island hopes to earn some respect this year in the rink.


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