Printer Friendly Version - Hand Boys’ Lax Gave All Heart as SCC Semifinalist, State Finalist

Sam Sisk, a senior captain for the Tigers’ boys’ lacrosse team, finished this spring for Class M state-finalist Hand with 128 points on 78 assists and 50 goals. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Source

Senior Will Kleine finished his Hand boys’ lacrosse career sixth all-time for total points in program history as the Tigers won 15 games and returned to the Class M State Tournament final. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Source

For its 2023 campaign and deep and lengthy postseason push, the Hand boys’ lacrosse team played 22 games out of a possible 23, only missing out on a conference final berth. Yet throughout the gauntlet, the Tigers never lost their fury or fire in giving each opponent on their slate all they could possibly handle.

With Head Coach John Orlando, Hand amassed an 11-5 regular season record. The Tigers then competed in two contests in the SCC Tournament and fell in the semifinal round to eventual-champion Cheshire. Then, as the No. 2 seed in the Class M State Tournament, the Tigers first defeated No. 15 Watertown with a 16-2 home victory in the opening round on May 31 prior to then doubling up on 7th-seeded Farmington, 18-9, in the quarterfinals as hosts on June 3.

After taking down Notre Dame-West Haven (ND-WH) in a semifinal on June 9 (12-11), the Tigers returned to the state championship game for the seventh occasion in program history on June 11 at Sacred Heart University to again face Cheshire–a squad that defeated Hand 14-9 in the regular season and in the SCC Tournament semifinal round by a 15-5 final. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was the Rams completing a 3-0 season record versus Hand with an 18-3 decision to give Cheshire its first state title since 2010. The Tigers completed a still very strong season at 15-7 that also saw the program collect its 500th win.

Despite coming up just one win short of team immortality in the form of a state crown, Orlando and the Tigers certainly left it all on the field by competing at their best levels facing some of the best programs in Connecticut.

“Our goals were to compete to be in a position to win games and a SCC and state championship,” said Orlando. “Our losses were to all top 10 teams in the state. Personal goals for each player and the coaches were to get the most out of each player and to play at a higher level as a group. This was accomplished by the individual and team effort everyday at practice through hard work and skill development. We had some really great games this season–falling short in a couple games to very good teams. But reaching the state championship and winning the state semifinal versus ND-WH at the Surf Club is a great memory for the players and their families. The win against Guilford on Senior Night was also good.”

The club was an eclectic mix of varying backgrounds and experiences that all meshed well together when the pieces were put together. The boys not only got to know each other well through triumphs, trials and tribulations, but they also became a close fraternity of friends.

“The team was a great mix of veterans and newcomers that made an impact as the season went on,” Orlando said. “They worked well together and got along very well on and off the field. The core has been playing together since youth, both during the spring and in the offseason club circuit. One of the enjoyable things about the group is they really supported each other and pushed when they needed to.”

In terms of statistics for the 2023 campaign, Hand scored 274 goals against allowing 206 tallies. Senior captain Spiro Maniatis won 295 faceoffs this season, for a career total of 448 faceoffs. Fellow senior captain Sam Sisk recorded 78 assists this spring to set a single-season Hand record as he additionally netted 50 goals for 128 points. He also leaves the Tigers as their all-time career leader in assists with 153, and he finishes runner-up in the all-time ranks with regards to total points for a career (276).

Senior Will Kleine had sniped 81 goals in the spring with 23 helpers. He concludes his tenure at Hand with 146 goals and 206 points (6th all time). Additional point producers on the run included sophomore PJ Ohanlon (29 goals), and seniors Alex Cushing (28 goals), Jameson McParland (27 goals), and Nick Lombardi (23 goals). Junior Jack Orlando made 203 saves as netminder.

For team awards, Sisk was named Overall Team MVP, Kleine garnered Offensive Team MVP honors with senior captain Ryan Xeller countering him for the defensive equivalent of the award. Maniatis earned the Game Changer honor, plus Cushing and Lombardi shared the Coaches’ Award.

Sisk was selected as an Academic All-American, First Team All-State, and First Team All-SCC. Kleine joined him as a First Team All-State and All-SCC competitor. Cushing was recognized with First Team All-State and Second Team All-SCC accolades, and Xeller was Second Team for both the state and conference squads.

“We had a very good trio of captains with Sam Sisk, Ryan Xeller and Spiro Maniatis,” said Orlando. “They showed up and were ready to work everyday to ensure individual and team success. They led by example. This can be said of the entire senior class. They made an impact on Hand lacrosse and will be missed.”

As Hand will of course return to the fold in 2024 that much hungrier for a state championship, it will house an incredible crop of younger athletes that now have plenty of experience in playing in pressure-packed clashes on the big stage.

“We are graduating a very strong senior class that made a nice state run as juniors, losing in overtime to Wilton in states who were the eventual state champs, and this season’s state final run,” said Orlando. “We lose some seasoned defenders and middies and a high-scoring attack. We are returning some starters from this year’s team and will look for new faces to fill key roles next season. We have a nice core of returning athletes.”

The 2023 Hand boys’ lacrosse team roster included seniors Jon Ciarcia, Kleine, McParland, Sisk, Matt Ciampini, Donovan Mortensen, Wesley Selmani, Xeller, Cushing, John Hayden, Lombardi, Maniatis; juniors of Jack Barrett, Owen Hardy, Cal Walker, Jack Wiesbrock, Dillon Diprospero, Bryce Malary, Nicholas Platanos, Connor Balletto, Owen Preskar, Jack Rourke, Sean Lynch, Orlando, Chase Docker, CJ Morgan, Trip Rizzo, Jack Shay; plus sophomores of Ken Pompilli, Jack Healy, Tyler Naracci, Ohanlon, and Jay Pinover.

Orlando has now been the head coach for Hand for six seasons, and he was assisted this campaign by Jim Rinere, who was in his third season, and newcomer Cal Baughn.