The Westhampton Beach boys varsity lacrosse team is back to their solid form.
The boys started off their season at home with a non-league dominant win over Walt Whitman, 15-4. The Canes are looking to have a redemption season and get back to where they were in 2022, the semifinals of the Suffolk County Championship where they narrowly missed out on playing in the championship game.
While the Canes graduated many seniors last season, they still have key players returning and looking to lead their team back to the playoffs. Those key players include Will Drake, Nolan Michalowski, Health Sumwalt, and Charlie Beasley.
Returning for his final season as a Westhampton Beach Hurricane as a four year starting face off specialist, Nolan Michalowski is going to be a key to the boy’s success for the season. When asked about his expectations for the season, he said, “I believe that we have so much potential this season as long as we believe in ourselves as a team. We have tons of chemistry and a bunch of young guys stepping up and doing great things.”
Experience is something that matters in every sport and Michalowski believes that his experience will help lead the team. He said, “As this is my 4th year as the starting faceoff specialist, I think this will be my best year and I will have the most impact on the team’s overall success.”
Another key player on the boys lacrosse team is captain Will Drake, an attacker on the team. He hopes to take on a leading role this season as a senior. He said, “After being voted as a captain, I am now looking to push the team to be the best they can be.”
Also as a D1 commit, he is looking forward to his last year of high school and moving on to the D1 level. When asked about how being committed to a D1 school boosts his confidence, he said, “It does boost my confidence, because I am going to be competing at a much higher level and seeing better competition as a Division 1 athlete next year.”
A final key player to the boys success this year is Charlie Beasley, a junior goalie. He has had lots of success in his years as the starting goalie and will try to help the team against the difficult competition in their league. He said, “I think the toughest team we will play is either Shoreham Wading River or Bayport Blue Point. Both teams have multiple D1 commits.”
Beasley also shared his individual and team goals for the season. He said, “Our team’s goal for this year is as always, to win as many games as possible and make the playoffs. My personal goal is to play my best and help my team in every way I can.”
At press time, the Canes were 2-1 on the season and lost a close game to the best team in their league, Bayport-Blue Point 6-9. They play Deer Park next on Saturday, March 30th.
Follow the boys lacrosse team on Instagram @whb_canes_lax_club to keep up with their season.
