Tuckers boys lacrosse season ends on a high note

Win or lose, lacrosse teams traditionally rally around their goaltenders after the final whistle.

After Mattituck/Greenport/Southold’s 10–2 home victory over Rocky Point on Friday, the Tuckers didn’t miss a beat as they rushed toward senior Andrew McKenzie.

Only this time, the vibe was different. It was McKenzie’s final game as a Mattituck netminder after three outstanding years backstopping the team.

McKenzie hugged senior defenseman Dylan Cifarelli first, as his teammates converged on him. There were plenty of other hugs as well.

“Definitely emotional, trying to hold everything in,” McKenzie said of the day. “Definitely wish this wasn’t our last game. Really wanted to go to counties this year and get another win, but that’s just how everything ended up. I’m excited for next year.”

That’s when he will study and play at Emory University.

McKenzie certainly went out on top in his final Suffolk County Division II game. He notched 17 saves, finishing his career with a school-record 646 and completed the season with 247 saves, fourth-most in the county.

When asked what McKenzie meant to the team, Cifarelli replied, “Everything.”

“Even if I mess up, Andrew, nine out of 10 times is going to make the save,” he said. “He’s going to have my back.”

The 6-foot-4, 210-lb. McKenzie has been a major reason for the Tuckers’ success. He manned the net when Mattituck won the Class D county title in 2023 and when it lost in last year’s final. This year’s squad (8–8, 6–8) did not qualify for the playoffs.

“He’s been really the backbone of this team for the last three years,” head coach Jeff Hauser said. “He was one of those guys that was in the fourth or fifth grade when I was a senior in high school. Me leaving Mattituck to go to college, and coming back, and seeing him and just how much he’s grown is really incredible.

“Every day in practice, before every game and halftime, I’ve warmed him up. It’s going to be a little bit of a different experience next year not having him around.”

Shutouts in lacrosse are rare. Yet, McKenzie recorded two this season, versus West Babylon, 12–0, on April 25, and Deer Park, 15–0, on May 14.

“I’m going to put most of it on the defense,” he said. “Those two games, they have a lot of the shots to the outside and made it easy on me. Props to my defense.”

McKenzie became close with defensemen Ryan Luhrs and Cifarelli, as well as long-stick midfielder Luke Weir.

“I’ve been playing with them since my sophomore year,” he said, adding that he “definitely was going to miss playing with them.”

He fell in love with goaltending in his last game in kindergarten.

“I made one save that game, and it was off the shaft,” McKenzie said. “That whole off-season, my goal was to catch one in the stick. The first practice, I did.”

Bill Landon photos

McKenzie, who will graduate on June 21, said he loved playing for Mattituck.

“It says been home for me forever. It’s definitely something I’ve looked forward to throughout elementary school and junior high,” McKenzie said. “It was just a great experience. I wouldn’t really want anything to go any other way.”

Friday turned out to be a bittersweet day. McKenzie was joined by nine teammates who competed in their final game, defensemen Luhrs and Cifarelli, midfielders Justin Fox, Matt Rosato and Weir and attackers Shane Psaltis, Rocco Horton, Tate Foster and Colin Fitzgerald. All were honored during Senior Day ceremonies afterwards.

“The past three years spent with many of you have been an absolute pleasure,” Hauser said to the seniors after the game. “Through your leadership, determination and relentless drive, you’ve set the standard for what it means to be a teammate. Your example has inspired those around you and made my job as a coach not only easier, but truly appropriate to the families, friends, and especially the parents.”

Mattituck made quick work of the Eagles (4–12, 3–11), connecting on several long-distance shots while rolling to an 8–0 advantage midway through the second quarter.

Sophomores Rafa Finnerty recorded four goals and two assists, and Henry Blair contributed a hat-trick. Fox, Horton and Psaltis each finished with a goal and an assist.

“I was very pleased,” Hauser said. “We got off to a hot start — did some really good things that we’ve kind of been missing this season. Started off the season hot and then hit a lull. Today, we showed how good we could truly be when we all play together.”