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05/16/2016 12:00 AMThe Hand boys’ lacrosse squad could have taken a step back this spring after graduating numerous staples from last year’s Class M state finalist squad. Instead, the Tigers are taking a next-man-up attitude and staying right in the thick of things for a SCC Tournament bid, plus another run in states.
Paul Deon’s Tigers reached the Class M State Tournament final last year, marking Hand’s second state championship berth and first since 2006. Although the Tigers have had to deploy some fresh faces in new places this spring, they haven’t lost too much ground and entered this week with a record of 9-5. Coach Deon said his boys still have some work to do, but he also praised them for the strides they’ve made throughout the campaign.
“We had a good group of guys coming back, but we also graduated some key players from last year. We’ve had some new guys stepping into different roles, but they’ve done a great job,” said Deon, whose team took a 3-2 loss to conference and Class M rival Notre Dame-West Haven on May 10. “We’re not where we’d like to be right now, but things are coming together. It’s the same thing on defense. We lost some guys and some are in new roles, but they are coming along.”
The Tigers’ captains this season are senior Tristan Dowd, who commands the draws, and midfielder Reid Swietzer. Dowd will attend Stony Brook University next year, while Sweitzer, an All-SCC Second Team selection last spring, is headed to UMass. Both athletes are talented on the turf and Coach Deon added they each bring an extra dose of energy to the rest of the team with their intellect and passion for the game.
“Tristan is our face-off specialist. He is passionate about the game and a student of it. He is constantly studying the ins and outs of his craft. He leads by example, which rubs off well on the others,” said Deon. “Reid always wants the ball. He is a hard-working guy with a great drive,and the guys feed off of that drive.”
Adding to the mix is a junior in Liam Gottlick, who recently made a shift in his field assignment, alongside a dynamic offensive duo of senior attackers George McGuirk and Lucas Mendicino.
“We recently moved Liam to midfielder about four [to] five games ago and he’s done a terrific job with the switch. He’s a big part of both our offense and defense as a midfielder,” said Coach Deon. “George is difficult to defend as he is very quick. He is doing great things for us this year. Lucas also is very quick and has a nose for the goal. They complement each other very well out there.”
Hand faces some stern tests in the final week of the regular season with games against rival Guilford and last season’s SCC runner-up Fairfield Prep. Coach Deon was steadfast in his belief the Tigers can’t get too caught up in the long road ahead and that they first have to focus on the practice, game, and adversary that’s right in front of them.
“We don’t look past our next game. We set our goals one game at a time and then we break it down into five minutes at a time once we are in the game,” Deon said. “If we don’t win that game, then our postseason could be limited. We are just worrying about the next game and nothing else.”
From the Sidelines
This is Paul Deon’s third year as head coach of the Tigers. He is assisted by Steve Filippone, Adam Rand, Nick Warhola, Nick Schroeder, and Mark Feiner.
Hand’s wins this year have come against Branford (13-2 on April 8), Hall (12-1 on April 11), Cheshire (13-4 on April 13), Amity (8-3 on April 15), North Haven (7-3 on April 19), East Lyme (10-4 on April 28), Barlow (10-9 on April 30), Hamden (15-1 on May 2), and Shelton (12-5 on May 4).
The Tigers are currently ranked sixth in the Class M State Tournament standings.