Graham Cracks West Islip Win Streak Against Chaminade

None of the members of the current Chaminade varsity lacrosse team have known a win against West Islip, another of the premier powerhouses in the sport and on Long Island.

The Lions had taken the previous four meetings between the two schools, , something that Flyer senior attacker Brendan O’Callaghan remembers too well.

“Win, no matter what,” he said when asked what Chaminade’s objective was on a cold, rainy and windswept Saturday afternoon. “We haven’t beat them in a while.”

Winning wasn’t something that was going to come easy. Not against West Islip. Not with the middies for the Flyers.

“It’s been a great rivalry,” Chaminade (3-0) coach Jack Moran said. “We’ve been on the short end but we learned every time out of it and it’s made us better.”

As offensive as the first half had been, the second had been made up of defense with six ties in the contest.

Moran had told midfielder Matthew Graham to his right, wanting the ball to get to attacker Ryan Lukacovic.

“We wanted to get the ball behind to Ryan and we had a little pick-screen going on the crease, thinking they would come to Ryan Lukacovic early but Matt has got a green light,” Moran said.

Graham ended up going down the right alley but saw the right side open up with O’Callaghan in the crease. With 13 seconds left on the clock, Graham made an awkward leap to his right, shooting the ball to the lower right corner, getting it in under West Islip (2-1) senior goalie Jack Kelly.

“He’s so quick and he got a step and he got a great shot,” Moran said. “I’m happy it happened in regulation.”

“Just like we practiced; “I practice that shot all the time,” Graham said after the game, noting that while he doesn’t always make it, “when it’s there, I’ll take it.”

Last year Graham only had one other game-winner, a .

“This one felt better. A lot better,” the Flyer senior said, pausing. “It’s good to get this one. The better the opponent I feel like the better we play.”