Scouting the 2022 boys lacrosse season in the Northwest suburbs
Defending Mid-Suburban East champion Hersey looks to be the favorite heading into the 2022 boys lacrosse season.
The Huskies (10-2 overall in its debut season) have seniors Matthew Prosser (MF), Griffin Cates (long-stick middie) and Dominic Wachal (D) back along with junior attack Jack Armstrong. Huskies coach Mike Nabolotny said defense will rule the day with three starters and the long-stick middie back in the fold.
MSL East runner-up Rolling Meadows is led by returning leading scorer Jack Chaney (40 goals, 20 assists, Ithaca College commit). Defender Brady Saunders led the team in ground balls with 75. Senior Ryan Joyce, a UW-Oshkosh football commit, switches from goalie to defender.
Junior middie Sebastian Wildhart scored 28 goals to go with 11 assists for Prospect last season, while junior attack Nick Lobacz had 25 goals and 16 assists. Junior middie/faceoff specialist Brad Vierniesel won 62 percent of his faceoffs, while senior Sam McGoon (Carroll University commit) and junior Luca Bir are defensive captains. The Knights' program has grown from 40 to 75 players this season. Senior goalie Carter Jedras is headed to Concordia Chicago University.
Elk Grove is co-oping with Wheeling this season with seniors Chris Headlam (Wheeling), Christian Lacagnina (Elk Grove, MF) and Tomas Aparicio (Elk Grove, attack), along with Wheeling junior Simon Micula (D, long-stick middie) leading the way.
In the MSL West, Barrington, Fremd and Palatine were in the top-tier conversation during the preseason.
Fremd (7-9 last year) has plenty of talent returning in the form of senior all-conference attack Grant Gruchot (35 points), who is in the Top 3 in program history in average goals per game. Sophomore middie Jack Weinke had 42 points as a freshman and sits in second place all-time for Fremd assists and points per game. Senior goalie Gabe Seidman, also an all-MSL pick, is third all-time in program history in save percentage (. 570). Max Jaros (MF, junior), Aidan Halloran (attack, senior) and Nathan Roos (attack, junior) will also help.
Defending MSL West champion Barrington is stocked with senior talent, including four-year varsity player Dylan Pirie (middie), who was injured most of last season and scored 17 goals in just 7 games. Also back are all-conference picks Jakub Mroczek (middie, Sr.) and three-year varsity player and junior Kellen Marks (middie), as well as seniors Jake Norris (middie), Jack Tilly (middie), Hunter Eissler (attack) and Andrew Kraus (defense), as well as sophomore long-stick middie Tim Fitzgerald.
Broncos coach Brian Niven was effusive in his praise of the feeder Barrington Youth Lacrosse group as it relates to the high school program's development. "The dedication of players and parents at Barrington and Barrington Youth Lacrosse shows in our 2022 rosters," said Nevin, who mentioned Palatine and conference coach of the year Chris Gantz as a team to keep an eye on this season. "We have a solid mix of 2021 to 2024 athletes, which is just the beginning of more than 10 years of effort put in to grow lacrosse in Barrington. This is one of the most fundamentally sound teams I have been a part of and I look forward to seeing the hard work play out."
Joe Spizziri is the lone returning senior for Gantz's Palatine squad, which went 14-4 overall and 5-1 in MSL West action a year ago. Junior Quinn Lang (attack), sophomore Griffin Simons (attack) and Rocco Paddack (MF) also are back for the Pirates.
Schaumburg has senior all-conference long-stick middie Connor Quill back, who led the team in groundballs last season. Senior attack Ryan Stagowski finished second in goals, while senior defender Joseph Mariscal led the team in caused turnovers.
Hoffman Estates returns senior attack Kylar Pierce (27 goals, 12 assists, all-conference), senior goalie Charlie Randolph (142 saves, all-conference), as well as senior Eddie Resendez (D) and junior Lorenzo Digiacinto (long-stick middie).
Conant is led by seniors Tommy Moehrlin (MF) and Aidan Canady (MF), as well as junior attack Charlie Bittner (all-MSL as a sophomore).
St. Viator, which won the East Suburban Catholic and advanced to a sectional final, is powered by all-conference picks Jayden Franzen (defense, junior) and Cade Faulkner (attack, junior), as well as senior captains Carson Eggerbraten (MF) and Isaac Harrington (attack). Senior Jack Lewis (faceoff/Fogo) and Colton Faulkner (long-stick middie) will also help.
Maine South (11-6 in 2021) returns a large senior class led by Declan Pleuss (long-stick middie), Will Guzaldo (attack) and junior Sean Mullan (attack). Mullan and Guzaldo were all-CSL picks last year.