Holmdel Boys Lacrosse Looking to Take the Next Step

When midfielder Mike Cantelli and the rest of the talented senior class began their high school lacrosse careers as freshmen, Holmdel didn’t even have a varsity program yet.

Now those same seniors are talking about leaving the program as one of the top four teams in the Shore Conference in only the third year of its existence as a varsity squad. That’s how far things have come in a short time.

“We started the program, and like our coaches said to us, it’s all about our legacy and what we want it to be,’’ Cantelli said. “We want to come out on top, and show that even though we started it all, we were good enough to hang with the best, and ultimately, hopefully be the best.’’

Not too many programs in their third year can boast of having multiple players moving on to play lacrosse in college, but that is the case for the Hornets. Cantelli, who also was a standout quarterback on the football team and a member of the basketball team, will continue his lacrosse career at SUNY-Cortland, which is ranked fourth in the nation and is the defending Division III champion. Senior midfielder Christian Isola and senior defender Steve McGrory will play at Division II Florida Tech, a new program headed by former Red Bank Regional coach Ryan McAleavey.

Senior midfielder Chris Scherzer will continue his career at DeSales University, and senior defender Jake Murtaugh will play long pole for St. Vincent’s College.

“With the amount of college-bound players we have, we’re supposed to have a pretty high goal this year,’’ said Holmdel coach Sal Guastella, whose son, Pete, starred for Red Bank Catholic last season. “It’s going to take a tremendous amount of hard work to break through these other teams like CBA, RBC, and Rumson that have had programs for a long time. Our best players need to perform at the highest level in the biggest games.’’

The Hornets, who rolled to a 14-1 win over St. John Vianney on Monday night, look to battle top-ranked Rumson-Fair Haven in the race for the Class A Central title after finishing 9-8 overall in 2010. After winning their first Shore Conference Tournament game in program history last season, they look to take the next step and make a run to at least the SCT semifinals.

Cantelli’s 39 goals and 46 assists are the highest totals of any returning Shore Conference player this season, so he will lead an offense that also includes senior attack Mike Downey and sophomore attackmen John Tascione and Dillon Cort. Freshman Matt Dixon also should see time up front once he recovers from an injury.

The midfield is a clear strength with Cantelli, Scherzer, Isola and Cantelli’s younger brother, sophomore Rob Cantelli.

“We have a lot of players with skill who should be able to score goals,’’ Guastella said. “We’re not spectacular in any one thing, but we have good players at every position, and we’re well-prepared defensively.’’

McGrory leads a defensive group that also includes Murtaugh, senior Cody Lynch and McGrory’s younger brother, sophomore Pat McGrory as well as fellow sophomore Dan McDermott. A pair of freshmen, Mark Scherzer and Tim Davis, also should see some time.

The goalie is senior newcomer Matt Micali, a former basketball and baseball player who has picked up the position quickly because of his athleticism.

Micali is also more of the exception than the rule because even though this is only Holmdel’s third year as a varsity program, a majority of its players have been immersed in the sport since they were in middle school. Many played for the Colts Neck team in the Maverick lacrosse league as sixth- and seventh-graders. They also went 12-3 as a JV team during their freshman year in 2007.

“Just because we’re a third-year program, people should not assume we’re not a good team,’’ Cantelli said. “We’ve all been playing since we were young, so that gives a lot of confidence.’’

It also sped up the learning curve, as Holmdel has gone from just getting its feet wet at the varsity level to now having a legitimate shot to take down an established power like Red Bank Catholic, Rumson or Christian Brothers Academy.

“You know on every single one of those teams, especially a team like RFH, they have shooters and dodgers everywhere and players who have been playing their whole lives,’’ Cantelli said. “They always have a goalie ready and guys who can shoot, so it's an all-out war of whoever wants it more.’’

The instant success of the team has also helped keep the talent at home. Dixon’s family has CBA ties, but he decided to come play at Holmdel, although the fact that the Hornets also have a football team while CBA does not field one certainly didn’t hurt, either.

“It didn’t hurt that we have a good lacrosse program, either,’’ Guastella said. “That helps, and plus this is a great high school academically.’’

On paper, it looks like Holmdel will battle Ocean County power Jackson Memorial for the right to break into that top four in the SCT, but this large group of seniors is determined to leave its mark as not only pioneers but also winners.