It may have been only November, but the third annual Fall Classic featured lacrosse competition usually reserved for late spring.
"The guys were flying up and down the field," said Shoreham-Wading River coach Tom Rotanz. "It was a lot of fun."
Rocky Point and Mount Sinai were two of the 11 Suffolk County teams invited to the tournament, where teams played three 50-minute games on one of five fields across the Shoreham campus. This was the first year the tournament was bumped up to 20 teams from 16. Six Nassau County teams participated as well teams from Connecticut, Delaware and Westchester.
Rotanz said during the regular season there aren't many opportunities to play teams outside of the regular schedule. A tournament likes this allows high-level teams to face off and experience a different style of play.
The tournament has received rave reviews, and many more teams would have liked to participate. Rotanz said the tournament is popular because it's local and the Shoreham lacrosse community puts on a great show.
The tournament provided an excellent opportunity for players to showcase their talents before a large array of college coaches. Each coach received a packet with each team's roster, color-coordinated for each school, to help identify players.
Rotanz said about 73 colleges with 130 coaches were represented at the tournament.
About 560 players took part in the tournament, including 28 on Shoreham's team. For the Wildcats it was the first chance in a long time for many of the players to get back into an organized game.
Rotanz said it's his philosophy, which he learned from Joe Cuozzo, that it's better if players stay away from lacrosse at times during the year.
"Sometimes you rather have them hungry than tired of it," Rotanz said.
If Cuozzo saw a player with a lacrosse stick in September, he'd take it into his office where it would stay until after Thanksgiving, Rotanz recalled.
Organizing for the Fall Classic, however, started during September. Rotanz e-mailed coaches in order to gauge interest. By the end of October coaches sent in rosters so the ordering of all the scrimmage vests and T-shirts could begin.
It took a team effort to run the event smoothly, from parking to concession stands.
Rotanz credited Vinnie Bruno for running the parking. Bill and Bonnie Mahoney, Jim Brosco and Linda Rotanz were key in running the concession stands, where more than 1,000 hot dogs and hamburgers were sold. Ed Mullen was in charge of making sure the fields were running properly.
Rotanz said each person had 10 to 15 more people helping out as well. And some people who couldn't make it earlier in the day volunteered to come afterward to clean up.
As for the lacrosse, Rotanz said several teams looked good, including West Islip, Rocky Point, Manhasset and Garden City.
"The usuals," Rotanz said.
joew@northshoresun.com