Manhasset and lacrosse go together like Jim Brown and touchdowns. In 1932, the year Franklin Delano Roosevelt succeeded Herbert Hoover as president, Manhasset High School’s Jim Stranahan established the first public school lacrosse team on Long Island.

Midfielder Jim Brown joined the team in 1949, earning three All-Star nods, All-Metropolitan honors, and Player of the Year honors in 1952 and ’53 as team co-captain. The boys have 22 county titles, 16 Long Island Championships, six state titles, and a 2004 national title. They also had a 47-year head start on their female counterparts.

In the 47 years since, the girls have forged an equally illustrious legacy of their own. Manhasset added girls’ lacrosse in 1979. Their 47-season coda boasts 23 county titles, 15 Long Island championships, and five state crowns, most recently in 2022.

“At Manhasset, we really hold on to our history,” said Princeton-bound attacker Elim Yang. “We have such a rich history in lacrosse. Having players like that come before us. We play for a legacy.”

This year’s girls’ lacrosse team aims to write its own saga for enshrinement among Manhasset’s annals.

Remarkably, none of their players are among Long Island’s top 50 scorers. They do, however, boast four of the nation’s Top 100 recruits and are sending five players toDivision I schools.

“I expect like a lot out of us,” said midfielder Taylor Gordon. “We have so much talent… in our attack, midfield, defense, all the way down to the goalie. We just need to all work together and we will be unstoppable.”

Gordon, who missed her sophomore year with a torn ACL, is widely lauded for her elite face-off ability and is headed to Boston College, where she will be joined by teammate Grayson Denihan.

Campellatano likened the selfless Denihan to the Energizer Bunny, and said Gordon was the most cerebral player he’s coached. Grayson's father is the renowned Lizards Attack Dan Denihan, who, together with his brother Conor, earned All-American honors at Manhasset High School.

Added Campellatano, inducted into the Manhasset Lacrosse Hall of Fame with Conor Denihan: “Each one brings something different to the table. Collectively, we are as good as those five are. Each one brings a unique set, and that, without them, we are not where we are.”

Source: LI Press