TOP CORNER CLUB — Fordham Prep Lacrosse News and Updates

Another Fordham Prep lacrosse season is upon us and we are looking forward to once again keeping the Prep lacrosse community abreast of all things FP lax related. Finally, this year players, parents, and fans will have some normalcy back…..aside from Fordham University’s restrictions forcing earlier home games to be played at Flowers Park in New Rochelle and Holy Child in Rye. Fortunately, many of the things we do every year - Hall of Fame dinner, alumni game and BBQ, clinics for Bronx Lacrosse, game watches - will be able to take place. We will be having the annual equipment drive, benefiting Bronx Lacrosse and CityLax, midseason so keep your eyes out for that update. But remember, don’t donate everything…..you’ll need something to play with in future alumni games.

Any parents or alums who would like to help us with the Top Corner Club, please reach out at fptopcornerclub@gmail.com. If you would like to support the program, or learn more about the recently launched Lacrosse Endowment, you can donate (here). We are just under 50% towards our $100,000 goal. Please also follow FP lacrosse on Instagram (@fordhampreplax), Twitter (@fordhampreplax), the Top Corner Club on Facebook, and subscribe to our distribution through the website if this was forwarded to you (www.fordhampreplacrosse.com).

There are a lot of familiar faces returning to this year’s team, as the 2021 squad was chock full of underclassmen (13 to be exact), including three of the top five highest scorers - Jack O’Leary ‘23 (Rye) 19G/13A, Lewis Moore ‘23 (New Rochelle) 16G/11A, Charlie English ‘23 (Port Chester) 14G/6A. This year’s roster (here) consists of 29 boys from across Westchester, Manhattan, and Connecticut from a diverse 17 towns with Rye and Manhattan leading the way. Congratulations to this year’s captains: Timmy Anderson ’22 (Larchmont), Lewis Moore ’23, and Charlie English ’23. Kudos to Moore ‘23 and O’Leary ‘23 for making the Lohud.com Boys Lacrosse Elite 11 Watchlist (here). The varsity squad will be led once again by coaches Chris Hemsley and Jay Rabinowitz, while the JV will be coached by Tim Bright, Steve Pettus, and Fred Berrios.

The Rams look to rebound from their 4 - 10 2021 season, where their youth was outmatched against the experience of two top 5 nationally ranked teams (#1 St. Anthony’s, #4 Chaminade), two eventual Section 1 champions (Bronxville, Rye), as well as the usual top level CHSAA foes. The season ended with a tough two goal loss to Stepinac in the CHSAA semi-finals.

Unfortunately, the annual trip to The Jesuit Classic won’t happen again this year (fingers crossed for next year) but with COVID restrictions lifted the Rams once again have some out of state opponents. The Prep opens this Tuesday 3/29 at Hackley, followed by its home opener against Stepinac on Thursday 3/31 (schedule). A home contest with Kennedy Catholic is next before starting a tough five game stretch of Wilton (CT), Bronxville, New Jersey powers Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic, and out to Long Island for Kellenberg. St. Dominic’s, St. John the Baptist, and Section 1’s Mahopac and Rye round out April. Then mark your calendars for 5/3 and rival Iona Prep in New Rochelle. Byram Hills, Rye Country Day, and Long Island Lutheran fill out the schedule before the Prep closes out its regular season against St. Joseph Regional (NJ) as part of the NY - NJ Lacrosse Showdown event. Then it’s off to the playoffs.

Looking ahead to this week, the Rams’ game on Tuesday versus Hackley, an annual opponent in the 1990s and early 2000s, will be their first meeting since those days. Like the Rams, it will be the Hornets first game of the season. Thursday brings the Prep’s “home” opener in New Rochelle against CHSAA rival Stepinac. Fordham will be looking to avenge two close end of season losses to the Crusaders, who knocked the Rams out of last year’s CHSAA playoffs 12 - 10 (recap).

We’re told there’s a good chance the team’s games will be streamed live so we will keep you posted on that.

Best of luck to our alums playing in college as they continue their lacrosse careers at the next level - James Corasaniti ’18 (Fairfield), Eddy Madden ’18 (Franklin & Marshall), Ethan Tym ’19 (Trinity), Stephen Zupicich ’19 (Ohio State), Will Rice ’20 (Connecticut College), Phil Thompson ‘21 (Wentworth Inst. of Technology). It was great to see another one of Stephen Zupicich ‘19’s pole goals make the rounds on social media recently and congratulations to James Corasaniti ‘18 for another Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week award. James recorded career highs of 21 and 23 saves in Fairfield’s wins against Binghamption and Providence. Alums and alumni parents please keep sending in updates so we can highlight them.

Thanks again for all your support to Fordham Prep Lacrosse and good luck to all the players and coaches. We’ll see you on the sidelines!!!