Vikings lacrosse team looks to continue climb

by Eric Keppeler
Grand Island Dispatch, April 6, 2007

After a pair of what head coach Steve Steck calls sub-par seasons, the Grand Island boys lacrosse team bounced back in 2006, and Steck thinks they’re poised for even bigger things in 2007.

With a deep, talented and experienced team, the Vikings look ready to go after the program’s seventh sectional championship.

“We definitely have high expectations,” Steck said. “The guys are hoping to make a run at the championship. We’ve got most of our team back older and wiser, plus we have a little more speed with the kids coming up from JV. We look pretty solid.”

The Vikings finished 12-8 overall and 6-2 in divisional play last year. The Vikes drew the third seed in the Section VI Class B playoffs and beat Williamsville East in the quarterfinals. They then bowed to eventual sectional champ and state semifinalist Amherst in the semifinals.

The Vikings welcome back a trio of all-stars from that group, including their starting goalie and their top two scorers.

Senior James Rayhill is back for his third year between the pipes, last year sporting a .680 save percentage.

“Even last year, he was already one of the top stoppers in the league,” Steck said. “He’s just a smart kid, and having him back there again is a huge advantage for us.”

Offensively, the Vikings will look to seniors Phil Wendt and Ryan Samland. Wendt led the team in points with 81 on 41 goals and 40 assists, and he moves this year to midfield. Samland had a team-high 42 goals plus 30 assists for 72 points, and he will be joined up front this season by Collin Gallagher and junior Alex Hultgren.

Joining Wendt at midfield are veterans Josh Snyder and Justin Samland, plus junior Mike Magaris, the leading scorer on last year’s 13-3 junior varsity squad.

The defense was the biggest question, where the Vikings graduated a trio of three-year starters. Senior Tom Cunningham is the only returning starter, but senior Brandon Bettinger drops back to defense after starting last season at midfield – and Steck says the move has stabilized the whole lineup. Senior Jason Voltz didn’t start last year but saw significant action at defense, and Matt Jones moves up from the JV to round out the unit.

“I’m really pretty happy with what I’ve seen so far from the defense,” Steck said. “It’s tough to replace guys like the ones we graduated, but we’re starting to fill in the gaps.”

The Vikings will have their hands full in the challenging Class B. For years, the Vikings had been one of the top lacrosse teams in Western New York, but the rest of the league is starting to narrow the gap, says Steck.

“Class B is so tough – anybody can win on any given day,” Steck said. “Even the teams that traditionally haven’t been strong have gotten a lot better. And that forces us to be better – we have to be athletic and prepared.”