Friends Academy boys lacrosse defeats NHP
Clarke Beard Friends Academy looks to get around Eamon Griffin of New Hyde Park during a lacrosse game on Thursday, May 8, 2025 in New Hyde Park. Credit: Dawn McCormick
This was a boys lacrosse game for sole possession of first place in the Nassau III race, Friends Academy at New Hyde Park. They showed up with spotless records in the conference and with one loss between them overall.
“I feel like every year Friends kind of gets looked over,” Quakers senior goalie Brett Cohen said.
There’s no reason to overlook this edition of Friends.
The Quakers got four goals and two assists from Clarke Beard and four goals and one assist from John Tsioulias en route to a 13-2 win Thursday over the previously unbeaten home team.
It was their 13th straight since an opening defeat. They’re 12-0 in conference play. The Gladiators fell to 11-1 and 13-1 overall. Both have two games left.
“We talk a lot about just family and the ‘we’ is bigger than the ‘me,’ and I think all these guys really love each other,” said Ryan Lawler, Friends’ first-year head coach. “They play for each other. And we just have fun coming to work.”
Beard feels they’re stronger than last season’s team that lost in the Nassau Class D final to eventual state champ Cold Spring Harbor.
“Offensively, we move the ball around way better,” the senior midfielder said. “We have chemistry, and we have depth . . . We are more disciplined, and I think that’s taken us a long way this year.”
Can it take them to a county title?
“I hope so,” Beard said. “I have faith in this team.”
The Quakers owned a 2-0 lead after one quarter, with Will Hirshfield delivering two of his four assists.
Then Tsioulias scored three times, Beard scored twice and Luca Kraska had his first of three, and it was an 8-1 game at halftime.
Beard scored two more in a 4-0 third.
“I feel like [the defense] did a great job communicating,” said Cohen, who made four saves and only yielded goals to Nick Garofalo and Harry Acosta.
The Class B Gladiators had won 12-5 the day before in a physical game at Great Neck South. Coach Mike Milio thought fatigue may have been a factor as well as the conference title stakes for a group with just six seniors.
“I think my guys got too into what this game could have been about,” Milio said. “They were too worried about that and not just playing lacrosse. So it is one of the things that’s about growing up a little bit.”
