Sports Briefs: SWR lax coach wins gold with U.S. U-19 team

LACROSSE: U-19 World Champs Shoreham-Wading River boys lacrosse coach Tom Rotanz helped guide the U.S. U-19 men’s lacrosse team to its seventh FIL World Championship in Turku, Finland. Rotanz served as an assistant coach on the team, which defeated Canada 10-8 in the finals July 21.

A heavy favorite, the U.S. team went 2-2 in pool play before beginning the playoffs. The first outbracket game ended in a lopsided 22-2 win over Germany. The U.S. then had to beat two teams it had lost against in pool play. In the semifinals the U.S. won 12-7 against Iroquois Nation to advance to the gold medal game against Canada.

“There was a lot of pressure on the players and coaching staff to not lose and be the first USA team not to win the gold,” Rotanz said. “We made some adjustments and the players made a gut check and played well when it counted.”

Rotanz began preparations with the U.S. team almost immediately after leading the Wildcats to a state championship in early June.

FOOTBALL: Preseason honors for Maysonet Riverhead graduate Miguel Maysonet was selected as the Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year at the conference’s media day last week. Maysonet rushed for a conference-record 1,633 yards last season while scoring 15 touchdowns for Stony Brook University. He’s currently the school’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns with 27.

Maysonet was previously named to the Walter Payton Award watch list. The award is given to the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

TENNIS: Ujkic continues to roll  Chris Ujkic, the defending men’s singles champion in the Bob Wall Memorial Tennis Tournament, won 6-0, 6-0, against Andrzej Kopola in the men’s singles semifinals. The finals for men’s singles are 8 a.m. Saturday at Tasker Park.

Ujkic also teamed with Kieran Corcoran in doubles to beat Richard Anderson and Jeff Waldvogel, 6-3, 6-2. In the men’s 50-plus singles, Richard Chizever was a winner 6-1, 6-3 over Tom Cahill.

In women’s singles, Liz Rossi defeated Molly Kowalski, 6-0, 6-0. And Dahila Aman beat Erica Bundrick, 6-1, 6-4. In mixed doubles Richard Chizever and Iris Battino beat Sharon McCormack and David Ferrara, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Ujkic also teamed with Denise Cardinale to beat Robert and Kate DiGregorio, 6-1, 6-1.

The men’s 50-plus singles final will be 8 a.m. Saturday. At 10 a.m. is the women’s singles and mixed doubles finals followed by the men’s doubles and men’s 50-plus doubles at noon.

SOFTBALL: End of the road After winning the District 36 Championship, the Riverhead girls 10- and 11-year-old World Series softball team dropped its next three games in sectional play to see its season come to an end. Riverhead lost its first game against Islip, 6-5, at Stotzky Park. East Meadow won the next game against Riverhead, 15-4. The girls closed out the season Saturday against Bellmore in Seaford and fell short 11-6.