Wildcat and Blue Wave alums succeeding in D1 college lacrosse

From dominating the high school fields to playing lacrosse at the Division I collegiate level, two area stars have been thriving as attackers for their new schools — even though they’re only freshmen.

Liam Kershis did it all for Shoreham-Wading River during his years as a Wildcat. He consistently scored 30-plus goals every season dating back to his freshman year. In his junior season, he scored 59 goals and notched 38 assists while guiding the Wildcats to a Suffolk County title.

Kershis finished his senior year ranked fifth in all of Suffolk County, with 86 total points scored, before later being named an All-American. After starring in the Senior All-America game, he was named MVP for his final high school career hurrah. The scoring star was fiercely recruited out of high school and decided on Duke University to continue his academic and athletic careers. 

Playing with the best in the country for the perennial powerhouse Duke, Kershis has found his way into the lineup not only as a substitute but, more often than not, as a starter. 

“I’m settling in pretty well,” Kershis said in a text this week. “I’m getting good playing time. Love the guys and the coaches I’m surrounded by.”

Duke has sprinted out to a 7-1 overall record and Kershis has played in all eight games, starting in five of them. He’s scored seven goals and assisted on three others. The seven goals are good for sixth on the team as he continues to adjust to the ramped up speed of college play. His highest scoring effort was a two-goal game — which happened to be against his brother Alex’s team, Jacksonville University.

 “There hasn’t been that much of a difference,” Kershis said, comparing college play to his high school years. “I mean, everyone is more talented for sure, but that makes the offense easier as well.”

Fellow local standout Griffin Sumwalt played a major part in Riverhead’s lacrosse resurgence. As a senior last year, he led the Blue Waves to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They posted their best record in school history (14-4) and even won their opening round playoff game against Commack. 

Sumwalt set school records in his senior year, including 83 points in a single season, 54 goals in a single season and 192 points in a career. His legacy as a Blue Wave will be written in bold letters throughout the record books for years to come. After the season, he was tabbed a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American. 

The senior attacker decided on the University of Massachusetts at Lowell to continue his athletic and academic career. He fits right into his new surroundings and has started five of the six games this season en route to a 3-3 record. The lefty sharpshooter has registered four goals and two assists to start the season.

“The college lax experience has been great so far,” Sumwalt said. “I feel like I’m settling in well. The competition is definitely high. I’d say the speed is faster compared to high school, but I feel right at home.”

Getting playing time as a freshman is out of the ordinary, but Kershis and Sumwalt are threatening to break that mold and become instant contributors to the D1 programs — further proof that East End lacrosse is a growing hub for the best talent in the nation.