Hempstead PAL Lacrosse Enjoys Undefeated Season

This year featured a second straight winning lacrosse season for the Hempstead PAL Tigers, with the 2022 team of fifth and sixth graders taking the Nassau league championship with a perfect 7-0 record. Hempstead defeated Floral Park, Carey, New Hyde Park, Uniondale, Malverne and Hewlett twice in home and away games.

While the Tigers featured several returning players who helped the team capture a 5-2 record last year, many other boys were introduced to the game and played it competitively for the first time this season.

"We are excited for the players in capturing the championship with an undefeated record,” said Alan Hodish, the Tigers head coach since the program began more than a decade ago. “It is all about the sportsmanship, teamwork and introducing them to the game with the hope that they will take a deeper interest and allow lacrosse to become part of their high school and college success."

Hodish is a former lacrosse and football coach at Hempstead High School. An attorney in Garden City and an East Meadow resident, he has coached youth lacrosse on Long Island for decades. Hodish is a member of the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation's Hall of Fame. During the season, the head coach received support from a handful of other coaches—James Ford, Bob Schmitt, Tim Pratt and L.J. Hough—along with Hempstead PAL Administrator Ruth Roberson and Hempstead PAL Director Detective Sheryl Roberts.

Hempstead PAL Tigers 2022 Roster

• Patrick Bodkin
• Jayden Butler
• Mikah Butler
• Bentley Cannon
• Jahkai Carter
• Kaywan Cullum
• K'Shaun Edwards
• Jasean Grafton
• Ju-Ju Johnson
• David Jones
• Avery Ling
• Kaylib Merchant
• Xavier Maldonado
• Seth Montgomery
• Noach Moore
• Anthony Morales
• Christian Pratt
• Major Simms
• Noah St. Hill
• Morrell Toney

Special Recognitions, Pro Player Visits

The championship season was celebrated with team, individual, coaches and other awards at Lincoln Park in Hempstead during mid-June. The players met with outstanding college (Cornell University) and professional lacrosse player Rob Pannell of the Redwoods Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League, who presented awards, signed autographs, posed for pictures and conversed with the boys and their parents.

Pannell is the nephew of program benefactor James C. Metzger, the founder and CEO of

Whitmore—The Agency of Garden City. Metzger has supported the program since its inception. He is a former lacrosse standout player at Half Hollows East High School in Dix Hills and Hofstra University. His support for Long Island lacrosse includes boys high school leadership, MVP and outstanding player awards for teams in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Each Hempstead PAL lacrosse season, the James C. Metzger Award is presented to a player for "his strong work ethic and improvement made throughout the lacrosse season." This season marked the first time two awards were presented at Hempstead PAL. The 2022 award recipients are Bentley Cannon and Christian Pratt.

Another annual special recognition, The Michael J. Piegare Award, was presented to K’Shaun Edwards. The award was established in memory of a Cold Spring Harbor High School and Pace University lacrosse player to honor a student-athlete who "best displays the character and outstanding attitude that was demonstrated by Michael Piegare in athletics and throughout the course of his life." The award is offered each season by parents Joe and Theresa Piegare.

More Awards

Each player received an award to commemorate the season. Additional awards also were presented to individual players and others associated with the program.

• Rookie of the Year Award – Major Simms
• Mr. Hustle Award – Kaylib Merchant and Ju-Ju Johnson
• MVP Attack Award – Jah'kai Carter
• MVP Defense Award – Kaywan Cullum
• MVP Midfield Award – Jasean Grafton and Seth Montgomery
• Tiger Award – Morrell Toney
• Don Ryan Coaches Award (named for the former mayor of the Village of Hempstead) – Avery Ling and Jayden Butler
• Bell Ringer Award – Noach Moore and David Jones
• Bill Beroza Goalie Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1973 goalie; former USA Lacrosse team member and captain; Israeli National Team coach) – Patrick Bodkin
• John Moore Vacuum Cleaner Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1976 midfielder who also played at Rutgers University) – Xavier Maldonado and Major Simms
• Arrion Cross Spirit Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1984 defenseman and retired Hempstead police officer) – Noah St. Hill
• Vincent Louther Sportsmanship Award (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1976 midfielder who played at Ashland College; retired athletic director of Rockland County's Clarkstown South High School; former New York State High School Lacrosse chairman of Section I) – Xavier Maldonado, Micah Butler and Anthony Morales
• Aaron Jones Most Improved Player-Defense (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1983 defenseman; recipient of the 1983 Howdy Myers Award presented to the best high school defensive player in Nassau County; two-time All-American at Cornell University) – Micah Butler and Anthony Morales
• James Ford Most Improved Player-Offense (named for Hempstead High School Class of 1976 all-time leading scorer; three-time All-American at Rutgers University; a member of the Long Island Metro Foundation and Rutgers University halls of fame) – Morrell Toney and Xavier Maldonado
• Piegere Foundation Scholarships awarded for the Long Island Recon Summer Lacrosse Tournament Program – Bentley Cannon, K’Shaun Edwards, JaSean Grafton, JuJu Johnson
• Tim Pratt Academic All-Stars (named for former Adelphi University player) – Bentley Cannon, Christain Pratt, JaSean Graton, Patrick Bodkin, K’Shaun Edwards, Seth Montgomery, Major Simms, Jayden Butler, David Jones
• Eugene Grant Community Service Award – Michael “Skeeter” Williams
• Outstanding General Manager Award – Brian Williams
• Outstanding Alumni Award – Dylan Willis