LI Lacrosse Journal
March 2, 2026
2 min read
No. 23 Ranked Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats Team Preview
March 2, 2026
2 min read
Coming in at No. 23 on the LILJ preseason rankings is Shoreham-Wading River. Coached by the great Mike Taylor (13th season), the Wildcats have some redemption on their minds entering the 2026 season. After a three year run of Suffolk County Championship appearances, the team hit a road block a season ago, finishing with an 8-8 record and missing the postseason entirely. It’s unfamiliar territory for a program as enriched in Long Island lacrosse history as the Wildcats, but sometimes, hitting the reset button isn’t the worst thing. Taylor had some crop rotation to do last season after losing an abundance of talent to the collegiate level. But now with returning firepower all over the field, Shoreham will look to regain their playoff status in Class C with a potential deep run on the horizon.
Mike Taylor welcomes back roughly 95% of last season’s starting lineup, which would bring great comfort to any coach. The experience and talent is all there, but is the fire in their stomachs there? Coach Taylor believes so. “We have guys who’ve produced and guys who’ve grown,” shared Taylor with LILJ. “The difference this year will be maturity. If we combine last year’s experience with this year’s hunger, and stay disciplined in the details, we’ll give ourselves a chance every time we step on the field.” The Wildcats’ offense will be primarily led by key returners such as sophomore attackman Noah Gregorek (43 G, 42 A), junior midfielder Lucas Diamond (High Point) with 27 goals and 16 assists, and senior midfielder Andrew Cimino (Richmond) who delivered 48 goals and 28 assists. Shoreham’s “Big 3” is extremely dynamic as a trio, and are widely expected to lead Shoreham as one of the top scoring units on all of Long Island. Though sophomore Collin Abrams is a new face between the pipes this season, he’s got quite the seasoned bunch defending him. Leading the Wildcats’ D is seniors George Greene (Siena) and Tyler Nowaski (Molloy), who bring experience, physicality, and pure skill to the table; Three traits that should help a new goaltender gain his footing rather quickly. “I’m excited that we’re returning 95% of our starters from last year while also returning young players with last year’s experience,” Mike Taylor tells LILJ. Shoreham-Wading River’s road back to the playoffs begins on March 25th, as they hit the road to take on the Westhampton Hurricanes.
