Advertise on podcast: New England Lacrosse Journal‘s Chasing The Goal

In this episode, we explore the success of the St. John's Prep lacrosse program in Massachusetts, its recruiting strategies, the impact of NCAA rules, and the future of high school lacrosse in the state. Coach John Pynchon shares insights on building a top-tier program and adapting to evolving regulations.

Join hosts Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart as they welcome New Hampshire high school lacrosse champion and Pinkerton Astros head coach Marty Auger. The group discusses the current state of New Hampshire lacrosse, the evolving landscape of high school athletics, and the strategies behind Pinkerton's successful championship run.

Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart welcome Fork Union Military Academy head coach and athletic director Chris Panos to discuss the school’s structure and his lacrosse background. Panos explains Fork Union is a boys boarding school (grades 7-12) with postgraduate programs, including a PG lacrosse program he started, emphasizing discipline, no cell phones, a one-subject academic plan, and heavy strength and conditioning. He details the team’s eight-month schedule, high-level competition, tournament play, and college placement success. Panos recounts his box lacrosse journey from early inspiration to being drafted into the NLL and playing in Canada, then describes how box and sixes skills translate to the field through physicality, picks, rolls,and creativity. The conversation covers coaching transitions from NCAA to prep, building a program from scratch, recruiting nationally, managing roster realities, and advising families on realistic college lacrosse paths and financial aid. Topics 00:22 Yearbook Mix Up 01:26 Meet Chris Panos 02:33 Fork Union Explained 04:21 Military School Culture 05:51 Program Structure Success 06:50 Box Career Origins 10:14 Box Skills to Field 11:58 Sixes Creativity Debate 13:58 Practice Drills Philosophy 16:54 Play Everywhere Advice 19:23 Coaching Career Transition 22:44 Head Coach Reality Check 23:53 No Admin Coaching 25:08 Adversity Makes Coaches 25:52 Building Program From Scratch 27:25 Small Roster, Big Results 29:28 Recruiting Nationwide Pipeline 32:09 Club Lacrosse Reality Check 34:22 Setting Realistic College Goals 36:54 Scholarships Exposure Strategy 39:51 Bus Breakdown Horror Story 42:43 Lacrosse Opens Doors 46:18 Wrap-Up and Thanks

The guest is Andover boys head coach and owner of HGR Lacrosse, Bryan Brazill. He describes building HGR’s lacrosse-focused indoor turf facility near Lawrence Airport and discusses his relationship with Andover legend Wayne “Pug” Pugliese, now the athletic director. The group reflects on a frustrating, defense-heavy and unusually parity-driven Massachusetts season, speculating about COVID-era developmental impacts. Brazill explains Andover’s choice to play fewer games to prioritize player development, IQ, and chemistry, and contrasts college versus high school buy-in and constraints. They discuss prep-school player movement, Brazil’s coaching approach across ages, Andover’s win over Acton-Boxborough, and upcoming playoff concerns including St. John’s Prep.   Topics 00:54 Podcast Kickoff 01:06 JV Season Grind 02:04 Meet Bryan Brazill 02:17 Inside HGR Facility 03:51 Taking Over Andover 07:04 Season Frustrations 09:08 Why This Year Feels Weird 11:42 Fewer Games Philosophy 15:21 Practice vs Play Debate 20:44 Merrimack Destiny Story 23:21 Intensity and Buy In 24:50 College Buy In Culture 26:57 High School Reality Check 28:58 Getting JP Back 31:09 Prep School Talent Grab 36:58 Coaching And Winning Mindset 39:47 Authenticity And Standards 45:00 Favorite Win And Playoffs 50:58 Coaches Care Closing

Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart discuss a difficult season personally and then preview the upcoming MIAA boys lacrosse playoffs, emphasizing how unusually unpredictable the year has been. They suggest parity might be influenced by more players leaving for prep/private schools and by broader talent saturation driven by youth coaching and participation (noting 208 Massachusetts varsity programs). They highlight surprise teams Winchester (16–1) and Bishop Feehan, and stress roster depth as increasingly decisive, especially across lower divisions. They review notable tight results involving St. John’s Prep and identify key D2 contenders (Reading, Billerica, Mansfield, Longmeadow). Sleepers include Newton North, Needham, St. John’s Shrewsbury, Weston, Foxborough and Bourne/Mashpee; favorites include Cohasset (D4), Norwell/Medfield (D3), Billerica (D2), and Lincoln-Sudbury (D1). They also pick NCAA winners: Princeton (D1), Adelphi (D2) and Tufts (D3). MIAA boys lacrosse, MIAA, MIAA lacrosse, high school lacrosse, Winchester, Bishop Feehan, St. John’s Prep, Reading, Billerica, Mansfield, Longmeadow, Chasing the Goal podcast, lacrosse Topics 00:52 Podcast Kickoff Banter 01:10 Season Grind Stories 02:06 Playoff Preview Setup 02:49 Why This Season Is Wild 04:57 Prep School Talent Drain 06:09 Talent Boom Theory 10:14 Coaching and Expectations 15:47 Surprise Teams Rising 17:51 Depth Wins Playoffs 22:16 St. Johns Prep Close Calls 24:09 Division 2 Contenders 24:52 Division 3 Chaos 27:44 Division Cutoffs Explained 28:33 Weston Moves Up 29:06 Giving D4 Some Love 29:31 D4 Towns and Cohasset 30:34 Wild Injury Tangent 32:32 Seeding and Dream Matchups 34:55 D1 Sleepers to Watch 37:00 Sleepers D2 to D4 40:58 Picking Division Favorites 44:05 LS Title Case in D1 46:07 Games to Watch Soon 47:34 NCAA Final Four Picks 51:07 Wrap Up and Thanks

Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart discuss the season’s progression and April break week in Massachusetts lacrosse before interviewing Kings Lacrosse youth director Chris McGuirk. McGuirk contrasts lacrosse development in the 1990s — when many athletes picked up the sport later and could still find roles and rise — with today’s earlier, more specialized pathway. He recounts coaching in Portsmouth, N.H., building youth programs, and later coaching and assisting at Norwell, Hingham and Thayer, emphasizing the appeal of assistant roles vs. head-coach administrative burdens. McGuirk describes how parenting lacrosse players changed his perspective on coaches and parents, shares an anecdote about his younger son’s early high school success, and reflects on referee culture and shortages. He argues town lacrosse remains essential while club programs should provide flexible, value-focused development that complements multisport and town schedules. Topics 01:16 Season Check-In 01:54 Poll Talk Rivalries 02:20 Meet Chris McGuirk 03:47 Then Vs. Now 06:25 Portsmouth Coaching Years 08:29 Divisions Pay Gaps 11:19 Norwell and Hingham Path 15:50 Head Coach Realities 20:24 Parent Perspective Shift 22:17 Origins In Youth Lacrosse 25:32 Coaching Arc as a Dad 26:18 Building Youth to Varsity Pipeline 26:53 What Makes a Great Coach 28:22 Administration and Year-Round Culture 30:03 Intensity and the Popsicle Debate 34:20 Adjusting for Age and Level 36:26 Proud Dad Player Story 38:54 Mass. Refs and Respect 43:28 Ref Shortage and New Officials 44:47 Town Vs. Club Youth Lacrosse 50:52 Wrap-Up and Charter Cup Talk

Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart interview Reading (Mass.) High School boys lacrosse head coach Rob Parkin about Reading’s 5–0 start and an emotional regular-season rematch with Billerica after last year’s 17–16 championship loss, emphasizing resilience, preparation and the team motto “attitude is everything.” Parkin discusses sportsmanship and Massachusetts lacrosse community ties, Division 2’s depth and tiers, the importance of playing elite competition, and building culture through stakeholder buy-in and strong youth programs. He describes learning under legendary coach Charlie Hardy, offers recruiting advice focused on fit and greater high school coach involvement, addresses public vs. Catholic-school tension and a possible Catholic Cup, downplays rankings, and highlights this year’s balance, experience and state-title expectations. Topics 01:48 JV Coaching Chaos 03:28 Reading's Hot Start 03:44 Billerica Rematch 06:15 Classy Coach Moment 08:47 Division 2 Tiers 10:33 Building A Program 14:01 Learning Under Hardy 18:24 Recruiting the Right Fit 23:22 Recruiting Through Coaches 24:19 Club vs. High School 27:02 Reading Kids and Parents 28:41 Empowering Player Decisions 31:19 Public vs. Catholic Debate 34:20 Do Rankings Matter? 40:32 Team Balance and Goals 42:55 Wrap-Up and Thanks

Kyle and Mike Zhe preview New England prep lacrosse beyond the ISL, covering the Founders League, Lakes Region, NESLL, and girls prep rankings. In the Founders League they highlight Loomis Chaffee as the top returning team, with Choate and Taft as main challengers and Avon Old Farms a dark horse, plus notes on Hotchkiss, Trinity-Pawling, Westminster and others. In the Lakes Region they pick Holderness as the team to beat, discuss injury-hit New Hampton, St. Paul’s graduation losses, and dark horses including Proctor, Kimball Union, Brewster, Tilton and Vermont Academy. In the seven-team NESLL they rank Pingree over Dexter Southfield after last year’s 3–1 final, with Cushing as a potential riser and notes on Phillips Exeter and Portsmouth Abbey. The show ends with a girls prep top 10 led by Sacred Heart Greenwich, followed by Nobles, Dexter, Governors, Andover, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Greenwich Academy, Holderness and Milton.   Topics 01:58 Founders League Preview 02:32 Loomis Chaffee Favorites 06:14 Choate Challenger Breakdown 08:42 Taft Rebound Season 10:30 Avon Dark Horse 12:35 Other Founders Teams 13:33 Lakes Region Shift 13:58 Holderness Top Pick 15:55 New Hampton Injury Comeback 18:41 St Paul’s Reloading 20:46 Dark Horses Proctor and KUA 22:41 Tilton and Brewster Picks 24:42 NESLL ‘Rock Fight’ Recap 25:36 Pingree Season Breakdown 27:43 Dexter Southfield Defense 29:21 Cushing Dark Horse Case 31:24 Exeter and Portsmouth Abbey 33:09 Girls Prep Format Overview 34:28 Girls Rankings 10 to 8 39:31 Girls Rankings 7 to 5 41:36 Girls Top Four Contenders 44:05 Sacred Heart Greenwich No 1 45:24 Closing Stories and Wrap

Kyle Devitte and guest Mike Zhe preview the upcoming ISL boys lacrosse season using tiered rankings and coaches survey feedback, noting many new head coaches and emphasizing faceoffs, defense, depth and replacing graduated scoring. In the “looking to improve” tier, they discuss Brooks, BB&N, Groton, Lawrence Academy, St. George’s and St. Mark’s. In the next tier, they rank Roxbury Latin (10), Rivers (9), Thayer (8), Governor’s (7), and Middlesex (6). Their top five are Nobles (5), Milton Academy (4), St. Sebastian’s (3), Tabor (2) and defending champion Belmont Hill (1), highlighting key players and predicting Tabor as champion. Topics 01:57 ISL Preview Format 03:03 Tier 1 Brooks 04:38 BB&N's New Coach 07:02 Groton Underrated Pick 08:21 Lawrence Academy Firepower 09:54 St. Georges Campus and Rebuild 12:26 New Era at St Mark's  14:18 "Don't Sleep" Tier 15:37 Roxbury Latin Defense First 17:00 Rivers Ranking Debate 18:20 Thayer Bounce-Back Case 20:41 Governor's Tough Midfield 22:09 Middlesex Question Marks 24:39 Top 5 Tier 25:41 Nobles' Offensive Firepower 27:17 Milton Academy X Factors 30:27 St. Sebastian’s Talent and New Coach 33:42 System Overhaul Debate 36:48 Tabor Rising Contender 40:25 Belmont Hill Dynasty Talk 46:29 Season Predictions and Wrap

Kyle and Owen welcome Billerica boys lacrosse coach Ryan Nickerson, the reigning MIAA Division 2 champion. Nickerson describes a preseason shaped by winter-sport athletes, weight training, and the long-running “Spring Meltdown” tune-up, then reflects on beating BC High by focusing on being the better team rather than public-vs-Catholic narratives. He emphasizes managing high school players’ emotions, including using silent timeouts, and recounts a draining title game versus Reading where neither team would quit. The group discusses neutral-site showcase games at Bentley, scheduling strategy amid power rankings, integrating eighth graders, club lacrosse dynamics, replacing graduating seniors, team captains, and Billerica’s distinct town culture and accent.   Topics 01:05 Preseason Chaos 01:36 Welcoming Coach Nickerson 03:12 Preseason Plan 04:23 Public vs Catholic Pressure 06:25 Coaching Emotions 09:35 Duxbury Breakthrough 11:16 Championship Rollercoaster 15:02 Neutral Site Showcase 17:29 Scheduling Tough Opponents 19:04 Practice Tweaks and Sub Game 21:02 Eighth Graders on Varsity 24:22 Cam’s Rise and Recruiting 27:02 Undersized Star Advantage 28:25 Club Lacrosse Connections 30:01 Club Beyond Recruiting 31:41 High School Team Mindset 35:09 Reaching Tough Players 37:04 Scheduling and Rankings 41:05 Replacing Graduated Leaders 46:18 New Captains and Grit 49:30 Billerica Accent and Roots 52:22 Program Legends and Wrap Up

Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart discuss various aspects of lacrosse with Medfield High School head coach John Isaf. They delve into the dynamics of high school lacrosse in Massachusetts, including the impact of COVID-19, changes in MIAA divisions, participation trends, and the role of club lacrosse. Isaf provides insights into Medfield’s successful program, his coaching philosophy, dealing with the pressures of maintaining a championship-winning culture, and memorable matches. The discussion also touches on the New England lacrosse scene, challenges of scheduling competitive games, and the evolution of the sport in the region. Topics 01:30 Interview with Coach John Isaf 02:03 Discussing MIAA Team Movements 02:53 Funny Anecdotes and Text Messages 09:34 Impact of COVID on Lacrosse 20:56 Changes in Playoff Formats and Power Rankings 24:54 Strength of Schedule and Tournament Teams 26:32 Challenges of Small School Lacrosse Programs 29:23 Economic and Facility Disparities in School Sports 30:38 Medfield's Athletic Success and Culture 36:41 The Role of Club Teams in Lacrosse Development 48:59 Reflections on Memorable Games and Losses 50:24 Podcast Conclusion and Acknowledgements

Kyle and Owen interview Matt Chandik, the Director of Communications for Dynamic Sports Management and Social Media Director of the National Lacrosse Federation. The discussion covers Matt's journey from writing for his college newspaper to becoming a key figure in lacrosse media and event management. They explore the intricacies of handling large-scale lacrosse events, the impact of social media on the sport, and how authentic storytelling can set apart lacrosse content.    Topics 01:30 Meet Our Guest: Matt Chandik 02:21 Matt's Journey into Lacrosse Media 06:33 Challenges and Rewards of Lacrosse Event Management 13:25 The Reality of Lacrosse as a Career 24:43 The Rise of High School Sports Edits 25:58 Challenges of Social Media Content 27:04 The Importance of Quality in Sports Clips 28:15 Engagement and Follower Dynamics 30:07 The Evolution of Sports Media 31:17 The Future of Lacrosse Media 43:59 Memorable Lacrosse Moments 47:32 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Kyle and Owen sit down with Mike Silipo, the new head coach of St. Sebastian's lacrosse team. The podcast explores Silipo’s transition from a successful tenure at Boston University to taking the helm at St. Sebastian's. They discuss the intricacies of coaching at different levels, the importance of simplicity in strategy, and the nuances of the face-off and shot clock in modern lacrosse. Silipo shares insights on team dynamics, his approach to player development, and his philosophy on coaching both on and off the field. This episode also touches on the rich lacrosse culture in Massachusetts, the relationships among rival coaches, and the unique challenges and rewards of high school coaching. Join them for an in-depth conversation about the journey of building a lacrosse program and preparing young athletes for success.   Topics 00:56 Welcome to Chasing the Goal Podcast 01:57 Interview with Mike Silipo: New Head Coach of St. Sebastian's 02:44 Coaching Philosophy and Experience 04:00 Transition to High School Coaching 06:30 Offensive Strategies and Player Development 08:39 Challenges and Adaptations in Coaching 21:00 The Importance of Face-Offs in Lacrosse 23:53 Box Lacrosse vs. Field Lacrosse 24:20 The Importance of the Ride 24:40 Differentiating Midfielders and Attackmen 25:44 Training and Player Development 27:40 Rivalries and Mental Warfare 29:26 Motivational Tactics and Coaching Stories 31:58 Balancing Relationships and Performance 40:45 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Kyle and Owen, along with guest Marty Bowes, discuss various aspects of coaching youth lacrosse. Marty shares his experiences working as the Director of Coach and Player Education at Mass Youth Lacrosse, his journey into the role, and the importance of coach education. The conversation covers practical strategies for coaching youth players, such as implementing a three-second rule to promote quick decision-making and off-ball movement, and the significance of rewarding unselfish play. They also address common challenges faced by youth coaches, including managing skill level differences and dealing with overzealous parents. The episode highlights the importance of maintaining positivity, creating a supportive environment for players, and embedding the rich history of lacrosse in coaching practices.   Topics 02:10 Guest Introduction: Marty Bowes 02:25 Marty's Role at Mass Youth Lacrosse 04:30 Challenges of Coaching Youth Lacrosse 05:50 Coaching Techniques and Strategies 15:20 Parental Involvement in Youth Sports 22:56 Promoting Team Play and Skill Development 29:55 Team Dynamics and Parental Expectations 30:42 Coaching Philosophy and Player Development 32:49 The Value of Assists in Lacrosse 33:42 Encouraging Team Play and Unselfishness 44:42 The Importance of Off-Ball Movement 54:06 Youth Coaching and Positive Experiences

Brooks coach Ian Speliotis joins Kyle and Owen. They discuss the challenges of logistics in off-season, the importance of family support, the excitement of college lacrosse, and the personal story behind Owen's allegiance to UNC. Speliotis shares insights into his background, his journey from being a student at Brooks to his coaching stint at Culver Academies, and his return to Brooks. They emphasize the importance of culture, commitment, and community in building a successful lacrosse program.Speliotis highlights a signature win against Rivers that marked a turning point for the team and outlines the recruiting approach focused mainly on the Northeast while welcoming talent from across the country and beyond. The conversation encapsulates the passion and dedication required to elevate a lacrosse team within the competitive landscape of the ISL.   Topics 00:54 Thanksgiving and Lacrosse Talk 01:41 UNC Fandom Origins 03:07 Guest Introduction: Coach Ian Speliotis 03:25 Coach Ian's Lacrosse Journey 05:22 Balancing Hockey and Lacrosse 08:30 Experiences at St. Michael's College 14:43 Brooks School and Community 18:59 Culver Academies Experience 23:58 Reflecting on a Season Cut Short 24:28 Learning from Experienced Coaches 25:08 Building Player Relationships 25:44 The Importance of Team Culture 26:42 Commitment and Sacrifices in Prep Schools 28:00 The Prep School Experience 29:56 Community and Support at Brooks 41:01 Signature Wins and Turning Points 46:17 Recruiting Strategies and Challenges 49:08 Looking Forward to the Season