Delaware Valley High School boys lacrosse continues exciting season

There’s a whole heck of a lot of excitement currently surrounding the Delaware Valley High School boys lacrosse program.

A major reason for this is the steady and encouraging leadership displayed by the five, yes five, senior captains, Riley Smith, Shaun Cannalley, Justin Estevez, Chris Devaney and Mike Iuzzolino.

“This season, we allowed our team to have a voice in selecting their captains, which I think is important because it reflects who the players truly trust and want to lead them,’’ Delaware Valley head coach Daniel Gonzalez said. “These five earned that respect from their teammates through their work ethic, consistency and how they carry themselves every day.

“I also felt it was important to recognize the goalie position, so I selected Riley Smith as our fifth captain. Goalies see the game differently and have a unique leadership role on the field, and Riley has done a great job organizing our defense and leading from the back.’’

The accomplishments on the field by the captains speak to their dedication to the sport.

“Mike Iuzzolino has been one of our top offensive producers, leading the way with 27 goals and 13 assists,’’ Gonzalez said. “Chris Devaney has also been a key contributor offensively with 13 goals and 10 assists, consistently creating opportunities for others.

“A really special note for our group is that we’ve had three seniors reach the 100-career point milestone this season (Colin, Mike and Tyler). That’s a rare achievement and speaks to the consistency and impact these players have had over their careers. Riley Smith also recorded his 100th and 200th saves of his career as well. Shaun Cannalley and Justin Estevez have been impactful in ways that don’t always show up in scoring, contributing with ground balls and doing the little things that help us maintain possession and control the game.’’

The captains truly are stand out student athletes, with academics being their main focus.

“Several of our captains excel in the classroom as well,’’ Gonzalez said. “Justin Estevez, Mike Iuzzolino and Chris Devaney are all members of the National Honor Society, which reflects their commitment to academics and leadership within the school.

“As a group, our captains take pride in representing our program the right way both on the field and in the classroom, maintaining strong academic standing while balancing the demands of the season.’’

Coach Gonzalez is quite impressed with the great ways in which the captains interact with their teammates.

“Justin Estevez is a great example of this,’’ Gonzalez said. “He’s one of the most veteran players on our squad, having started at defense since his freshman year. “This season, he’s done a phenomenal job mentoring many of our younger defenders.

”That leadership role is something he’s seamlessly grown into, and it’s been incredible to watch his development in that area over the course of the season. He’s helped bring along the next group of players while still performing at a high level himself.’’

The Warriors have a winning season going and many players on the roster are contributing to this success.

“We’ve had strong contributions from a number of players across all grade levels,’’ Gonzalez said. “Tyler Husejnovic and Colin McGarvey have been key offensive leaders for us, consistently producing and creating opportunities.

“Adam Myers and Phillip Leslie Jr. have also stepped up in big ways, adding depth and scoring to our offense. Jaden Aragona has been another important contributor, giving us a strong presence and continuing to develop as the season progresses. This group has done a great job embracing a team-first mindset and responding to a challenging early-season schedule. We’ve asked a lot of them, and they’ve continued to show toughness and resilience while improving each day.’’

The individual statistics mentioned above are from games played through April 26.