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Gio Massaro had an idea of what to expect from Chaminade‘s defense in the NSCHSAA Class AAA championship game. He knew that the Flyers wouldn’t be focused on him.

The St. Anthony’s senior attackman from Long Island Express and a St. Bonaventure signee figured that all of the defensive attention would be centered around five-star midfielders Gary Merrill (Team 91 Long Island / North Carolina) and Jake Johnston (Long Island Express / Johns Hopkins). Massaro saw an opportunity to take advantage of that, especially when he got short-sticked by the Flyers.

“We changed up the offense because we knew they’d be focused on Gary and Jake,” Massaro said. “I knew that I’d be more open, but I didn’t know that it would be like that.”

“Like that,” turned out to be a pretty good day for Massaro and the Friars. He tallied a hat trick and dished out two assists to earn game MVP honors as St. Anthony’s knocked off Chaminade, 16-12, for its sixth straight league title.

Six in a Row

“It was just the fact that they were sliding off of Gary so fast,” Massaro explained. “I did my job and kept my composure, and it just kind of worked out well. (Being named MVP) was a great moment. I couldn’t have done it without everybody else. Everybody did their job. It’s been a lot of hard work. We’ve been together a while as a group, and (SA offensive coordinator) Coach (Doug) Schreiber and (SA head coach) Coach (Keith) Wieczorek got me involved in the offense. It’s a good way to end it.”

It’s rare to find St. Anthony’s as an underdog these days. The Friars have established themselves as a perennial top-5 team in the country. This year, they went through some growing pains, including a very rare three-game losing streak, which included a 12-11 loss to the Flyers the first time around. They turned things around by rolling past Lawrenceville, and after that, came together to finish the year on a six-game losing streak.

Turnabout is Fair Play

“Once we lost to Chaminade the first time, everyone was texting each other about how we had to come together,” junior midfielder Dylan Harrigan (Long Island Express / Maryland) said. “It was our third loss in a row, and we just had to get back to work and do this things together. Ever since that game, we came together as a team. Seeing the seniors run on the field with happy tears instead of sad tears was the best thing for a junior to see.”

It helped that Harrigan came through with the biggest game of his career. He torched the Flyers for four goals and four assists. It was another example of someone else shining when the attention went elsewhere, and Chaminade had no answers for a St. Anthony’s offense that feasted on back door cuts.

Rappaport Steals the Show

The Friars also won at the other end of the field in the second half. Junior Dylan Rappaport (Long Island Express / Loyola) took over in the St. Anthony’s cage after Chaminade built a 10-7 halftime lead. He stopped the first four shots he faced. In that time, St. Anthony’s put the finishing touches on a 7-0 run that completely flipped the game around. Rappaport finished with six stops, and Wieczorek’s move to go to his junior paid dividends for the Friars.

“I was told halfway through the second quarter to get ready to go,” Rappaport said. “I was kind of nervous at first, but I had a lot people encouraging me. They told me, ‘just do your thing,’ and I made a couple of saves. I got some confidence and that was it.”

That was it, indeed. For the sixth straight time, it was St. Anthony’s celebrating in May.

St. Anthony’s vs. Chaminade Standouts

Sean Connolly ’25, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island – Boston University

An absolute Energizer bunny for the Flyers, Connolly was indispensable with his impact on ground balls and in transition. He must have had a half-dozen ground balls, including three or four off of faceoff wings as Quinn Ball‘s running mate. An SSDM as a junior, Connolly emerged as a two-way force as a senior and capped his Flyer career with a goal and an assist. His helper went to John Balsamo (Long Island Express / Virginia) after a ground ball and some great transition work. Later, he picked up a ground ball and wired one home that got Chaminade to as close as 14-12. He was Chaminade’s best player in his career finale.

Dylan Harrigan ’26, midfield, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) / Long Island Express – Maryland 

Harrigan battled some injuries throughout the year, but he saved his best for last and showed what made him a priority for the Terps last fall. When he’s healthy, Harrigan looks like he’s shot out of a cannon on the dodge. The lefty has terrific explosiveness and isn’t shy about varying his dodging spots. He was instrumental in the Friars’ game-changing 7-0 run, in which he had a goal and three assists as part of his four-goal, four-helper day. Harrigan showed off his passing chops with a couple of setups to Massaro. He also had an impressive mid-to-low shot while driving up the hash that highlighted his scoring prowess.

Connor Kuttin ’25, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express – Johns Hopkins

A rare three-year starter for the Flyers, Kuttin hit the 50-point mark on the season with a four-goal effort in his Flyer finale. Kuttin’s always relayed on his IQ to produce points, and he showed that again against the Friars. He cooked a defender on an inside roll early, and twice finished a one-more feed from Balsamo on the crease. His best goal of the day, though, came when he took advantage of an SSDM matchup by tossing home a no-look backhander over his shoulder. Kuttin is smart enough to put himself in the right spots to be productive.

Dylan Rappaport ’26, goalie, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) / Long Island Express – Loyola

Rappaport and senior Dennis Brady split time during the season, and both saw the field in the title game. Rappaport came on in the second half and while he made six saves, it was how and when he made those saves that was most impactful. He denied one of the best players in the country on his first shot, a stop that immediately gave him a jolt of confidence. Later, he denied another high shot that immediately led to Merrill’s high-to-high goal that tied the game. Rappaport made all the saves when St. Anthony’s needed a jolt, and the Friars inevitably got it when he couldn’t be beat for most of the third quarter. He figures to be the unquestioned starter in the cage next year, and St. Anthony’s should feel great about that.