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Nick Levanti is a tough act to follow.
In four seasons as Hartland’s boys lacrosse coach, Levanti took the Eagles to three state Division 1 championship games, winning it all in 2022.
Hartland stayed within its program to fill Levanti’s position when he stepped down, hiring Steven Petersen, an assistant coach for the Eagles the past three seasons.
“I have big shoes to fill,” Petersen said. “Coach Levanti, for me, was the best head coach I’ve seen operate in any sport as a multi-sport athlete myself. He’s as good as they get. I learned a lot from him. At the same time, all coaches have slightly different coaching styles.”
Petersen knows the mandate at Hartland, which has reached at least the state semifinal round six of the past seven seasons.
“Our objective every year is to win the state title,” he said. “As long as I’m around, that’s probably not going to change.”
Petersen has a unique perspective. He came to Hartland from one of its biggest rivals, Detroit Catholic Central, where he was a player and assistant coach. The Shamrocks rallied to beat the Eagles, 14-8, in last year’s state Division 1 championship game.
“I believe we have the best lacrosse community and lacrosse culture in the Midwest, hands down,” he said. “I go well out of my way to come out to Hartland and be part of it.”
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Despite graduation losses up front, Hartland is expected to make another deep run in the state tournament this season.
Here’s a look at the county’s three boys lacrosse teams (Pinckney's disbanded after two games this season):
► Last season: 8-1 KLAA West (2nd place); 16-5 overall; regional champion
► Top returners: Lukas Aurandt, A, Sr.; John Benkner, LSM, Sr.; Danny Copple, MF, Sr.; Jackson Hojnicki, MF, Sr.; Seth Mazaitis, G, Sr.; Sam Rochowiak, D, Sr.; Joey Skoczylas, A, Soph.; Nate Stark, D, Sr.; Zach Watkins, A, Sr.
► Outlook: Brighton is coming off back-to-back regional championships and looks to make a deeper run with a senior-heavy lineup that is particularly strong on the defensive side. Brighton has 24 seniors on a 28-man roster. The Bulldogs have held four of their first six opponents to four goals or fewer. They return Mazaitis in net and defensive stalwarts Stark, Rochowiak and Benkner. Rochowiak made third-team all-state and Stark received honorable mention last season. The offense will come primarily from Aurandt, a four-year starter, and Skoczylas, who made an impact as a freshman last season.
► Coach Jim Carl: “I’ve been coaching quite a while. This isn’t the most talented team I’ve had, but it’s the best group of kids I’ve ever had since my first year. They just all get along very, very well. It’s fun to go to practice. They’re a great group to be around.”
► Last season: 9-0 KLAA West (1st place); 19-4 overall; KLAA West, KLAA and regional champion; state Division 1 runner-up
► Top returners: Nate Anderer, G, Soph.; Mason Bulthuis, MF, Sr.; Alex Criscuolo, D, Sr.; Easton Culver, MF, Sr.; Matt Flynn, LSM, Sr.; Connor Gilbert, MF, Jr.; Kellan Hull, FOGO, Jr.; Max Kotsilidis, D, Sr.; Clayton Penzien, MF, Jr.; Braden Streight, D, Sr.
► Outlook: Hartland graduated its top four scorers, players who were responsible for 254 goals and 144 assists last season. The top returning scorers are Gilbert, who had 17 goals and 12 assists, and Penzien, who had 21 goals and six assists. While the Eagles work on chemistry up front, they can rely on a lock-down defense that returns mostly intact. Anderer backstopped Hartland to the state championship game as a freshman, establishing himself as an elite netminder in a semifinal victory over Birmingham Brother Rice. Kotsilidis, Streight and Criscuolo anchor the defense. Kotsilidis made second-team all-state last season. Hartland (4-1) has allowed 4.6 goals in its first five games.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “The biggest story for us is our offense. It’s a complete rebuild. We lost three senior attackmen. Any time you have to replace stability on the offensive end, it takes a little bit of time to figure out those pieces. We have a lot of guys who are versatile. As a coaching staff, we’re willing to experiment and find the right mix.”
► Last season: 4-5 KLAA West; 8-11 overall
► Top returners: Cody Baker, A, Sr.; Dane Chambers, MF, Sr.; Caleb Edwards, MF, Sr.; Tyler Mira, MF, Sr.; Nolan O’Dea, A-MF, Sr.; Ryan O’Dea, A, Soph.; Ryder Spallone, A, Sr.
► Outlook: The biggest order of business for Howell is replacing three-time all-state goalie Nolan Hudnut. Junior Liam Midlam has taken over as the starter in net. The Highlanders have some offensive firepower in Edwards, the O’Dea brothers and Mira. Edwards received all-state honorable mention last season. Howell is off to a 4-2 start, with games against powerful county rivals Brighton (April 23) and Hartland (May 5) coming later in the season.
► Coach Matt Swift: “(Brighton and Hartland) are the measuring stick. They do a nice job and have great coaching. We enjoy the camaraderie. They’ve had the best of us the last few years, that’s for sure. It’s a great rivalry. People say it’s not a rivalry if you don’t win, but our kids get pumped up for it. They play other sports against those guys.”
Contact Bill Khan at [email protected]. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What's the outlook for Livingston County boys lacrosse in 2025?
Continue reading...
In four seasons as Hartland’s boys lacrosse coach, Levanti took the Eagles to three state Division 1 championship games, winning it all in 2022.
Hartland stayed within its program to fill Levanti’s position when he stepped down, hiring Steven Petersen, an assistant coach for the Eagles the past three seasons.
“I have big shoes to fill,” Petersen said. “Coach Levanti, for me, was the best head coach I’ve seen operate in any sport as a multi-sport athlete myself. He’s as good as they get. I learned a lot from him. At the same time, all coaches have slightly different coaching styles.”
Petersen knows the mandate at Hartland, which has reached at least the state semifinal round six of the past seven seasons.
“Our objective every year is to win the state title,” he said. “As long as I’m around, that’s probably not going to change.”
Petersen has a unique perspective. He came to Hartland from one of its biggest rivals, Detroit Catholic Central, where he was a player and assistant coach. The Shamrocks rallied to beat the Eagles, 14-8, in last year’s state Division 1 championship game.
“I believe we have the best lacrosse community and lacrosse culture in the Midwest, hands down,” he said. “I go well out of my way to come out to Hartland and be part of it.”
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Despite graduation losses up front, Hartland is expected to make another deep run in the state tournament this season.
Here’s a look at the county’s three boys lacrosse teams (Pinckney's disbanded after two games this season):
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Brighton
► Last season: 8-1 KLAA West (2nd place); 16-5 overall; regional champion
► Top returners: Lukas Aurandt, A, Sr.; John Benkner, LSM, Sr.; Danny Copple, MF, Sr.; Jackson Hojnicki, MF, Sr.; Seth Mazaitis, G, Sr.; Sam Rochowiak, D, Sr.; Joey Skoczylas, A, Soph.; Nate Stark, D, Sr.; Zach Watkins, A, Sr.
► Outlook: Brighton is coming off back-to-back regional championships and looks to make a deeper run with a senior-heavy lineup that is particularly strong on the defensive side. Brighton has 24 seniors on a 28-man roster. The Bulldogs have held four of their first six opponents to four goals or fewer. They return Mazaitis in net and defensive stalwarts Stark, Rochowiak and Benkner. Rochowiak made third-team all-state and Stark received honorable mention last season. The offense will come primarily from Aurandt, a four-year starter, and Skoczylas, who made an impact as a freshman last season.
► Coach Jim Carl: “I’ve been coaching quite a while. This isn’t the most talented team I’ve had, but it’s the best group of kids I’ve ever had since my first year. They just all get along very, very well. It’s fun to go to practice. They’re a great group to be around.”
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Hartland
► Last season: 9-0 KLAA West (1st place); 19-4 overall; KLAA West, KLAA and regional champion; state Division 1 runner-up
► Top returners: Nate Anderer, G, Soph.; Mason Bulthuis, MF, Sr.; Alex Criscuolo, D, Sr.; Easton Culver, MF, Sr.; Matt Flynn, LSM, Sr.; Connor Gilbert, MF, Jr.; Kellan Hull, FOGO, Jr.; Max Kotsilidis, D, Sr.; Clayton Penzien, MF, Jr.; Braden Streight, D, Sr.
► Outlook: Hartland graduated its top four scorers, players who were responsible for 254 goals and 144 assists last season. The top returning scorers are Gilbert, who had 17 goals and 12 assists, and Penzien, who had 21 goals and six assists. While the Eagles work on chemistry up front, they can rely on a lock-down defense that returns mostly intact. Anderer backstopped Hartland to the state championship game as a freshman, establishing himself as an elite netminder in a semifinal victory over Birmingham Brother Rice. Kotsilidis, Streight and Criscuolo anchor the defense. Kotsilidis made second-team all-state last season. Hartland (4-1) has allowed 4.6 goals in its first five games.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “The biggest story for us is our offense. It’s a complete rebuild. We lost three senior attackmen. Any time you have to replace stability on the offensive end, it takes a little bit of time to figure out those pieces. We have a lot of guys who are versatile. As a coaching staff, we’re willing to experiment and find the right mix.”
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Howell
► Last season: 4-5 KLAA West; 8-11 overall
► Top returners: Cody Baker, A, Sr.; Dane Chambers, MF, Sr.; Caleb Edwards, MF, Sr.; Tyler Mira, MF, Sr.; Nolan O’Dea, A-MF, Sr.; Ryan O’Dea, A, Soph.; Ryder Spallone, A, Sr.
► Outlook: The biggest order of business for Howell is replacing three-time all-state goalie Nolan Hudnut. Junior Liam Midlam has taken over as the starter in net. The Highlanders have some offensive firepower in Edwards, the O’Dea brothers and Mira. Edwards received all-state honorable mention last season. Howell is off to a 4-2 start, with games against powerful county rivals Brighton (April 23) and Hartland (May 5) coming later in the season.
► Coach Matt Swift: “(Brighton and Hartland) are the measuring stick. They do a nice job and have great coaching. We enjoy the camaraderie. They’ve had the best of us the last few years, that’s for sure. It’s a great rivalry. People say it’s not a rivalry if you don’t win, but our kids get pumped up for it. They play other sports against those guys.”
Contact Bill Khan at [email protected]. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: What's the outlook for Livingston County boys lacrosse in 2025?
Continue reading...
