Riverhead Blue Waves midfielder on Team Long Island will compete for USA against Canada in Brogden Cup

A Riverhead Blue Waves lacrosse player will represent the USA in a game against Canada next month in Tampa, Florida.

Junior midfielder Austin Fizpatrick is a member of Team Long Island competing for the Brogden Cup at the University of Tampa in January. The competition is sponsored by lacrosse gear manufacturer Brine.

Fitzpatrick, of Aquebogue, was among 350 players to try out for the Long Island regional team last December. Because of the mass amount of players trying out for the L.I. team, three teams of 20 players each were assembled to compete against each other for further evaluation. The Riverhead player was one of 22 to make the final cut. He’s one of only three juniors on the team.

What did he do to get noticed in such a large crowd? “I played hard the whole time,” Fitzpatrick said.

His hustle and scrappiness has always been evident throughout his Blue Waves varsity career, which began in his freshman year.

Team Long Island played Ohio, Syracuse, Michigan and Florida in July. They won every game to bring them into the U.S championship versus Maryland — with Fitzpatrick contributing one goal and six assists along the way.

But the Brine National Lacrosse Classic Championship game between Long Island and Maryland — both undefeated in the tournament with four wins apiece — was called because of lightning just one minute into the game. It will be now be played in Tampa on Friday, Jan. 2 at 12 noon.

So instead of just one team going to Tampa, it will be two. Canada will also field two teams. The winner of the championship game will face the Canadian A team. The loser will play Canada’s B team. Either way, Long Island will represent the United States. Then Long Island and Maryland will face off again in a rematch and the winner of that game will face Canada again on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 6:45 p.m.

“I’m really looking forward to representing the USA,” Fitzpatrick said. “Wearing that jersey will mean everything.”

Fitzpatrick said he’s been working out three or four times a week. “My goal is to play well,” he said. He’s hoping the exposure in the Brogden Cup competition will help him secure a college commitment in the next few months.

The midfielder is currently considering Assumption College, Mount St. Mary University and Hartwick College but is going to wait to see if any other interest arises.

“Playing against some of the best in the nation is very competitive and high tempo,” Fitzpatrick said. But it’s not that far off from playing for Riverhead in Suffolk County’s Division I.

“It’s not that big of a leap of talent” [playing at a national level], Fitzpatrick said. “Suffolk County Division I is one of the most competitive high school leagues in the country.”