The year was 1935. President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the Social Security Act, Jim Braddock defeated Maxie Baer for the heavyweight boxing title, Mutiny on the Bounty won the Academy Award for best picture, Fibber McGee and Molly were the rage of the radio waves, and gasoline was 17 cents a gallon. That same year Garden City and Manhasset would partake in a high school lacrosse game, the beginning of what has become one of the country's oldest lacrosse rivalries and traditions.

For many of the Peter Coleman - Bob Jahelka - John Kufs coached fourth grade Garden City Rams PAL lacrosse players, Friday night, May 16, under the lights at Manhasset High School would be their first spring harbinger of the 69-year-old Woodstick Classic. The Rams (3-2-1) looked to snap a two-game skid, on the heels of two tough one-goal defeats.

In what shaped up to be a classic game of see sawing scoring barrages, Manhasset jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. Brian Coleman (2 goals, 1 assist), Matt Clarkson (1g, 4a) and Steve Jahelka (1g, 1a) propelled Garden City to a four-goal blitz in putting the Rams ahead 4-2.

Manhasset answered with the game's next five goals to build a commanding 7-4 lead, much to the delight of their hometown faithful. With the resiliency and grit that they have demonstrated all season, Garden City notched their season's defining moment in responding with six straight goals to forge ahead 10-7.

Devin Dwyer (6 g), in playing his finest game of the season, spearheaded the Garden City run, and the Rams' attack platoon of John "Fin" Fineo, Kyle Lynch, Sean Skramko, Christian Knoch, Joe Horan and Austin Kufs were at their best in preventing Manhasset from clearing the ball. Midfielders Jack Manning, Billy Allen and Mike LoFrese were most productive in giving the Rams the all-important ground ball edge. True to the tradition, Manhasset scored two late fourth quarter goals to pull within one goal at 10-9.

With two harrowing minutes remaining in regulation, a solicitous Coach Coleman called upon his Man-Up unit of Charlie Garcia (1a), Coleman, Clarkson, Dwyer, Jahelka and Kufs to take the field and kill the clock. For the next 120 seconds the ball did not touch the ground as the sextet effectively played a game of "keep away" in passing the ball around the perimeter of Manhasset's defense, as the Rams closed out an impressive and dramatic 10-9 road victory. Kudos to all the players for a tremendous effort and performance in serving one of Long Island's richest and oldest sports traditions.