Team 91 LI Storm Defeats LI Express for NLF 2026 AA Championship

STONY BROOK, N.Y. — For at least one game, Dylan Faison was a Long Island Express 2026 Channy fan.

“We were hoping they would whup the Crabs so we could get them again,” the Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm midfielder said. “They got us the last time, or the last three times.”

And when Long Island Express 2026 Channy did just that in the semifinals, it set up the much anticipated first meeting of the summer between two of the most accomplished programs in club lacrosse, fittingly played at Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium.

“This is the team that we've been waiting for all year,” midfielder Drew Maloney said. “Crosstown rivals, St. Anthony’s, Chaminade, all that type of stuff. This just means everything to this team. We haven't played them yet this summer.”

On Sunday, Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm not only earned bragging rights but took home the NLF national championship to boot courtesy of an emphatic 11-6 over their rivals.

“Point blank, we just wanted more,” said Maloney, who scored twice in the win. “We’re more gritty. All these boys, we just wanted it. That's all. We’ve been waiting for this.”

Nick Testa, who led the Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm offense with two goals and two assists, opened the scoring in the first quarter before Maloney made it 2-0. The statement of intent was made early.

“Jumping out to that early lead kind of gave us a little bit of momentum and knowing that we wanted to win this thing,” attackman Hansen Peck said. “We knew we’d have to keep fighting because they're a good, talented team. But at the end of the day, it comes down to heart, who wants it more and we showed that. We dominated the ground balls, middle of the field and we just showed that we wanted it more.”

Long Island Express 2026 Channy tied it at 2 after back-to-back goals by James Gillis and Jacob Johnson going into the second quarter, but Testa set up Maloney and Jack Sheridan to re-establish Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm’s two-goal lead.

“Our faceoff guys did a great job winning the ball and getting it down to our offense for possessions,” long-stick midfielder Remington DeOrsey said. “We took advantage of our matchups, took them to the net, racked it, goal. That’s all that matters.”

Long Island Express 2026 Channy tied the score again, this time 4-4, but Peck made sure they didn’t take their first lead, giving Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm a one-goal advantage at the halftime break.

Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm led 7-6 after three quarters before putting the game away in the fourth with four answered goals. It started with a behind-the-back goal by Peck from Devin Paccione.

It was a man-up goal that came after a vicious hit from behind late in the third quarter sent Peck’s helmet flying and raised temperatures between the teams.

“I felt like they poked the bear,” Peck said. “I was ready to go. I had everyone asking me if I was OK. I said ‘Yeah, I'm ready to go. Put me back in the game.’ I wanted to go. Getting that right after was huge because it just showed that I wasn't ready to give up and I wanted to win this thing.”

Long-stick midfielder Jake Ivancevic picked up a ground ball in front of his own net and went the length of the field to extend the lead to 9-6. All that was remaining for Team 91 Long Island 2026 Storm — which edged Annapolis Hawks 2026 Green, 5-4, in the semifinals —was the post-game celebration.

“It was surreal. You can't relive that,” Faison said. “That’s a moment no one gets to experience and especially those boys.”

For Peck, it rivals the feeling at the end of his high school season when Lawrenceville (N.J.) won the National Prep championship to finish No. 1 in the country.

“That was sweet. I'm gonna say it will not top us winning the national championship with Lawrenceville, but pretty damn close,” Peck said. “That feeling is right behind it because that is one of the best feelings that kids will ever experience.Winning this thing was huge for us because we were waiting for that matchup between us and them the whole summer.”