Coaches

Joe Spallina

Head Coach

2012 Brine Coach of the Year

Joe Spallina is in his second year as the Head Coach of both the New York Lizards and the Stony Brook Women’s Lacrosse Team. During his first season with the Seawolves, the Stony Brook women celebrated their first ever win against a ranked opponent, defeating No. 20/17 Johns Hopkins. The following week the team received their first ever national ranking, coming in at 19 in the Inside Lacrosse/deBeer Media Poll. Prior to Stony Brook, Spallina spent his previous four seasons at Adelphi University, where he posted a 73-2 record and recorded three consecutive Division II national championships (2009, 2010, 2011 respectively). He has been named the IWLCA National Coach of the Year three times and the Field Turf NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2009.

Joe is entering his fourth season with the Lizards, serving as the assistant coach for two seasons before being named the head coach in 2012. During his first season as head coach of the Lizards, Joe led the team to a playoff spot, before a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to the Denver Outlaws during the semi-final matchup. Spallina is also a physical education teacher in the Rocky Point district and resides in Rocky Point with his wife, Marybeth, and their four children.

Keith Cromwell

Assistant Coach

Keith Cromwell is an 11 year veteran of the MLL, playing for the Bridgeport / Philadelphia Barrage and Long Island Lizards and was named MLL Rookie of the Year in 2001. He was also an 8 year veteran of the NLL playing for the Philadelphia Wings and Minnesota Swarm.  As a high school varsity assistant coach at Manhasset HS from 2007-2011, guiding the Indians to NYS Championships in 2009 and 2010.  After Manhasset, returned to his alma mater, Rutgers University, coaching the Scarlet Knight offense in 2011 & 2012. Cromwell’s awards include: 1998-2001 Rutgers University-All Time Leading Scorer in RU History, 266 Career Points (152 Goals/114 Assists), 3x All-American, 2001 MLL Rookie of the Year, 2004 MLL Championship, Ranked #5 MLL All Time Assist Record (127), Former Asst. Coach Yale University, Offensive Asst. Coach Manhasset HS (2x State Championship), Offensive Asst. Coach Rutgers University, and 2013 Inductee Long Island Metro Hall of Fame. 

Tommy Susko

Assistant Coach

Tommy Susko, an assistant coach of the Adelphi men’s lacrosse team, is starting his first season with the Lizards. Prior to joining the coaching staff two years ago, Susko was a member of the team.

As a midfielder, he played in 18 games and was first on the team in and in the Northeast-10 conference in goals (41) and tied for third in points (48). In just one year, he earned honors in the form of NE-10 All-Championship Team, Donald E. Kohart Memorial Award (presented to the most outstanding offensive player on Adelphi's lacrosse team), NE-10 and ECAC Player of the Week and National Student-Athlete Award for achieving excellence in academics and athletics. He also ranks tied for ninth in the record books in single season goals.

Before transferring to Adelphi, Tommy attended Molloy College. At Molloy, Susko was a four-year started and received his bachelor of arts in history. Currently, Tommy is pursuing his second maters in Sports Management at Adelphi.
 

Matt Madalon

Assistant Coach

Matt Madalon has been a member of the coaching staff at the Stevens Institute of Technology since 2007. He is currently in his sixth season and has worked on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Madalon was awarded the IMLCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award for his contributions to the Stevens lacrosse program.

Madalon began his collegiate lacrosse career at Division I Hofstra University. After he red-shirted in 2002, Madalon played for the Pride in 2003 before transferring to Roanoke College in Virginia for his final three seasons. After graduating from Roanoke with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, Madalon taught history at an air force base in Aviano, Italy for six months before returning to the United States to serve as an assistant lacrosse coach at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia for the 2007 season. 

A Connecticut native, Madalon was drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 MLL Supplemental Draft by the San Francisco Dragons. Madalon then spent three seasons as a goalie for the Lizards from 2010 to 2012. 

Darrin Schirtzer

Equipment Manager

Darrin is entering his second season with the Lizards. In addition to serving as the equipment manager for the Lizards, Darrin also coaches Team 91’s Crush with head coach, Joe Spallina. Last year, The Crush won the Dicks U-11 National Championship. Darrin grew up in Bohemia and attended Connetquot High School.  

Andrew "Mookie" Alderman

Assistant Equipment Manager

Mookie has been a staff member since the inception of the Lizards  in 2001 and was also a staff member of the NY Titans Professional Indoor Lacrosse team, until they moved to Florida in 2010. He has also been afforded the opportunity to work on the sidelines and attend clinics with other sports teams such as the NY Islanders, NY Mets , NY Yankees, NJ Nets and more.