By Michael J. Lewis
The urgency ramps up more every day in the mind of Henry Haberman.
The lacrosse star at Schreiber High School in Port Washington feels the days and weeks slipping away, as his glorious career on the field winds to a conclusion.
Oh, he knows he’s still got lots of goals and assists ahead of him, with a scholarship to perennial Division I power Loyola (Md.) waiting for him come September.
But the time he’s got now, with buddies and teammates like Matt Freeman and Bradley Hamroff and Gavin Jacobsen, feels very very short to him.
“It’s gone way too fast, way too fast,” Haberman said before practice last week. “We may only have a few home games left, and it’s tough to think that I won’t get to play with these guys much longer. I want to make it last.”
While Haberman may only have a few more weeks of his career, the records and highlights he’s created will last a while.
Despite a small (5-foot-6) stature he’s developed into one of the best attackmen on Long Island. He scored 29 goals as a freshman in 2019, and after Covid-19 wiped out the 2020 season, he returned with a vengeance last spring, pouring in 40 goals and 14 assists for the Vikings.
This season he’s topped 150 points for his career, with 32 goals and 12 assists through games of May 5.
“He’s pretty laid-back and calm when you talk to him, but on the field he’s just so tough,” said Schreiber head coach Isaac Neal. “He’s athletic and quick, but he’s more tough than anything else; “He’s always going to get the other team’s best defender, but he still manages to dodge and get his way to the net and score.
“He’s just been so solid for us.”
Haberman’s talent and effectiveness may come from his parents, Keith and Nancy, both former lacrosse players.
Keith played collegiately at Limestone (S.C.) College and Henry says he’s been playing lacrosse since he first learned his ABCs, following in the footsteps of Dad and Henry’s brother Jack, who also played at Schreiber.
The future Loyola Greyhound said he first started noticing he was one of the better players when he got to middle school, and Neal said he’s had his eye on his future star since then.
“I don’t always put a lot of stock in what people say about kids that young, but I saw him in 8th grade and he clearly was someone who had talent,” Neal said. “From a young age, he always played at the same speed. If he made a mistake or did something good, he never changed how he played, and that is rare.”
Loyola coach Charles Toomey has been equally impressed with his future player.
