Sophomore Devin Dwyer, shown above in previous action, was key in the Crimson’s victory over Quinnipiac on Tuesday afternoon. Harvard’s leading scorer contributed a fourth-quarter score, plus five assists. Dwyer has 14 points in three games this season.

There was little surprise in the 2012 edition of the longest-running high school lacrosse rivalry. Top-ranked Garden City easily defeated Manhasset in the 122nd matchup between Long Island’s most storied programs.

But in one aspect, Manhasset emerged on top. Senior defenseman Bobby Duvnjak, Inside Lacrosse’s top-ranked defensive recruit in the country, held Garden City’s best attackman—senior Devin Dwyer, Inside Lacrosse’s second-ranked offensive recruit in the country—scoreless.

“It was easy to see that Bob was something special when he used to cover me in high school,” Dwyer said. “It was tough to put up points against him.”

Just months later, Duvnjak and Dwyer would meet on the field again, alongside several other Garden City players. This time, however, they would be on the same side, looking to add to the even older tradition of Harvard lacrosse. Nine of the 22 players who started a game for the Crimson this season hail from Long Island.

Dwyer and Duvnjak, both of whom earned first-team All-Ivy selections, are just the latest Harvard stars from the region.They joined Long Island products junior goalie Jake Gambitsky, junior long-stick midfielder Brian Fischer, senior midfielder Brian O’ Toole, and junior defenseman Stephen Jahelka.For decades, the Crimson has tapped into the region’s talent pool.

The program’s leading scorer, former Harvard attackmen Jeff Cohen ’12, hailed from Syosset, N.Y. Michael Ferrucci ’98, another Garden City alum, ranks third in the Crimson record books for career goals and points.

“[Harvard head Chris Wojcik ’96] has always joked that there’s a pipeline from Long Island to Harvard,” Jahelka said.

Along with Baltimore and upstate New York, Long Island has long been synonymous with outstanding youth and high school lacrosse.

“I started playing lacrosse when I was four years old,” Jahelka said. “My dad had a stick in my hand. That might be a baseball mitt for some kids in the Midwest, [and] that might be a football for a kid from Texas.... On Long Island...there’s always a heightened focus on lacrosse.”

Like Jahelka, Dwyer credits Long Island parents for fostering an environment conducive to elite lacrosse.

“It really just starts with the dads that really put this stuff together,” Dwyer said. “They organize teams and…the towns with the best youth programs usually show that they have the best high school teams in the country. It’s really all to those guys for teaching kids at such a young age and getting them involved in the sport, building a love for the sport.”

Dwyer’s father exemplified the community dedication to the sport, serving as an assistant coach to Garden City’s team for over 20 years. He left the team before Dwyer and his brothers arrived, but helped launch his sons’ careers on the field.

“[My father is] the reason I probably play lacrosse at this level,” Dwyer said. “He really got me involved at a young age and showed me what it would take to be a good player.”

While Long Island as a whole has been a prolific source of talent for the Crimson, Garden City in particular stands out. The public school has captured six New York State championships, and the Trojans will look to claim their third consecutive title later this year.

“People certainly move to that town simply because they want their children to play lacrosse for Garden City,” Wojcik said.