BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Homecoming weekend at LIU kicked off with the men's lacrosse team welcoming back nearly 60 former players for the Sharks' alumni game.
 
"It feels great to be on the field with the alumni," 2020 graduate Thomas Liantonio said. "Being able to come back to LIU and catch up with everyone is great. I had a lot of awesome memories here."
 
Coach Jordan Levine was greeted with open arms while leading his first alumni game as his Sharks took the field against former LIU players.
 
"It's my first year here at LIU, and the alumni really embraced me," said Levine, whose team opens its first season with him at helm in February. "I have already met a lot of the alums, and it was great to meet more of them today. They were really accepting and supportive."
 
Levine and assistant coaches Kyle Hayes and Troy Reh aim to keep their student-athletes and alumni connected throughout the season. And that all starts with relationship building and networking.
 
"One of the biggest assets here at LIU is the rich tradition with the alumni that have set the foundation before us," Levine said. "It's now our job to keep our team connected with the former players through internships and other school-related events."
 
Every student-athlete on the current roster took the field against the alumni on Saturday morning. And the former players liked what they saw from the 2022-23 squad.
 
"They have a lot of young talent out there, so we're excited to see how they do this season," 2022 graduate Patrick Harrington said. "Coach Levine is a great guy. He's doing good work, and it's going to pay off."
 
LIU is on the road next weekend for a pair of fall games, against Vermont and Bryant.