BOCA RATON – Nick Testa may be just a sophomore, but Saint Andrew’s head coach Tony Seaman is already quite certain he has a future in Division I lacrosse.
After all, experience comes quickly when you play for the top program in the state of Florida.
Testa headlines a talented group of six sophomore attackers and midfielders, all of whom started last year as freshman during the Scots’ 2023 run to the Class 1A state title.
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“It’s an amazing group that we’ve got coming out,” Seaman said. “And Nick’s the leader. He’s behind the goal. He sees what’s going on. He plays with both hands. He’s very unselfish. He’s an excellent feeder, and he really understands the game.”
Testa had two goals to his name during Thursday’s district semifinal victory over Calvary Christian.
He also added three assists, bringing his lofty total to 60 on the year, more than double the next highest tally on the team.
“He sees everybody who’s open, and he knows what it adds to,” Seaman said. “He already as a freshman broke our assist record last year and he’s well on his way to doing that. The only problem is that he only gets to play three-quarters of a half, not even a half.”
That limit on playing time comes as a stat-sheet side-effect of dominating much of their competition.
Winning The Palm Beach Post’s ‘Athlete of the Week’ recognition was great, he said, but viewed the award much as he views the field from behind the crease.
“It means a lot to me,” Testa said. “It’s definitely going to keep me motivated to keep pushing and keep grinding. I definitely couldn’t have done this without my team.”
Testa continued to shower praise on the other side of the Scots’ field – as although Seaman indicated that there’s no love lost between Saint Andrews’ offense and defense because of the intensity of practice, the Scots’ sophomore didn’t betray that.
“I think that’s the biggest key, the defense, the heart of our team, really,” Testa said. “They make the plays that they do in the big games. They give us the ball so we have the opportunity to put it in the back of the net.”
Testa, of course, is no slouch when it comes to finding the back of the net, but he’s become adept at helping others do it.
It’s that kind of vision, finesse, and skill that have him in prime early position to follow his collegiate lacrosse dream.
North Carolina? Duke? Notre Dame?
At the moment, he isn’t focusing on narrowing it down. He merely wants to make it to that level, something Seaman believes to be an inevitability.
For now, both his short-term and long-term goals luckily require the same simple practice motto.
“Grind, grind grind,” Testa said of his regimen. “Always repetition. Always practicing. Day in, day out.”
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