Future College Athletes Sign Letters of Intent at Sachem North

The smiles were contagious Monday in Sachem North's Little Theater. One-by-one, seven Sachem lacrosse players signed National Letters of Intent, then put on shirts and hats of their future colleges.

"It's a proud day for the community, it's a proud day for the program and a proud day for the school," said North head lacrosse coach .

Among the seven was , a four-year letterwinner who was one of the top recruits in the northeast before be verbally committed to the University of Massachusetts last year. He was joined by  (Robert Morris),  (Molloy),  (UMBC),  (Adelphi),  (Stony Brook) and  (Hartwick).

Recently, juniors  (Rutgers) and  (UMBC) also gave verbal commitments.



"Now we can go into the lacrosse season and just worry about winning, making the playoffs and hopefully a state championship," said Andreassi.

While every one of the young athletes were grateful for the new found weight lifted off their proverbial shoulders, Harris paid homage to the laurels of his household, as well as the chance to stay local at Stony Brook.

"I'll be able to come home for dinners and have my mom do my laundry," he joked.

There was a point in the 1970s when Sachem, now ranked No. 4 in pre-season lacrosse polls, began to operate like a wrecking crew in all sports, wreaking havoc across the county and beyond. It starts slowly and more teams join the carousel overtime. Over the last two years, there has been a resurgence of that luster. The lacrosse and football programs are the main cogs on this reestablished wheel.

"I'm proud where this school is headed," Mauro said. "People want to be a part of it and it's very exciting. Hopefully we can finish it off by winning a championship."

Andreassi's maroon UMass polo shirt looked awfully different from the usual Black & Gold he's accustomed to wearing. Like his teammates, he still has unfinished business at Sachem.

"Right now football is our biggest concern," he said, "winning that county championship and moving onto the LIC. Hopefully it carries over into the spring."

Two girls lacrosse players ink papers

 (Stony Brook) and  (Iona) made their futures official Monday as well, signing up to play Division I lacrosse.

"We're going to miss them next year as they move onto greener pastures and continue their careers," said Ed Manly, the assistant coach for the girls lacrosse team at North. "They're everything we expect from our players, they're dedicated 365 days a year and true leaders."

"It's amazing," said Vasquez of finally making it official. "For so many years we've had this pressure. The school chooses you. You get there and fall in love with it."

Kuerner, a selection in 2010, said she is happy with Iona's proximity to her home town and felt comfortable with the coaching staff.

Stony Brook finished 3-13 last year, but the University as a whole, which is recognized as one of the best in the nation year in and year out for various research achievements, is having a bit of a resurgence in the sports world.

Iona finished 5-11 in MAAC play last year. The Gaels have a slew of talented underclassmen and Vasquez will be a nice compliment to the mix.

Three baseball players headed to the next level

Sachem North will have three college baseball players on its roster this spring:  (Saint Louis),  (Rochester) and Mike Scarlato (Farmingdale).

Sole said he's glad the recruiting process is over.

"I can focus on my school work and the season," he said.

For him, Saint Louis offers multiple benefits. Aside from the full ride financially, the coaches weren't the typical, "used car salesmen," and it's a top academic institution.

Sole was a  selection last year, hitting a team-high .439 with 36 hits, 17 RBIs, 27 runs and 11 walks. He also had a team-high on-base percentage of .500. On the mound, he was 4-1 with one save.

Garry, a Second Team All-Sachem Patch selection in 2010, hit .313 with a team-high 19 RBIs and 14 walks, chose Rochester for its outstanding accounting program and Scarlato will have a chance to win a National Championship at Farmingdale, while still playing close to home.