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Sports

Defense, Strong Fourth Quarter Push East to Win

Lacagnina nets three, Arrows beat Northport, 8-7, to keep playoff hopes alive.

In a game in which two squads hungry for the postseason were tied after three quarters, the final 12 minutes of the Sachem East boys lacrosse team's clash with Northport felt like a playoff game. It's nearly a month away, but with the game a coin flip at the start, both sides were well aware of the outcome's importance.

Sachem scored twice early in the fourth quarter and its defense did the rest in its 8-7 victory, with Arrows goaltender John Grebe preserving the win by turning away a Tiger shot with under 10 seconds to play. The triumph was East's third straight and marked its first such streak since winning six consecutive games midway through the 2007 season.

The Arrows (5-3, 4-2 Division I) aren't in yet, but victories over Commack, Patchogue-Medford and now Northport has them in considerably better position, both in the league standings and in terms of confidence.

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"We hope now to take momentum into our next game," East head coach Rob Murphy said. "That's what we've said all year – 'who's next?' [Making the playoffs] has been our goal the whole time, and if we keep the momentum going, we should be able to make it."

Leading 8-7 late, the Arrows struggled to maintain possession in Northport's defensive zone, and Patrick Jacobitti's takeaway gave the Tigers (3-5, 3-4 Division I) one final opportunity to even the score. They worked the ball from back to front, setting up a shot from Joe Cicio from 15 yards out. The ball skidded off the turf and was batted away by Grebe. Once again, from the last line to the midfielders on the perimeter, the defense delivered.

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"The defense was great," Murphy said. "They've saved us in a lot of games because we've played a lot of defense this year."

With the game tied at 6 through three quarters, the Arrows went ahead when Cameron Walsh shook his defender behind the cage, curled around the left post and scored. Northport won the ensuing faceoff but Sachem's Dylan Larkin stripped a Tiger middie of the ball to give the Arrows possession. That's when Pete Lacagnina motored ahead, spun at the top and fired a left-handed shot past Northport goalie Tom Cordts for an 8-6 lead with 8:57 to go.

Lacagnina posted his second hat trick of the season. Just over a week ago, his three-goal night against Commack helped East to a 12-9 win, which started the three-game spurt.

"His speed really throws off the defense," Murphy said. "The defense has to slide and he's deceptively fast."

Sachem has lost the fourth quarter only once in eight games this season (2-1 against Eastport-South Manor) but otherwise holds a 12-6 edge over its opponents in the final 12 minutes.

"We've been down in a couple games but the kids keep playing hard at the end," Murphy said. "That's nice. When we're down three or four goals, we expect them to keep playing hard and they do."

What ended up being a duel of stout defenses didn't start out that way. The teams combined for four goals in the first 90 seconds, with Lacagnina and D.J. Morohan scoring for Sachem. East tried to build a substantial lead by halftime on goals by Lacagnina, A.J. Solomito and Anthony Loureano within a span of 1:31 late in the second. However, Northport put one in before the horn sounded, setting the stage for a tight battle down the stretch.

East plays its next three games away from home – at West Babylon on April 27, at Brentwood on April 29 and at Smithtown East on May 1.

"We were the 13 seed; we're not expected to make the playoffs," Murphy said. "Twelve teams make it. We're on the bubble and we want to get in."

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