North Boys Lacrosse Routs Copiague, 21-4

There will be days when the Sachem North boys lacrosse team will look like this – unstoppable, impossible to guard. Copiague learned that Tuesday night when it was on the business end of a 21-4 stampede at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.

However, there will also be days when things aren't clicking, and because it's impossible to tell when the fluidity will come and go during a season or even a game, Flaming Arrows coach Jay Mauro has stressed the importance of maintaining focus.

The first quarter wasn't perfect, but the rest of the game darn near was, and heading into Thursday's showdown with unbeaten Connetquot, North got just the tune-up it needed.

"Anytime you play a league game, it's important," said Mauro. "I don't care who it's against. That's what we stressed. It was a good win. The boys played well."

The victory was North's second in a row after its overtime loss to Nassau power Syosset on April 3. The Arrows' 21-goal total marked the highest output since the split.

Sachem (4-1, 3-0 Division I) turned on the jets midway through the opening frame, making it clear that a once-tight game would not be so soon enough. Seconds after Copiague drew within 3-2, North took the faceoff and Timmy Lang hit Cody Ciolino on the left post for an easy goal with 1:19 left in the first. Cody Petillo then shook his defender 20 yards out and whistled a shot past Copiague goalie Michael De Gore for a 5-2 lead.

The momentum continued into the second with Jack Gannon, Michael Andreassi, Jake Cabble all scoring within the first two minutes to open up an 8-2 edge. The lead swelled to 14-3 by halftime.

"[In a game like this], you want to work on your fundamentals," Mauro said. "When that's going good, you're going to be successful. We want to keep on improving. That's one thing we're thinking about all the time."

The hefty cushion provided the opportunity not only for some Arrow reserves to play but to get on the board. Lang led the way with three goals and three assists, while Andreassi logged his fourth game this season with at least four goals. Other multi-point scorers included Ciolino (2 goals, 3 assists), Gannon (2 goals, 1 assist), Petillo (2 goals), Alex Harris (2 goals), Kyle Rhatigan (2 goals), Cabble (1 goal, 1 assist) and Phil Schaefer (1 goal, 1 assist). Angelo Armine and Eric Talbot tallied single goals, and Elijah Punzone registered an assist.

Sachem's defense wasn't tested often, but it responded when it was, holding the Eagles (1-4, 1-4 Division I) to a season-low four goals, including just two in the final three quarters.

Starter Teddy Matos made a pair of saves before giving way to Will Murphy (5 saves) and younger brother Timmy Matos (4 saves). Among North's achievements were holding Copiague without a man-up goal; in particular, the Eagles wasted two one-minute opportunities in the first nine minutes with the game still close.