Sachem players and coaches poured onto the turf at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium immediately after Sean O’Brien scored to beat Ward Melville. If you didn’t know, you’d think it was a championship win.
In many ways it was just as monumental as winning a title. The atmosphere wasn’t any different then a normal regular season game, but the shear emotion of beating the Patriots had the Flaming Arrows extra giddy. It was the first time in 14 years that Sachem beat Ward Melville in boy’s lacrosse.
O’Brien, who turned the ball over on Sachem’s first overtime possession, took a pass from Caridi with 1:12 left in sudden death overtime to net the game winner in an 8-7 victory for Sachem North Thursday afternoon. He also scored the game-tying goal with 1:06 left in the fourth quarter.
“It’s definitely the greatest feeling I’ve ever had,” O’Brien said. “Someone dodged on the left ally and passed back to Joe Caridi. Caridi hit me on skip pass and I just shot it lefty.”
Sachem had trailed 7-4 in the fourth quarter, but rallied back with goals from Tom Haun and Caridi before O’Brien tied the game in regulation.
“We woke up offensively and started to shoot better,” said Sachem coach Jay Mauro. “We made their goalie play pretty well. In the fourth quarter it shows the mental makeup of our team.”
Michael Aronow forced the turnover for Sachem to gain possession prior to O’Brien’s goal in overtime.
Mike Calvagna, who was nearly perfect in face-offs throughout the game, put Sachem at an advantage with ball possession at the most crucial parts of the contest. He’s been doing it consistently all season.
“To do this as a senior, it doesn’t get much better,” he said. “It’s the most exciting game I’ve ever played in. This season has been quite a ride. Winning feels good.”
Haun scored three goals and added an assist, while Caridi had three assists and one goal.
The Flaming Arrows (9-3 overall) have won six consecutive games and are hunting for a high seed in the Suffolk County Division I playoffs, which begin later this month.
Truth be told, this was just a regular season game, just like the one Sachem won against West Islip, then No. 1 ranked nationally, five years ago in overtime that invoked similar feelings. But remember that Ward Melville is a titan of the lacrosse world. There’s been no greater program in the history of Suffolk County lacrosse.
“It means a lot,” said Mauro. “Whenever you beat Ward Melville as a Sachem guy it means something.”
PHOTOS: See more images from the historic Sachem win
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro