Giovanni Demarco delivered a spectacular hat trick performance, leading Northport Huntington Developmental Gold to a 4-2 upset victory over league-leading Sachem Developmental on Wednesday night at South. The prolific forward, who entered the game with 27 goals and 41 points in 18 games, dominated the contest with three goals and an assist, single-handedly outscoring the hosts who came in with an impressive 17-1 record.
Demarco wasted little time making his mark, netting two goals just 23 seconds apart late in the opening period to erase Sachem’s early 1-0 lead. After Nicholas Ianne had given the home team the advantage at 12:14 with assists from Andrew McCarthy and Edward Brace, Demarco responded with an unassisted tally at 9:00 before striking again at 8:37 with help from William Auletta to put Northport ahead 2-1 after one period.
The second period belonged to Auletta, who scored what proved to be the game-winner at 10:40 with Demarco picking up the assist. The goal extended Auletta’s strong season totals, as the forward entered the night with nine goals in just seven games played. Demarco completed his hat trick early in the third period with another unassisted goal at 3:33, before Lucas Finamore answered for Sachem at 2:06 with McCarthy earning his second assist of the night.
The victory marked a significant statement win for Northport Huntington (13-5), who had dropped three of four previous meetings against Sachem this season, including a 7-5 loss just one week prior. Despite the defeat, Sachem (17-2) maintains its hold atop the SCHSHL standings, but the loss serves as a reminder that their pursuit of perfection faces legitimate threats down the stretch.