East Islip (VR) survived a wild back-and-forth affair Sunday at The Rinx – North Rink, holding off Sachem (VR) 5-4 to remain undefeated at 7-0. Sachem, playing without a loss in over half its games entering the day at 7-1, drops to 7-2 with the setback.
The opening period alone produced five goals. Liam Godbout opened the scoring for East Islip at 11:20, assisted by Luke LaFata, before Sachem’s Gregory Monthie answered at 8:54. LaFata struck short-handed at 4:45 to put East Islip back up, but Sachem countered twice in the final minutes of the frame — Richard Bovich converting a power-play chance set up by Alp Otcu, and Nyckie Ress scoring short-handed off a Cameron Kalberer assist — to send the teams into the second tied at 3-3.
The middle period settled into a trade of goals. Anthony Marazzito buried a power-play tally for East Islip off a Thomas Ivers assist, and Monthie struck again for Sachem, assisted by Michael Mauro, to knot the score at 4-4 heading into the third.
East Islip took control in the final period without allowing a response. LaFata completed his multi-goal night with a power-play goal at 9:23, assisted by Ivers and Anthony Pepe, before Pepe delivered the game-winner at 3:33, assisted by Ryan Anatra and Jack McGarry. LaFata finished with three points on two goals and an assist, while Brody Dickson picked up the win in net for East Islip, allowing one goal before Corey McGovern finished the game having allowed three. Michael DiGirolamo took the loss for Sachem, with Scott Loeb closing out the third period without allowing a goal. The third period also saw a flurry of penalties at the 13:44 mark, including a five-minute major for Mauro, as tempers flared late.
The result marks East Islip’s second straight win over Sachem this season after a 5-3 victory earlier in the year, giving the Islip club the season series. With the schedule winding down to just a handful of games remaining, both teams will look to carry momentum into the stretch run.
