Sachem 2024-2025 Season Preview

HAUPPAUGE N.Y. — Great moments are born from great opportunity, but in the blink and you miss it world of High School hockey, more often than not you find yourself on the other side of a great moment. That’s how Thomas Konkowski and Colin Kalberer’s Sachem careers came to an end last February. It was the end of an era, but this year’s Sachem squad has the chance to write a new chapter for a historic program.

Head Coach George Alamia’s team has a lot of work to put in, but consider them my dark horse pick to make it to states in 2025. 

Forwards 

Junior Cameron Kalberer, who had 26 points last season, is the team’s top returning scorer. The third of four brothers to suit up for Sachem, Cameron Kalberer is arguably the most important returning forward from last season. Kalberer is one of three returning juniors on the Sachem roster. 

Junior Nyckie Ress scored 2 goals and had 4 points in 14 games during the 2023-2024 season, but the scrappy speedster does a lot of the little things that don’t show up on the scoresheet. Ress scored 11 goals and had 13 points for the 2022-2023 Sachem JV squad. 

Junior Joe Wandling is another scrappy winger who is expected to take a step forward for Sachem after scoring 1 goal and tallying 4 points in 15 games. Wandling scored 8 goals and added 4 assists at the JV level alongside Ress during the 2022-2024 season. 

The trio of returnees will be joined by, Senior Dominick Oppedisano, who last played for the program during the 2022-2023 season. Oppedisano has scored 2 goals and added 7 assists in 12 varsity games. The lone senior forward is expected to play a big role on a young, talented Sachem roster. 

Senior Anthony Pergolizzi is set to make the leap to the Varsity level after potting 4 goals and adding 7 apples in 17 regular season games at the JV level during the 2024-2024 season. 

Junior Chase Saunders scored 30 goals and 50 points in 19 regular season games during his sophomore campaign for Sachem JV. Saunders added another 5 goals and 1 assist in 4 playoff appearances for a team that was swept by Smithtown-Hauppauge JV Red in the Junior Varsity Finals. 

Saunders is joined by fellow junior Caiden Marcus, who scored 14 goals and 33 points in 18 regular season games for the 2023-2024 Sachem JV team. Marcus scored a goal and added an assist in the playoffs. 

Junior James Drago scored 10 goals and added eighteen points in his second JV season before breaking out in the playoffs for Sachem. Drago scored once and added two assists to power Sachem to a 6-4 victory over the PatMed Raiders in the JV Semifinals.

Sophomore CJ. Pena, will make the leap to the Varsity level after playing JV in 2023-2024. Pena scored 11 goals and added 10 assists in 17 regular season games. The Sophomore added another 3 goals and 2 assists in the playoffs. Pena was tied for 2nd in playoff scoring among Sachem skaters with the aforementioned Drago as well as 2023-2024 JV standout Matt Bispo.

Junior Chris Suriano last suited up in black and red for the PatMed Raiders at the JV level, but this season he’s donning a Sachem sweater. Suriano is a two-way center who scored a balanced 5 goals and 5 assists in 15 regular season games. Suriano added another goal and three assists in the playoffs, including one apple against Sachem in the semis.   

Defense

Senior Joey Capece led all Sachem defenders in scoring last season with 2 goals and 4 assists in 19 games. Capece is a high-end puck carrier, who is expected to produce more in a much larger role this season. 

Senior Tyler Alamia is the only other returning defender for Sachem. Alamia played tough minutes down the stretch last season as injuries mounted on the Sachem blue line. While the defensive core never got back to 100%, it is likely that Alamia would have continued to play big minutes if Sachem had made a deep playoff run. 

Senior Aidan Cisco, a solid two-way defenseman  who scored 1 goal and added 4 assists in 16 games team, will join the new look Sachem defense for the upcoming varsity season.

Junior Tyler Loret scored 7 goals and 7 assists last season at the JV level. Loret is a strong skater with solid puck skills who could bring additional firepower to the Sachem blue line. 

Junior Peyton Wilson will make his SCHSHL debut after spending last season with the P.A.L. Junior Islanders U-16 AA team. Wilson scored 1 goal and garnered 7 points in 23 Atlantic Hockey Federation games last year. 

Sophomore Justin Horrmann scored 5 goals and had 14 points in 20 regular season games for the 2023-2024 Sachem Warriors, before scoring the golden goal to lift his squad to a SCHSHL Freshman Championship. 

Sophomore Matt Lengyel JR., the captain of last seasons Warriors team, scored 7 goals and added 3 assists in 15 regular season games at the Freshman level. 

Goaltending

Former SCHSHL All-Star Michael DiGirolamo is set to return for his junior season. The Sachem netminder went 7-5-1-1 in 14 games last year and posted a 3.71 GAA. Senior Scott Loeb posted a 1.67 GAA last season for Sachem. Loeb won six games in as many starts during the 2023-2024 campaign. 

Coaching Staff 

Coach Alamia’s staff is comprised of assistant coaches Phil Trocchio, T.J. Smith and Kevin McGuire with Theresa Saunders serving as team manager.