Sachem North Tops Walt Whitman, Myles Jones

Sachem minimized Myles Jones last year and was successful again in stopping the Duke-bound offensive threat Wednesday afternoon.

The Arrows held him to three goals and one assist in a 17-5 victory over at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.

Ranked as the No. 10 rising senior by Inside Lacrosse this year, Jones, a hulking mass at 6-foot-5, was seemingly the only hazard Sachem had to neutralize in its quest for dominance against the Wildcats.

“It’s hard covering him, but as a unit we were able to stop him,” said Sachem senior defender Alex Harris, who played with Jones on the Long Island gold medal winning Empire State Games team. “Our defense is getting tighter and tighter as the year goes on.”

Despite a sluggish start offensively, Sachem (3-0 Division I, 5-0 overall) continued its high percentage shooting and goal totals.

Michael Andreassi and Brandon Gamblin each led Sachem with four goals and one assist. Dalton Crossan scored three goals and had one assist, while Tim Lang scored twice and added six assists.

Andreassi opened the game with the first two goals and even with an extra-man-opportunity tally by Cody Petillo with three minutes remaining in the first half the game was close. Jones scored his second of the game with 1:22 left in the quarter to keep the score within reach at 5-2 after the first stanza.

Things opened up for Sachem in the second quarter, holding Whitman to one goal and scoring four unanswered marks heading into the half.

Gamblin and Lang really came to life in the third quarter combining for three goals and two assists as Sachem went on to score five unanswered goals to close out the offensive production before a scoreless fourth quarter for both teams.

“They were a better team today, they were terrific,” said Whitman coach Robert Howell. “We didn’t play up to the standard that we can play.”

Jones, who said Whitman (2-1, 3-2) had been preparing for a tough Sachem defense, either scored or assisted on four of Whitman’s five goals. On paper, Whitman hasn’t struggled offensively, scoring 12 or more goals in three of its five games. Against opponents like Sachem, however, deficiencies are glaring.

“Our offense has been our weak point this year,” Jones said. “It’s been a struggle all year, a lot of guys are young. It’s hard for coach to put guys in spots. We have so much talent to fit together and make a good puzzle, but it’s difficult.”

Time of possession and ball control proved to be a major asset for Sachem. Jones praised Sachem freshman Trent Crossan for his face off abilities, serving as a catalyst by grabbing balls early.

“He dominated,” Jones said. “If we don’t get the ball, it’s hard for us.”

Whitman heads to Commack for its next Division I game on Saturday.

Sachem North: Michael Andreassi (4g, 1a), Brandon Gamblin (4g, 1a), Dalton Crossan (3g, 1a), Tim Lang (2g, 6a), Cody Petillo (1g, 2a), Jack Gannon (1g, 2a), Shawn Murphy (1g) and Jesse Scanna (1a). Saves: Tim Matos 3, Gerald Logan 3 and Travis Selesky 1.

Whitman: Myles Jones (3g, 1a), Kevin Teresky (2g), Ben Shepherd (1a). Saves: Greg Stolpe 11.