Chizzonitti helps Sachem hockey recover

At a preseason tournament in early September, the Sachem hockey team appeared to be in dire straits. They hadn't been able to practice on ice during the offseason because of the cost, and with just one practice under their belts, they dropped three games at the scrimmage. Sachem looked to be far from 2010's playoff team, and half the players from that squad were gone.

"We were flat, had no legs," coach Al Posillico said. "Then we started practicing a few times a week, and the kids who play travel were on the ice even more. You could see the whole team getting exponentially better."

Four games into the Suffolk season, Sachem is 2-2, losing by just a goal to Smithtown, which projects to be one of the top teams in the Suffolk County High School Hockey League this season.

"We're going to be one of those teams, that if people underestimate us, they're going to be in trouble," Posillico said.

Sachem is riding a two-game winning streak after beating Northport-Huntington 6-3 on Oct. 5 and St. Anthony's 8-4 on Oct. 10. Part of the reason is Chris Chizzonitti, who had a hat trick in the win over St. Anthony's.

It's still a long way to the playoffs, but Sachem is looking a long way from how it did in September.