Schaefer's goal helps Sachem North stun West Islip

After taking a feed from Mike Andreassi as he cut to the crease during the second minute of overtime, Phil Schaefer left his feet to launch a shot. He and his Sachem North teammates haven't come back down to earth yet.

Schaefer's shot landed in the back of the net and Sachem North (2-0) shot down West Islip (0-1), the nation's No. 1-ranked boys lacrosse team, 13-12, Wednesday in the first game on the Lions' new turf field.

"I'm a senior and for all four years, my goal was to beat West Islip," said Schaefer, who totaled three goals and one assist, and wound up on the bottom of a pile of exuberant teammates who mobbed him after his game-winner. "This is a great feeling."

Said Andreassi, a hard-shooting junior who had a career game with five goals, four assists and a key faceoff win in overtime: "This game gets us a lot of respect. Ever since the split [in 2004], we lost our spot on top." Indeed, Sachem North was seeded only No. 8 in Suffolk's tough Division I.

"This was a statement game that shows how far the program has come. But there are 16 more bells to be rung," said Flaming Arrows coach Jay Mauro, referring to the 18-game regular-season schedule.

West Islip has been Suffolk's bellwether program for years. The Lions are the defending state Class A champs and have won three state titles in the last four years. They entered this season ranked No. 1 nationally by Inside Lacrosse and feature IL's top-rated recruit, North Carolina-bound senior attack Nicky Galasso. But they struggled at times with a new defensive core, and turned the ball over at key junctures.

Galasso, who scored 71 goals in 2009, netted five goals, including one on a feed from Rob Moore with 1:45 left that gave West Islip a 12-11 lead. But an errant pass and an ill-advised shot gave Sachem North an opportunity. Andreassi, who had tied it at 11 on a bullet from the wing with 1:56 left, found Schaefer for the game-tying goal with 1:20 left.

SEE PHOTOSSachem North 13, West Islip 12

The duo hooked up again with 2:47 left in the four-minute overtime. "They doubled me and one defender fell down," Andreassi said. "Phil was open on the crease."

Schaefer, only 5-7, 135, came up huge. "I was in the air and shot it high," he said. "I saw an opening. Coach told us all game, if you have the shot, take it."

Arrows' junior Jake Cabble took that philosophy to heart, scoring four goals, three of which gave his unflappable team a one-goal lead.

"We got what we deserved," West Islip coach Scott Craig said. "We didn't play well enough to win. We're pretty high on ourselves, so this is a reality check."

SEE PHOTOSHigh school sports -- March

With the sting of a bruising body check.