Comsewogue, Sayville play to 1-1 tie in Suffolk League V
Comsewogue forward James Thristino looks for shooting room in a game against Sayville on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014. Credit: George A. Faella
Cameron Rode's pregame research made him uneasy.
The Sayville defender quickly discovered before Tuesday's game that Comsewogue's top scorer was James Thristino, who leads Long Island with 22 goals.
Rode became more uncomfortable when he learned it would be his job to mark Thristino -- or at least attempt to -- all game.
"Right away, I thought to myself, 'Man, I don't know if I can do this,' '' Rode said.
Then Rode learned something else.
"That was a big-time assignment," Rode said. "But after the first five minutes of the game, I found out what he liked to do and just tried to make things very difficult by being as physical as possible every time he had the ball."
It worked. In a good defensive battle from both sides, host Comsewogue and Sayville played to a 1-1 tie after two scoreless overtime periods in League V.
"It was a great tie," Rode said. "Comsewogue is the toughest team in our league. This is the best offense we've seen so far, so this is a huge accomplishment for our defense."
The Warriors (3-0-1), however, were left unsatisfied.
"We expected more," Comsewogue midfielder Jimmy Contino said. "We only wanted to win."
Contino tied it at 1 with 21 minutes left in regulation when he connected on a blast from 25 yards despite being surrounded by three defenders. "I saw a small opportunity and had to take it," Contino said.
Michael Gromling scored for Sayville (2-1-1) on a rebound off Ian Scheff's shot from close range early in the first half.
"I didn't like the way our defense played," Comsewogue defender Diego Saenz said. "We didn't talk that much in the back. We need to be more vocal. So it really feels like a loss."
Players from both teams described the matchup as the biggest game of the season so far. The two teams will play again Oct. 16, and Thristino said he learned something he can take into that game.
"By far, that was the best effort against me this season," Thristino said. "They have a great team. But I now have some stuff in mind that might work the next time we play. We'll be ready."
