In a matter of minutes Sachem’s emotional high from tying the game in the final minute was deflated by having its season finished in sudden death overtime.
After Harrison Weilbacher tied the game at 1-1 with a dramatic goal for Sachem with 32.5 seconds left in regulation, Smithtown West’s Garrett Sweeney finished it with a goal at the 7:00 minute mark in sudden death overtime to give the Bulls a 2-1 victory in the Suffolk County Class AA quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.
No. 12 Sachem North (10-8) came into the game after an upset victory over No. 5 Newfield on the road. It was the first win for the Flaming Arrows as a League I school since prior to the 2004-2005 school district split.
Sachem goalie Brian Armstrong made four saves in the loss.
East boys lose to Hills West
The Sachem East boys soccer team lost to Half Hollow Hills West, 1-0, in the Suffolk County Class AA quarterfinals on Friday. The Arrows finished 8-7 during the 2012 season.
North girls lose to Ward Melville
Sachem North lost to fourth-seeded Ward Melville, 3-0, in the Suffolk County Class AA quarterfinals on Friday. Sachem finished 8-6-2.
-Words and photos by Chris R. Vaccaro