Sachem East Girls Soccer Captures First Outright County Championship Since 2007

A connection between two underclassmen delivered a championship moment for Sachem East girls soccer.

Sophomore midfielder Hailey Lessuk set up junior forward Gabriella Arculeo for the deciding goal as the top-seeded Arrows defeated No. 2 Connetquot, 1-0, in the Suffolk County Class AAA final at West Islip High School on Thursday night.

The victory secured Sachem East’s first outright county championship since 2007. The program last shared the title with Ward Melville in spring 2021.

The scoring opportunity began when Lessuk intercepted a pass on the left wing and sent the ball into the penalty area from approximately 20 yards out. Her pass slipped through Connetquot’s defense and reached Arculeo in front of the net. Meeting the ball in stride, Arculeo slipped a shot beneath the goalkeeper and into the back-left corner.

With just one senior among its 23 players, Sachem East has turned a youthful roster into a championship team. The Arrows improved to 14-2-1 and now have an opportunity to add a Long Island title to their season.

Sachem East will face Oceanside in the Long Island Class AAA championship game Sunday at 4 p.m. at Farmingdale State College.