Numbers add up as Sachems school NESS

The videographer arrived late; the pitch wasn't lined until moments before kickoff and the coach was stung by a bee. Otherwise, it was business as usual for the Sachems, who dominated the visiting New England Soccer School, 10-0 at Mullen Field Sunday.

It was easy math for all in attendance: dominant team on a roll plus weak team without a plan. Go figure!

Five of the six Sachems strikers scored: Yoav Barkai (4), Patrick Foley (2) and Ben Beyer, Michael Haley and Ethan Sweeting added one apiece. Emerging left midfielder Charlie Booth contributed the additional goal.

More paint-by-numbers: 6-0 (record), 345 (minutes without being scored upon), 30 (goals scored), 1 (goal allowed) ...

Barkai got it started (as usual), 26 seconds into the match after lovely combination passing from Foley and Booth. Foley and Barkai combined again in the 2nd minute with the latter playing the former through the gaping defense. In the 5th, Barkai did all the work himself, stealing the ball from the NESS goalkeeper and nicking it between the posts for a 3-0 lead the Sachems would never relinquish.

After Foley (from Haley and Eric Rolfs) made it 4-0, Cole Turissini advanced along the left touchling and served an early cross to Sweeting in the center, who passed to his right in stride for Beyer in the 15th minute. Beyer returned the favor in the 20th minute, with Sweeting collecting the goal. The Beyer and Sweeting goals were both scored with the home side playing just 10 men, lumbering in to halftime with a 6-0 advantage.

Excellent defensive pressure by the strikers created another goal for Barkai in the 41st minute, and the goal of the day came minutes later, Haley deliciously placing a direct free kick from 20 yards neatly into the upper right corner. In the 48th minute, Booth finished at the left post after Haley played across from Beyer's nice pass. The scoring was closed as it was opened, Barkai finishing after Beyer nicked on from Haley off Ian Steckel's throw-in.

Despite uncharacteristically providing their opponent with a couple scoring opportunities, goalkeeper Griffin Burkey (six shutouts) and the regal Sachems rearguard kept another clean sheet – Rolfs, Philip Woolston, Colin Hickey, John Driscoll and Elliot Rippe manning the turrets.

In the end, despite a weak opponent, the Sachems demonstrated classy attacking football and a sporting nature in a challenging situation. Now if they could just do something about those bees!