On Halloween, the Mahopac boys soccer team exorcised the ghosts of disappointments past, defeating local rival Lakeland 1-0 in a tense showdown to claim the Section 1 Class AA championship.
After falling at the same hurdle last year to Harrison (ironically at Lakeland), Mahopac made sure to earn the top seed this time around.
But after easing into the section final by outscoring their opponents 10-2 over the first two postseason games, Mahopac faced a gritty Lakeland squad that played lockdown defense.
Until, that is, Mahopac's go-to dangerman Nick Portanova broke through late in the first half, scoring the game's only goal off a feed from Manny Mejia.
The Pac — which came into the game ranked No. 5 in the state — then held on during a tense second half to secure a win and stand at a pinnacle no previous Mahopac soccer team has ever reached.
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