Mahopac’s September surge now has a signature win, and it came in a match that felt every bit like a late-October preview.
Things are starting to click for the 2025 Section 1 Class AA runner-up Wolf Pac, and Thursday’s showdown with state-ranked (No. 6) Lakeland was the clearest proof yet. The Wolf Pac (6-1-1) didn’t just beat the Hornets (7-1): They limited their abilities at both ends in a 3-0 verdict built on tempo, toughness and a midfield that refused to blink.
Junior midfielder Nick Portanova set the tone almost immediately, burying one early for a 1-0 lead and then striking again with 2:26 remaining to put the Hornets on ice. His presence at central midfield has become the team’s compass: steady, physical and relentlessly forward-thinking.
Behind him, Mahopac’s midfield and back line smothered Lakeland’s high-powered attack, turning what was billed as a pregame toss-up into a showcase of Mahopac’s evolving identity. The Wolf Pac didn’t just win — they announced themselves to Section 1 Class AA.
“The boys played a really good game,” Mahopac coach Chris Mulholland said. “We’ve done a good job on building each game and improving. This game was a great example and a really good result.”
Mahopac senior Justin Beberman, who provides good bulk and a huge spark off the bench, struck point-blank for a 2-0 lead at 21:08 of the second half off a crisp cross from sophomore forward Manny Mejia (2A), who plied craft and a deft touch up front, along with rangy senior Christopher Flanagan (1A).
Portanova, junior midfielder Hawi Odongo and junior midfielder Ramsey Canafe controlled the midfield, working in sync to both defend and move along transition. Beberman, Mejia and senior captain Jack Rothmann are among several competent goal scorers up top. The back line of “Big Mike” Oteng, junior Cori Aliberti, sophomore Connor Healy, junior Evan Paris-Devane, junior Bryce Richardson and junior goalkeeper Conor Sterbens have recorded five shutouts through eight games, with Oteng being the lone senior.
“We played a great game against Lakeland, and our defense played really well,” Oteng said. “We practice with full intensity every day and work hard toward our goal. Me, Cori, Healy and Evan have been in a good flow right now and we understand each other's weaknesses and strengths, so we feed off each other to make us better players.”
It’s not just on the field where the group exemplifies unity, including making a team banner that drew some lighthearted laughs.
“In practice we work hard and then hang out after to build a good chemistry and that led to our win over Lakeland,” Oteng said.
The defense springs the offense and all units are working together.
“Jack (Rothmann) and Manny (Mejia) are great players to have on the team as well because they provide us with so many options and it just makes the job easier for the defense,” Oteng said, “and then the players that just come in and give full effort are the type of players we all want to become.”
The two clubs meet again on Oct. 6 at the Hive, with a league title potentially on the line.
Leading up to Lakeland, Mahopac bounced host Peekskill at Torpy Field on Sept. 22 by a 4-0 count, doing so largely on the back of senior midfielder Chris Flanagan’s first career hat trick. Senior forward Jack Rothmann added a pair of assists to set up Flanagan. Sophomore forward Manny Mejia bagged a goal, and junior midfielder Nick Portanova added an assist while Sterbens (four saves) added a clean sheet between the pipes.
Portanova did major damage in Mahopac’s 5-1 victory over host RCK on Sept. 17, scoring two goals and setting up a third. Mejia, Justin Beberman and Jeremy Fuentes each added a goal, while Flanagan, Rothmann and junior defender Evan Paris-Devane each had an assist. Sterbens recorded five saves.
The Wolf Pac defense is aggressive but routinely smart for the most part.
“Me, Cori and Oteng all have one thing in common: That we can dominate games with our defending,” Odongo said, “and I feel like it’s just our chemistry and how we know how we all play that makes us great together. We’re very happy with this start but this is just the beginning of what we’re going to do this season.”
In a 3-3 tie with visiting Fox Lane on Sept. 19, Portanova, Mejia and junior defender Bryce Richardson each scored a goal.
As they head into October, the Wolf Pac are one of six exceptional challengers for Class AA supremacy, including Lakeland (7-1), Eastchester (4-0), Greeley (4-1-2), Fox Lane (3-0-2), Harrison (5-1, only loss was to Rye, which may be best overall team in Section 1) and Mahopac (lost by a goal at Harrison and tied Fox Lane).
“Class AA is a bear and every quarterfinal game, and semifinal game will be massive games, and two programs are going to have to really earn it to get to a finals,” Lakeland coach Tim Hourahan said. “We have six teams that have had a legitimate start. This is the deepest class in Section 1 by a mile. Mahopac is a team with great confidence, having made the Class AA finals last year, and they believe they will be in that game again. We are now chasing them for sure and we do get another crack at them back at Lakeland in less than two weeks.
“After we gave up an early goal, we got back into the game and played well for the last 20 of the half,” he added. “I thought we deserved a PK at one point, and to be fair they should have played down a man. It's wild that neither was called. However, their top guys — Manny and Portanova — showed up and our top guys did not play their best game. Mahopac got the second goal midway through the second half, and we kind of brought in some self-doubt. They deserved to win the game, but the game was closer than 3-0.”
Mahopac didn’t flinch against a state-ranked opponent. They dictated pace, absorbed pressure and finished chances — the exact formula that wins in late October.
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