The Wolf Pac boys soccer team opened the 2025 season with a pair of statement wins last week, rolling over Horace Greeley, 7–1, in the season opener last Wednesday (Sept. 3), before shutting out RCK, 3–0, in the team’s home opener last Friday.
At home against Ketcham, senior mid Justin Chin got the Pac on the board 12 minutes in, assisted by junior Michael Oteng. Ten minutes later it was sophomore Nikolas Portanova converting a penalty kick, and three minutes before halftime, junior Jack Rothmann found the net off a pass from Jeremey Fuentes to send Mahopac into the half with a 3-0 lead.
Mahopac keeper Tyler Long had five saves in net, and RCK netminder Ben Shutter finished with seven.
“The guys are playing really well,” Pac coach Chris Mulholland said. “All of the work we’ve done really showed in the first two games. We ambushed Greeley early (four goals came in an 11-minute span), and RCK was a little more of a grind. But we did a really nice job of shutting them (RCK) down all game, and not allowing them an opportunity to get back in.
“We played slow, and controlled the ball,” Mulholland added of his team’s strategy. “We let them make mistakes, and when we had the ball, we valued it. Portanova (a new player) had a great game for us, he’s been really strong so far. Chin, a returning player, has been a workhorse for us, and Aidan Paris-Devane and James Healy (senior captains) both played great, and have been great leaders for us.”
Two days earlier in Chappaqua, the Pac put six goals in the net in the first half to take control.
Chin finished with two goals, Paris-Devane had two goals and two assists, Fuentes had a goal and assist, Oteng had two assists, Portanova had an assist, and junior Justin Beberman scored his first goal of the season.
Long had six saves in net for Mahopac, while Greeley’s Jake Levy had six stops.
The Wolf Pac lost All-Section performer Kody Booth and All-Leager Victor Beltrami to graduation, but the team returns starters Paris-Devane, Healy, and Chin from last year’s 8-5-3 team that lost in the first round of the playoffs to Carmel.
“We lost the majority of our starting lineup, so we have a new looking team,” Mulholland said. “But the quality remains. We have a lot of new players, and they’re hungry, smart, and dedicated to the sport. We had a solid summer league, but we lost the Carmel at the end, and I think that motivated them. And that’s shown in our first two games: They’re showing the ability they have.
“We’re excited about Oteng, he’s been a great center back,” Mulholland added. “Flanagan, Portonova, Rothmann, (soph) Evan Paris-Devane, (soph) Cory Aliberti… There’s a lot of talent there. They’re young, but not intimidated, and they want to compete. The goal is the same as last year—to win the section. And we’ve made strides, and we’re all on the same page.”
The team’s big first big test comes Saturday (Sept. 13) at Yorktown, with that time TBA.
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