Mahopac boys stay hot, turn back Carmel, Arlington

MAHOPAC, N.Y.—Lacrosse is a game of runs, and the Mahopac High boys showed they can reel off a string of goals with the best of them last week, taking down Carmel and Arlington with big runs that decided both games. 

The Wolf Pac turned a 5-1 game into a laugher last Friday at Arlington, dropping a 7-1 run on the Admirals to go up 12-2 four minutes into the fourth, in a game Mahopac won, 13-5.

Two days earlier at Carmel, the Pac trailed 3-1 after one, before a decisive, 6-1, second-period tear was the difference in a game Mahopac took, 12-10.

The Arlington win gave Mahopac (9-5) a four-game win streak, and the team has won five of its last six. It’s a good time to be playing your best ball, with only two games left in the regular season and playoffs looming.

“We’ve been playing well, we’re probably playing our best lacrosse of the season,” coach Jon Bota said. “We’re still learning how to start games well, but we’re getting better.” 

Liam Jones led the charge at Arlington, with a hat-trick and two assists. Gavin O’Keefe and Bryan Margolis each had two goals and an assist, Bobby Egan scored twice, Pat Mahoney had a goal and an assist, Derek Lorusso, Tommy Vitello, and Gio Mirabile each scored, and Andrew Boga had one assist. Keepers Lucas Lambertson and Kevin Feeley combined on seven stops in net. 

“Jones has produced significant points in our last few games,” Bota said of the sophomore attacker, who totaled 10 points in two games. “He and Gavin O’Keefe have been stepping up for us, and our defense has been playing really well.”

At Carmel, the Rams opened with a 3-1 first, but trailed 7-4 by halftime, after the Pac got hot in the second period. Carmel won the second half, 6-5, but it wasn’t enough.

Senior captain Brayden Torrey had a big game with three goals and four assists, Jones scored four goals and added an assist, Egan had two goals and an assist, O’Keefe scored and handed out a pair of assists, Ryan LaRue had a goal, and Lorusso and Margolis each had an assist. Lambertson made nine saves in goal for the Pac.

“Carmel has one of the best midfielders in the section (Thomas Connelly), and we didn’t play well early,” Bota said. “In the second, we woke up a bit. When the ball swings, our game is good, our transition is good… most of our goals are fast-break goals, transition, off turnovers. 

“Torrey really stepped up in that game,” Bota went on. “He took over on both sides of the ball, and our defensive unit really played a strong game.”

Mahopac was set to host Wappingers for Senior Night Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., and the Pac closes the regular season Thursday at Hen Hud with a 5 p.m. faceoff. Playoffs are set to begin with first-round action May 22 and May 23.