Mahopac lacrosse coach Jon Bota is hopeful that recent consecutive wins – first over visiting Joel Barlow (7-6) then against host Suffern (10-8) – can get his Wolf Pac back on track in the Section 1 Class B lacrosse world, where wins are tough to come by and state-ranked (No. 5) Yorktown likely remains the team to beat with (No. 13) Horace Greeley – the reigning sectional champion – not far behind.
Junior long stick midfielder Ryan LaRue, among the best transition players in the section, believes the Wolf Pac is headed in a competitive direction — one that might even set Mahopac on the road to a shot at its first championship since 2011.
“We are definitely headed down the right path right now,” LaRue said. “I think everyone has definitely stepped up in such a positive way, not just during the games but giving 110 percent in practice as well.”
The Wolf Pac (4-3) will need that and then some as they hit a stretch of winnable games against Tappan Zee (April 21, after this edition’s deadline), John Jay CR (April 24) and Harrison (April 29). All are home games Mahopac needs to win to be taken seriously, and they are followed by a May 5 trip to state-ranked Yorktown—perhaps the finest challenger in all of Class B.
Against Suffern on April 15, Wolf Pac junior attacker Liam Jones (3G, 1A) gave a glimpse into the future, while fresh-faced freshmen Patrick Stirpe (2G, 2A) and fellow youngblood Landon Saracco (2G, 1A) were cooking and looking into their futures.
Connor Behun (1G, 2A), Gavin O’Keefe (2G), Bobby Egan (2A), Tommy Vitello (1A) and LaRue (1A) filled the stat sheet, while M Jack Egan won 7/10 at the X and goalkeeper Kevin Feeley made eight saves.
Against Joel Barlow, O’Keefe (2G) continued his assault on goalies, while Jones (2G, 1A), Saracco (1G, 2A), Vitello (1G), Stirpe (1G) and LaRue (1A, 5 GBs) figured prominently in front of Feeley (12 saves).
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