Mahopac faced its toughest test so far this season on Monday, taking on defending Section 1 champ Harrison. The 1-0 loss showed that the Pac (3-1) still has room to build after a 3-0 start. Win or lose, the early Harrison match was set to be an important step toward taking the Wolf Pac to the next level come playoff time.
Mahopac rolled through its 2025 regular season undefeated and reached the Section 1 Class AA final for the first time in program history, only to see its dream season end in a blink.
But the cultural shift sparked during the 2024-25 campaigns — the confidence, the identity, the expectation of winning — appears to be carrying straight into 2026.
A 3-0 start has triggered real optimism that Mahopac wasn’t a one‑and‑done title contender, even after absorbing massive graduation losses. Instead, the early returns suggest the Wolf Pac has built something sturdier: a standard, not a moment.
Last Wednesday's 2-1 win over visiting Suffern further fueled the fire, but wins over a rebuilding Yorktown, Brewster and Suffern were just confidence builders heading into Monday’s Section 1 Class AA championship rematch with host and reigning champion Harrison.
Speaking before that Monday showdown, Wolf Pac coach Chris Mulholland said his team was ready to keep pushing.
“Yeah, 3-0 is a great start, but we have some really tough games coming up, so it will be important for the boys to keep pushing and gain momentum as we get through the season,” the coach said. “Harrison will be a great test for us.”
As was Suffern. But Mahopac sent the Mounties back over the ol’ TZ bridge with a hard-fought setback after Wolf Pac senior midfielder Christopher Flanagan and sophomore forward Manny Mejia — who has been a difference-maker — each scored. Junior midfielder Nick Portanova and senior forward Jack Rothmann, both emergent forces, each set up a tally, resulting in a 2-0 lead.
While it was a strong showing, Mulholland believes there's still room for improvement.
“The first half was good, but in the second half we slowed down,” the coach said. “Good result, yes, but not our best performance. Credit to Suffern for being really organized and making it hard for us to find space in their half.”
The Harrison match on Monday, Sept. 14, saw the Wolf Pac suffer its first loss of the season, a gritty 1-0 setback on the road against the defending section champs.
The Wolf Pac defense put forth a stingy effort, but the offense could not finish several strong opportunities, according to Mulholland.
“Hawi Odongo has been great for us in the defensive midfield and he had a great game against Harrison. He had a strong presence and was a good ball winner. Cori Aliberti has been very solid to start the season at center back for us as well, proving to be a very fast and smart defender.”
While there are no moral victories on the pitch, a 1-0 loss to the Huskies should provide some additional hope to what has already been a promising start for the Wolf Pac.
“It was a disappointing result but I thought we played well, just couldn’t finish the chances that we created,” Mulholland said. “It was a great test for us against one of the top teams in the section, and I thought we controlled for a majority of the game.”
Mahopac has a busy schedule and will look to get back to winning ways with matches at RCK on Thursday, Sept. 17 (5 p.m.) before facing Fox Lane at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18. The Wolf Pac will then visit Peekskill at Torpy Field on Tuesday, Sept. 22 (5 p.m.) and host Lakeland two days later at 5 p.m.
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