SHRUB OAK,N.Y.—Coming off a disappointing first-round Section 1 Class AA playoff exit at the hands of rival Carmel in the fall of 2024, a seasoned Mahopac unit will return in 2025 looking to make good on a campaign that ended sooner than the eighth-seeded Wolf Pac had expected.
And if the 18th annual Lakeland Summer Soccer League is any indicator for the upcoming fall season, Mahopac was well on its way—until that pesky Carmel club did the Wolf Pac in yet again. Their July 29 summer league playoff game at Lakeland High School ended in a 1-1 draw, but Carmel prevailed in a penalty kick shootout, 4-3.
The loss was vexing, given that Mahopac had bounced Carmel 4-0 in the summer league's regular-season finale on July 25, giving the Wolf Pac an impressive 6-1 record heading into the playoffs. Mahopac allowed just three goals all summer behind senior backline standouts Servando Gonzalez and James Healy.
The Wolf Pac know what they have in senior Aidan Paris-Devane—better known as "APD" on the soccer circuit—a two-time all-star at the recent Hudson Valley ID Camp and a big-time midfielder who has already drawn interest from Pace University and several SUNY schools.
His top-notch sidekick, senior striker Oliver Filip, was unavailable for the summer scrum with Carmel, which made it tough for the Wolf Pac to score in the crucial opening round. Filip is a legit threat to find the back of the net when chances come his way.
The loss to Carmel shouldn’t diminish Mahopac’s outlook for the forthcoming season, according to Lakeland coach Tim Hourahan, who has his finger on the pulse of Section 1 soccer more than most.
“Mahopac looks every bit the part of a Final Four team in Class AA this season,” Hourahan said.
For that to happen, guys like senior midfielder Justin Chin, blooming sophomore midfielder Nick Portanova, and keepers Tyler Long and sophomore Connor Sterbens—plus a slew of others—will need to step up big time.
“Class AA is wide open,” Hourahan said of the upcoming Section 1 season. “Class AA seems to be the strongest class in Section 1 for this upcoming fall season. Along with Harrison, which is loaded this season, Yorktown and Mahopac have been the next two strongest teams in my summer league play. Then you add Ossining, dropping from AAA to AA, Fox Lane and Horace Greeley, and Class AA is absolutely stacked.
“Harrison has been far and away the best team this summer,” Hourahan added. “After winning their round-of-16 playoff game 4-0 over RCK (Roy C. Ketcham in Wappingers Falls), they are now 9-0 overall, scoring 20 goals and allowing just one. They have a very similar feel to me as Ardsley last summer, who came on and ran through the summer league, playing at a high level. Ardsley then parlayed that into their first sectional title appearance in decades in Class A. Harrison, being led by senior keeper Ryan Sottile, is poised for a monster year, but Mahopac can give any of these teams a run for their money.”
The Wolf Pac are aware they could be in the hunt for the first Section 1 title in school history—if they play their cards right.
“We know we have the talent and ability to go out there and compete with anyone, and with a lot of hard work and dedication, we could win the section,” Paris-Devane said.
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