Sometimes, glory is about grinding it out.
State-ranked Mahopac Class AA (No. 20) demonstrated just that in a 1-0 road win over upstart Walter Panas on Sept. 30, a result that kept momentum going into a 2-0 road win over Carmel on Oct. 3.
The two victories extended the 8-1-1 Wolf Pac's unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1).
Against Panas, it took a vintage header from senior forward Jack Rothmann at the 11:42 mark of the second half — set up by a choice cross from senior forward Chris Flanagan — to seal the deal over the vastly improved Panthers.
Wolf Pac junior goalkeeper Connor Sterbens (6 saves) came up with several clutch stops to preserve the victory while notching his sixth clean sheet of the year.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Mahopac coach Chris Mulholland said. “Panas is a really good team and I’m glad they’re not up in Class AA with us this year."
Mulholland praised Sterbens for keeping Mahopac in the game.
"Connor played great," he said. "He’s been one of the most consistent players on the team all season.”
Panas, ranked No. 8 in NYS Class A, wasn’t going down without a fight.
“I think the defense really stepped up today, winning the first balls and just not letting them start any attacks,” Wolf Pac junior captain Nick Portanova said. “Same with the midfield, closing down right away and forcing them to make mistakes and to go backwards. The attack created a lot of good chances, but we were unlucky not to score more. Connor also came up with some big saves and just overall we played well today.”
Against Carmel, Rothmann kept his head in the game once again and produced the game-winning goal at the 26:49 mark of the second half. Sophomore forward Manny Mejia added an insurance score, while Portanova and Flanagan each had an assist for a Wolf Pac that looks to take its game to another level.
“Carmel is a hard place to play,” Mulholland admitted. “It was a good result to get the win but we’ve got a lot to improve on.
“We’ve been putting in the culture part of the program since 2020; it just took a few years for it to actually catch on,” the coach added. “It’s great to see the boys buy in and commit to the program the way they have. Now, the work is to keep it where we want it to be, and that’s winning games.”
At Peekskill on Sept. 28, Mejia scored twice while Portanova added a goal to power a 3-0 road win. Standout junior defender Evan Paris-Devane and Rothmann provided assists, while Sterbens notched the shutout.
Mahopac was scheduled to visit Lakeland on Oct. 6 before hosting Brewster Oct. 8. The Wolf Pac will also face a monster test when Mahopac hosts state-ranked (No. 2) Class A Rye on Oct. 14 before closing out the regular season against Carmel Oct. 16.
All games are slated for a 5 p.m. first touch.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here