Lakeland falls in title game 

For second seed Lakeland, playing in the Section 1 Class AA championship game against host, top seed Mahopac on Saturday morning, was a golden opportunity to exact revenge for two regular-season losses to the Wolf Pac.

Mahopac won the first game between the two schools 3-0 at Mahopac on Sept. 30, with the Wolf Pac also winning 6-0 at Lakeland on Oct. 6.

The championship matchup was a much closer affair, but in the end, it produced the same victor, with Mahopac, ranked No. 5 in the Class AA state poll, winning 1-0 to earn its first sectional title in boys soccer.

“We put a plan in place to keep the game low scoring and the boys followed the tactics how we wanted,” said Lakeland coach Tim Hourahan. “That team had scored nine goals on us in the first two meetings of the year. We gave ourselves a chance to win yesterday by playing a low pressure counter attacking style.”

For Lakeland, it was its first appearance in a sectional title game since 2011, when the Hornets were co-regional champions, having lost in a shootout to Maine-Endwell to determine who went to the state Final Four. That Hornet squad, under Hourahan, finished No. 7 in the state soccer rankings. 

Lakeland reached five sectional finals between 2001 to 2011, winning three of them. 

Lakeland sophomore Nick Ahmataj said getting to the title game “really means a lot” and added that “it feels amazing to be part of a team like this. I love all my teammates, and this season has really brought us closer together. They’ve become like a second family to me.”

The Hornets, to their credit, created some scoring opportunities but just couldn’t get the ball past Mahopac goalie Connor Sterbens and the Wolf Pac’s stingy defense, which recorded 10 shutouts and allowed just 7 goals during the regular season. 

One of those opportunities came with 27:36 remaining in the first half, when Lakeland created a scramble in the 18-yard box but a Mahopac defender kicked the ball over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.

Roughly six minutes later, Lakeland had another scoring chance off the left foot of Dan Flannery but Sterbens came up with the save. 

Keeping Lakeland, tied with West Islip for 20th in the Class AA state poll, in the game was 8 saves from Aiden Plouffe. One of them came with 5:09 left in the first half. 

That’s when Plouffe made a save on a shot inside the 18, taken by Manny Mejia, then gained possession of the ball to prevent the rebound.  

“Aiden had a remarkable season and was part of the reason we were able to keep advancing,” Hourahan said. “He only gave up one goal in four playoff games and played with a massive amount of confidence to end his career here at Lakeland.”

Mahopac eventually got on the board with 3:50 left in the opening half. That’s when its top goal scorer, Nick Portanova, took a shot from inside the 18, which found the bottom right corner of the goal, courtesy of an assist from Mejia. 

For Portanova, it was his 16th goal of the season. 

Lakeland had a great chance to tie it when Ahmataj took a free kick from the far right side of the field, at the 15-yard line. Ahmataj’s rocket shot of a kick appeared headed inside the crossbar to tie the game but Sterbens leaped in the air just in time to knock the ball over it, with 36 seconds remaining before halftime.

“In that moment, all I was thinking about was getting one back before halftime so we wouldn’t go into the break down a goal,” Ahmataj said. “Unfortunately, the keeper made an incredible save.”

The Hornets had two chances late to tie it, one during a scramble in front of the net but couldn’t convert and another one with a shot that just missed from getting inside the right post. 

“We were returning only three starters from the 2025 season and to get back to the sectional finals was a great accomplishment but we did come up one win short of the goal,” Hourahan said. “I think that will be a driving factor in this program for the 19 kids we have coming back next fall.”

Lakeland defeated visiting No. 14 John Jay-Cross River 3-0 on Oct. 28 in the semifinals, with Chris Paljusevic (2G), Matteo DiLaura (1G), Ahmataj (2A), Luke Gomes (1A), and Plouffe (9 saves) doing the honors for the Hornets.   

The Hornets (14-5-1) won their Oct. 26 quarterfinal contest with a 2-0 triumph against visiting No. 10 Horace Greeley, led by Christian Moscati (2G), Ahmataj (1A), DiLaura (1A), and Plouffe (7 saves).