Mamaroneck stuns Mahopac in Class A final

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* Follow Section 1 boys lax on Twitter @MSGV_Icass *

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Peter Conley heard what happened the last time Mamaroneck played for a Section 1 boys lacrosse title back in 1988.

"We got smacked by Yorktown," he said.

Oh, how the times have changed.

The No. 10-seeded Tigers (10-10) pulled off the upset of the season on Wednesday at White Plains High School, shocking defending champ and No. 4-seeded Mahopac (11-8), 9-8, in the Section 1 Class A finals. It marked Mamaroneck's first sectional title in program history.

"We knew coming into this game there was no pressure on us and we were the underdogs the whole time," said the Georgetown-bound Conley. "The odds were against us, but we continued to make play after play."

And nobody made more of them than Thomas Brill. The junior goalie, who was named the starter after Colgate-bound star Jake Danehy went down with a shoulder injury during hockey season, was spectacular with 20 saves. He made 10 stops in the third quarter alone as Mamaroneck held Mahopac to just two second-half goals.

"Thomas played unbelievable in the second half," Conley said. "He really made some ridiculous saves when (Mahopac) was taking shot after shot."

According to Conley, Danhey has played a crucial roll in Brill's development.

"Jake's been working with him every single day and getting him to the point where he can make those tough saves in the big games," he said. "He's done it all throughout the playoffs and it's been unreal."

So, too, has Mamaroneck's remarkable run to the title. The Tigers haven't been favored in a single postseason game, however, they have managed to pull off consecutive upsets over White Plains, Arlington, Suffern and now Mahopac.

"We got into a rhythm and started playing our best lacrosse in the playoffs when it mattered most," Brill said. "We came together as a team."

Against Mahopac, Mamaroneck saw it all come together after a rocky opening quarter. The Indians jumped out to an early 5-2 lead and appeared to be on the verge of blowing it wide open. But the Tigers stayed the course and started to gain the upper hand.

Mamaroneck's steady approach proved effective, as it outscored Mahopac 7-3 over the final three quarters of play. Justin Csenge buried the go-ahead goal to make it 8-7 with 6:05 left in regulation. Conley then added an insurance goal at the 4:15 mark.

Overall, Conley and Greenberg powered the offense with four goals apiece. The childhood friends played like they were out in the backyard, showcasing wildly creative moves to the cage and deft finishing in transition.

"We knew from the beginning of the season that most of our offense was going to have to be on us since we've been playing (the sport) longest," said Conley, who sat out the first 10 games of the season with an injury.

Overall, Conley was the best player on the field. Matched up against one of Section 1's best long poles in Brendan Hynes, he put on an offensive clinic with an array of dodges and shots from various levels and angles.

"There was a lot of hype about (Hynes)," Conley said. "He's definitely one of the better poles in the section. I talked to Tommy Beck from John Jay and he said to not overdo it. Just make one hard move and go. On my first goal of the game, I did exactly what he said. I just did one quick move, got topside and scored."

And Mamaroneck never looked back.

For Mahopac, Tyler Weisberg led the way with a hat-trick. James Schiera and Anthony Berardis added two goals apiece. Ross Thompson rounded out the offensive production with one goal and one assist. Goalie Brandon Crecco made 10 saves.

Next up, the Tigers will play Section 2's Niskayuna in the regional finals on June 2 at Clarkstown South High School at 3:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE
Mamaroneck 2 4 1 2 9
Mahopac       5 1 1 1 8

SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
MK (11:08) Scott Greenberg unassisted |1-0 MK
MP (7:56) Ross Thompson unassisted |1-1
MK (7:24) Peter Conley unassisted | 2-1 MK
MP (6:31) James Schiera unassisted | 2-2
MP (3:18) Tyler Weisberg unassisted | 3-2 MP
MP (2:37) Weisberg from Thompson | 4-2 MP *
MP (1:07) Anthony Berardis unassisted | 5-2 MP
Second quarter
MK (8:13) Greenberg from Justin Csenge | 5-3 MP
MP (6:19) Weisberg unassisted | 6-3 MP
MK (3:04) Conley unassisted | 6-4 MP *
MK (1:30) Greenberg unassisted | 6-5 MP
MK (0:25) Conley from Alex Roth | 6-6
Third quarter
MK (2:04) Greenberg unassisted | 7-6 MP *
MP (0:31) Schiera unassisted | 7-7
Fourth quarter
MK (10:09) Csenge unassisted | 8-7 MK
MK (4:15) Conley unassisted | 9-7 MK
MP (2:02) Berardis unassisted | 9-8 MK
* Indicates man-up goal

FACEOFFS
Mamaroneck: 6/21
Mahopac: 15/21

GROUND BALLS
Mamaroneck: 34
Mahopac 44

TURNOVERS
Mamaroneck: 28
Mahopac 28

Email Isaac Cass at Icass@cablevision.com | Follow him on Twitter @MSGV_Icass

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