Yorktown Keeps the Murphy Cup

YORKTOWN, N.Y. –The 34th edition of the Murphy Cup, named after Charlie Murphy, the founder of the Yorktown boys lacrosse program, always brings out the best in Yorktown and Lakeland/Panas, and this year was no different.

A goal by Kyle Gallagher late in the third quarter pulled the Rebels to within one before the Huskers answered with two goals in the final stanza by Chad Bowen (13/15 faceoffs) and Ryan Vogel, helping the Huskers garner a 7-5 victory on May 11 on Charlie Murphy Field at Yorktown High School.

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Yorktown now has a 31-3 record in Murphy Cup competition. The Rebels last cup win came in 2010, the same year Lakeland/Panas also beat the Huskers in the Section 1 Class A title game.

“I’m really happy for our seniors,” said Yorktown coach Tim Schurr. “They practice hard, they play hard, and they are getting better. They are leading by example, which is nice. It (the win) means a lot.”

One of those seniors is All-American long-stick middie and Yorktown co-captain Chris Constantine.

“Every year it’s always a battle, no matter what year it is, it’s always a close game,” Constantine said. “Just doing it with this group of guys that love each other, it (the win) is very meaningful.”

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Even in a loss, Lakeland/Panas coach Joe Macchi appreciated of the game’s meaning.

“As a guy who didn’t play for Lakeland/Panas or Yorktown, I’m a Mahopac guy, so it’s an honor I get to be part of this,” Macchi said. “I feel lucky because I know that people around the area would kill to play in a moment like this. I’m definitely grateful that I get to be a part of this great tradition in our area and I tell the boys the same thing, that the other lacrosse kids around the area would love to be able to play in a game with this kind of impact. I just tell them to cherish this moment and they came out and played their butts off.”

JT Carney gave Yorktown a 1-0 lead before Lakeland/Panas’ CC Savastano, assisted by Jack Jimenez, tied the game.

Then in the last 1:43 of the first quarter, Yorktown scored three times, with two of the goals coming from Nick Carducci, assisted by Gianluca Marchini and Carney, with a goal from Marchini, assisted by Brady McEnroe in-between them, giving the Huskers a 4-1 lead.

“Nick Carducci, credit to Nick, he’s earned a starting spot,” Schurr said. “The last three, four games, he’s done very, very well. He gave us a nice spark early in the game with a couple of goals.”

Lakeland/Panas started the scoring in the second quarter on a goal by Vinny Savastano, assisted by Thomas Kuney, before Carney answered with a goal, courtesy of a Ryan Vogel assist.

Kuney, with an assist from Bubba Baumeister, with 48.2 seconds left before halftime, cut the Yorktown lead to 5-3. Gallagher would score the only goal of the third quarter with 26.2 seconds left in it, to pull the Rebels to within one.

“Kyle stepped up, he made a great move to the goal, and a great finish,” Macchi said. “They have a great goalie, so goals were not easy to come by.”

That goalie was Hunter Mezzatesta, who made 7 saves for the Huskers.

“My motto is, if I can see it, I’m going to make the save and if I allow a goal, I am going to put it in the past, a short memory,” Mezzatesta said.

Bowen then halted the Rebels’ momentum and scored with 7:58 left in the game, giving Yorktown a 6-4 lead.

“He (Bowen) stepped up, he made the play that had to be made, and it really transitioned the game our way,” Constantine said.

That transition continued when a goal by Vogel increased the Huskers’ advantage to three, with Lakeland/Panas’ Will Moore scoring the final goal of the game with 39.3 seconds remaining in it.

“It (the win) means everything,” Mezzatesta said. “We play on Murphy Field, we do this for Mr. Murph, Charlie Murphy.”

Lakeland/Panas’ KC Bryan also had a solid game in goal with 12 saves.

Yorktown (11-4) began the week with a 14-1 victory at Briarcliff on May 6, led by Carducci (2G), Constantine (1G, 1A), Marchini (5G), Devin Carney (1G), JT Carney (2G), Vogel (4A), Ryan Fastiggi (1G), Frank Ofrias (1A), Dylan DelVecchio (1G, 2A), Brady Sheridan (1G, 1A), Bowen (10/12 faceoffs), and Matt Merante (4/6 faceoffs).

The Huskers also defeated visiting Mahopac 13-6 on May 8, paced by Vogel (2G, 1A), Constantine (1G, 1A), Marchini (4G, 1A), DelVecchio (1G, 2A), Carducci (2G), Nicolas Bucello (1G), JT Carney (1G), Sheridan (1G), Sam Brown (5 saves), and Mezzatesta (8 saves).

Lakeland/Panas (6-8) defeated visiting Hendrick Hudson 14-3 at Walter Panas on May 7, led by Baumeister (6G, 4A), Gallagher (2G, 2A), Kuney (3G), CC Savastano (1G, 2A), Michael Ahlstedt (1G, 2A), Moore (1G, 1A), Jimenez (1A), Anthony Farroni (18/19 faceoffs), Michael DiCioccio (2/2 faceoffs), Bryan (4 saves), and Brian Schiller (3 saves).

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