Boys lacrosse: Yorktown fends off Lakeland/Panas to reclaim the Murphy Cup
YORKTOWN − Once the high school lacrosse schedules drop each year, Yorktown and Lakeland/Panas excitedly circle the date and take special note of the Murphy Cup game.
The game has been played each year since 1986, between the Huskers and Rebels, in honor of Charles Murphy, a lacrosse pioneer who co-founded Yorktown's program but also contributed plenty to the growth of the sport across the Hudson Valley.
Yorktown hasn't lost to Lakeland/Panas since 2010, but its players will be the first to tell you that past history and streaks hardly mean a thing when the cup is back up for grabs.
"We gotta fight hard, (Lakeland/Panas) is a good team and every game is going to be hard," Yorktown goalkeeper Hunter Mezzatesta said. "Every game is going to be a battle, it doesn't matter what your record is. When the whistle blows, it's game on."
Both teams entered Saturday with winning streaks of their own, but in the end, the Huskers got to retain the Murphy Cup for another year. They built an early lead and held off the Rebels, 7-4, in the hard-fought contest.
"We look forward to this every year, it's probably one of our biggest games, to be honest," Yorktown senior Nick Carducci said. "Just to be able to get on top first, get ahead and keep it that way, was huge. We probably would've liked to score a couple more goals, but we did what we could and finished off strong. Everyone chipped in."
The Huskers built a 4-1 first-quarter lead, with their balanced attack setting the tone early. Five different Yorktown players registered a goal or an assist in the opening frame.
Despite falling behind, the Rebels never quit. They solidified their defense-first approach and capitalized on openings to chip away at the deficit. A last-minute first-half Lakeland/Panas goal by Thomas Kuney off an assist by Bubba Baumeister trimmed the Yorktown lead down to 5-3 going into the break.
"When (Yorktown) scored their goals, it was within a couple of minutes and we played a bad two minutes at the end of the first quarter," Lakeland/Panas coach Joe Macchi said. "If you take those two minutes out, we were really in control of the game defensively. We were getting the matchups we wanted. We were getting the ball up the field. Offensively, we got a few good looks, just couldn't capitalize, but we had momentum at halftime and I told them to keep running with it.
"I was proud of the way they kept battling in the second half and kept the game tight."
The Rebels clamped down defensively, as Lakeland/Panas' Kyle Gallagher scored the lone goal of the third quarter with less than 30 seconds left to make it a 5-4 game.
Unfortunately for Lakeland/Panas, that would be the closest it would get to catching the Huskers. Yorktown found the back of the net again in the fourth quarter, thanks to back-to-back goals from Chad Bowen and Ryan Vogel to pull away and capture its sixth-straight win — and bring the Murphy Cup back home.
"It was a big defensive game today and kudos to Lakeland/Panas, because they're a great team," Yorktown's Lehigh-committed senior Chris Constantine said. "We really stuck together. They came back a little and they got close, but we persevered through it.
"We're finally clicking. This is the part of the season where you can't make silly mistakes, and I feel like we haven't been, compared to as much as we were in the beginning of the season. We just got to keep on building on what we've already developed."
What it means
The Murphy Cup is named after Charlie Murphy, who along with longtime head coach Jim Turnbull, started the Yorktown lacrosse program in 1966. It was the first high school program in the Hudson Valley. Murphy also played in his heyday and played at the collegiate level for Princeton from 1932-34.
Murphy welcomed Yorktown and Lakeland players to his home and backyard, where they learned from each other and reviewed films of classic lacrosse games. The Murphy Cup game was first established in 1986 and even through Murphy's passing at the age of 93 in 2005, the game between Yorktown and Lakeland/Panas continued to be played annually in his honor.
This year marked the 34th edition of the Murphy Cup game. Yorktown hasn't lost since 2010 and holds a 31-3 all-time record.
"Just what Mr. Murphy did for both programs, and he really just started up lacrosse in the region," Constantine said of what makes the rivalry special. "It's more than just lacrosse and we try and honor his contributions with this game."
Player of the game
Hunter Mezzatesta, Yorktown: He made some key saves and helped the Huskers stay in front and finish on top in the defensive battle. The sophomore goalkeeper finished with seven saves, with most of them coming in the second half.
By the numbers
Yorktown (11-4): J.T. Carney had two goals and one assist. Nick Carducci chipped in a pair of goals. Gianluca Marchini and Ryan Vogel each had one goal and one assist. Chad Bowen had a goal.
Lakeland/Panas (6-8): K.C. Bryan had an admirable effort in goal, tallying 12 saves. Thomas Kuney had one goal and one assist. Will Moore, Vinny Savastano, C.C. Savasatano and Kyle Gallagher each had a goal. Jack Jimenez and Bubba Baumeister each had an assist.
They said it
"(Defense) is the backbone of our team this year. Kevin's been great all year, all those guys on defense just play hard. They take a lot of pride in their matchups and they really stepped up today. ... We play a tough schedule to get ready for May. That's what we prepare for. The games in March and April, are getting us ready for May. I think we've played one of the hardest schedules around, and we'll see next week, once playoffs start if that paid off. I think it will, we'll found out." - Lakeland/Panas coach Joe Macchi on team's defense and being battle-tested for the postseason
"You always want to be playing your best at the end. We still make some mistakes that I don't think we should be making, but all in all, I think we're on the cusp of something good." -Yorktown coach Tim Schurr on his team's six-game winning streak heading down the homestretch of the regular season.
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Boys lacrosse: Yorktown fends off Lakeland/Panas, reclaims Murphy Cup
