Huskers Top Mamaroneck in ‘15 For Life Foundation’ Game

YORKTOWN, N.Y. – Normally a face-off man does not get into the scoring column but Yorktown’s Chad Bowen (16/23 faceoffs) did just that in an April 27 contest against visiting Mamaroneck.

Not only did he score; he scored at the right time as his goal with 24.7 seconds left in overtime gave the Huskers, the No. 5 ranked Class B team in the state, a thrilling 10-9 boys-lacrosse triumph against the Tigers, the No. 9 ranked Class A squad in the state.

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“I saw the person was wide open, crease, I had the shortie, decided to dodge and scored,” Bowen said. “It was a great feeling. Definitely, Yorktown deserved it. We were working hard. It’s a huge win. It was an important Section 1 game.”

Of even more importance was that the contest was the 15 for Life Foundation game. The organization is about spreading the importance of mental health awareness and is named for two-time All-American at Yorktown and three-time All-American at Syracuse University, Rob Kavovit, who passed away at age 45 in March of 2021.

Kavovit was an elite attackman who registered 152 goals and 158 assists while playing for the Huskers, winning state titles in 1991, 1992, and 1993, in addition to winning a national title at Syracuse in 1995.

Bowen was celebrated by his teammates after the game, receiving a stick in Kavovit’s honor.

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“We all look up to Rob, he’s a great player, sad what happened, but everybody’s been playing for him,” Bowen said. “It’s really important how we look up to him.”

The game itself was the Huskers' third win in four overtime contests at home.

“Nobody gives up, we all have heart, so we just keep on going and going, never take our foot off the gas, and we just push through and win,” Bowen said.

The color scoreboard at Charlie Murphy Field throughout the day showed highlights of Kavovit, who was inducted into the Hudson Valley Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2006. The tribute hit those in attendance on a cold and chilly late day in the heart.

“He (Kavovit) did so much for this community and just to honor him on a day like today, it’s really meaningful,” said Yorktown’s Chris Constantine. “I hope that we do the best we can to get out the idea that mental health matters.”

The importance of this day was not lost on Husker coach and Yorktown graduate Tim Schurr.

“Rob Kavovit and his family are special and have always been special to me, and this program,” Schurr said. “He was such a fine young man. I wish some good things come out of all of this, I really do. I don’t know that anything will but the fact that their encouraging people to have conversations, about mental health and awareness, is a great thing.”

As for the game, Mamaroneck took a 4-3 lead at the end of the first quarter but went scoreless in the second and third quarters.

“I felt like for a second we were a little discombobulated but we went back and talked to coach, he told us just to play a little more passive and understand what they are trying to do offensively, and once we understood that scheme, we were able to shut them out in those two quarters,” Constantine said.

Goals by JT Carney, assisted by Gianluca Marchini (2G, 1A), and Andrew Weissman (1G, 1A), assisted by Constantine, gave Yorktown a 8-4 advantage midway through the third quarter.

Helping the Huskers hold that lead through the end of the quarter was their goalie Hunter Mezzatesta (16 saves), who made three outstanding saves. One when he went to his knees, another when he got his stick high in the air, and a third when he extended his right leg.

“He’s an amazing goalkeeper and under pressure, he really does take it as a privilege, and he doesn’t fold,” Constantine said.

Thirty-six seconds into the final quarter, Constantine scored to extend Yorktown’s lead to 9-4.

“Coach drew something up and when he schemed it up, we didn’t know exactly if it was going to work but it did and it ended up benefitting us,” Constantine said.

Mamaroneck then stormed back, scoring five times to force overtime but the Huskers prevailed thanks to Bowen’s winner.

“I’m proud of them,” Schurr said of his team’s resiliency. “The whole thing we feel is that they have to keep playing hard the whole time. When you let up, even for a moment against a good team like Mamaroneck, it capitalizes.”

Ryan Vogel (2G), Dylan DelVecchio (1G, 1A), Brady McEnroe (1G), and Brady Sheridan (1A) also contributed to the Huskers’ scoring.

Yorktown (6-4) hosted Cold Spring Harbor on April 24, falling to the Long Island-based school 7-6 in overtime, led by Marchini (2G, 1A), Vogel (2G), Constantine (1G, 1A), Carney (1G), and Mezzatesta (13 saves).

For more information on the 15 For Life Foundation, visit 15forlife.org.

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