BY MIKE LIVINGSTON
MALVERN, PA — Things were not going well for Malvern Prep lacrosse back on April 11th. The team had just suffered a shocking 6-5 loss to Episcopal Academy to cap off an even more surprising four game losing streak. The once number one ranked team in the nation had fallen to 6-5 on the year and was searching for answers.
Now just a few weeks later, the Friars appear back in early season form. Following their 15-6 victory over that same Episcopal Academy team Friday afternoon in the Great Valley, Malvern is on a six-game winning streak and playing very high-level lacrosse.
“We’ve played a tough schedule and that’s by design,” said Friars’ head coach Matt Mackrides. “And our Inter-Ac schedule is tough, Episcopal is right down the road and they're always going to supply us with a tough game. Those losses are learning moments for us for sure. I’m proud of the way our guys are responding.”
Earlier this month the Friars suffered tough loses to Loomis Chaffee School, Lawrenceville School (Prep), and St Anthony’s. The Inter-Ac loss to Episcopal served as a wakeup call.
Malvern went on to handle Germantown Academy before taking down a tough Brunswick School team and beating The Haverford School in an OT thriller before besting Penn Charter and Springside Chestnut Hill in a couple Inter-Ac affairs.
Though heading into Friday’s matchup, the Friars knew the stakes.
“It all starts with our practice, we played how we practiced,” said senior attackman Owen Mears. “We’ve ticked up the intensity in practice since we lost to this Episcopal team. We lost to them two weeks ago and haven’t lost since because our intensity in practice has been way up.”
The intensity from the Friars was certainly not to be questioned. Following a quick two goal advantage for Episcopal, all off the stick of junior attackman Parker Smith - The Friars clicked.
MALVERN VS. EPISCOPAL ACADEMY OPENING FACE-OFF (VIDEO/ MIKE LIVINGSTON)
EPISCOPAL GOAL ATTEMPT SAVED BY MALVERN PREP'S GOALIE HEATH JONES. (VIDEO/ MIKE LIVINGSTON)
First it was the Duke commit Mears who cut the EA lead in half while senior midfielder Logan Turley evened it all up with only seconds to go in the period. However, the Friars weren’t done yet - following a face-off victory senior Jake Bickel ripped in 30 yards across the field to Mears for a buzzer beater goal to put Malvern up 3-2.
Things got tight in the second period as senior attackman Michael Ortlieb ripped his first of the afternoon to make it 4-2. Smith then made it 4-3 with his third of the game just 15 minutes in.
Turley made things happen and helped Malvern to pull away some more with about two minutes to go with his second of the day, but junior midfielder Jackson Orcutt was able to make it 5-4 going into the half with a late goal for the Churchmen.
“I think we knew what they were about,” said Mears. “We focused more on ourselves this time, we knew we just had to go out and play our game and attack.”
MALVERN HEAD COACH MATT MACKRIDES. (VIDEO/ MIKE LIVINGSTON FOR PSD)
MALVERN PREP SENIOR OWEN MEARS. (VIDEO/ MIKE LIVINGSTON FOR PSD)
If they hadn’t already in the first half, that “attack” Malvern was looking for came to life in the second.
Following a quick tip-in goal from Parker Smith to open the period, the Friars went on to put up ten consecutive goals against Episcopal.
Junior Dan Rielly got things started while Ortlieb, Mears, Turley, and Bickel all got in on the scoring and the Friars began to pull starters midway through the fourth quarter.
From then on sophomore Danny Lucovich, Rielly, and freshman Reid Chisholm supplied the barrage.
“We have a handful of games left,” said Mackrides. “We got a non-league opponent tomorrow in Delbarton which is going to be a tough task. Then we have league play next week with Germantown Academy and Haverford School, then another week of league-play and the final game of the season which is out-of-league. It’s just taking things one day at a time for us.”
The Friars turn things around quickly with a big game against Delbarton Saturday, before heading back into league play where they’ll look to stay hot against Germantown Academy and then The Haverford School in what always promises to be an instant classic. That game is scheduled for May 1st. back in Malvern under the lights.
Episcopal will get back into Inter-Ac action this week against Penn Charter and Germantown Academy.