INTER-AC NOTEBOOK 5/5
Another Malvern Prep-Haverford School classic; EA with a big week; Catching up with a Malvern Prep standout; an impressive week for GA junior.
Photos/Videos: Mike Livingston, Lennie Malmgren, Marc Narducci & Grayson Rupp
By: Marc Narducci
Another Haverford School-Malvern Prep classic
It never seems to disappoint, and it didn’t this time either.
A big crowd, high intensity, skill through the roof and first place in the Inter-Ac on the line.
Just add this one to another of the great matchups between Haverford School and Malvern Prep.
Haverford School head coach Brendan Dawson - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
Last Thursday, Haverford avenged an earlier 10-9 overtime defeat by winning 9-7 at Malvern Prep.
What is interesting is that each team won on the road.
“Anytime we play in that environment, it is a battle and fun and we have a tremendous amount of respect for Malvern, our guys know each other and it is competitive and respectful,” Haverford School coach Brendan Dawson said.
That does mean that each team isn’t attempting to rip the collective hearts out of the opposition.
“It is a boxing match, where you are trying to survive,” Dawson said.
The score was 4-4 entering the fourth quarter. Of course it was, would anything else be expected?
The game was still tied at 7-7 with around three minutes left.
Sophomore Chris Burnetta scored from about 16 yards out to break the tie.
With about a minute left, senior Evan Large (Rutgers) sealed the win with an insurance goal.
Haverford School vs. Malvern Prep - PSD Full Game Highlights by Lennie Malmgren
There were so many standouts for Haverford School, but we’ll start with senior Griff Meyer (Virginia), who was 14 of 20 on faceoffs and had a team-high six ground balls. For good measure, he also scored a goal.
“Griff is definitely talented, and it is nice to have him back and healthy and doing his thing and he is special,” Dawson said. “They were not easy faceoffs, and he battled and did a great job.”
It also should be noted that Meyer was also 14 of 20 in faceoffs in the earlier matchup against the Friars.
Another person who stood tall was senior goalie Colin Decker (Williams College) who made 13 saves.
“Colin was simply awesome in goal,” Dawson said.
As for the offense, sophomore Conor Morsell was the true catalyst.
In the earlier meeting, it was Morsell who sent the game into overtime by scoring with 3.8 seconds left in regulation. He had three goals and one assist in the defeat.
Haverford School goalie Colin Decker said it was an entire team effort to defeat Malvern the second time around - PSD Video by Mike Livingston
Haverford School vs. Malvern Prep - PSD Photos by Lennie Malmgren
Not to be outdone, Morsell also had three goals and one assist in last week’s win, to go along with three ground balls.
“He was awesome last year and stepped into a more prominent role this year where he is kind of one of the guys we’re leaning on at the offensive end,” Dawson said of Morsell. “He is developing and getting better each day and works so hard and wants it and has a special knack for making big plays.”
Also for the Fords, Large had two goals. Senior Max Fertels (Washington & Lee) had a goal and two assists, Burnetta added a goal and one assist, senior Reed Campbell (Trinity College) also scored a goal and junior Teddy Gillin (Cornell) collected four ground balls and senior Reece Childs (Penn) recorded an assist.
It was a total team effort and put the Fords in the Inter-Ac driver’s seat, although there is still business to be taken care of.
If Haverford School wins its final two games against Germantown Academy and Episcopal Academy, then the Fords will be outright champs. So, nothing should be totally settled until the meeting on Friday, May 9 when Haverford School travels to Episcopal Academy.
There is a case that if Episcopal Academy wins its final two games, then there could be a three-way tie.
Here are the standings and remaining league games for the three contenders:
Haverford School 7-1 (with a game at home against Germantown Academy and the finale at Episcopal Academy)
Malvern Prep 6-2 (with games at Penn Charter and home vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy).
Episcopal Academy 6-2 (with games at SCH and home against Haverford School).
More from Haverford School
In an earlier 9-5 Inter-Ac League win over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Meyer and Decker also came up big for Haverford School. Meyer was 13 of 16 on faceoffs with 12 ground balls and one goal, while Decker made 12 saves.
Large led the way by scoring a hat trick, while junior Jack Rischitelli scored twice. Campbell and Morsell each had a goal and an assist, while Fertels scored once. Gillin and senior Cam Esposito each contributed three ground balls.
EA with plenty to play for
Entering the final week of the season, Episcopal Academy has its own destiny in its own hands in terms of having a chance to win a share of the Inter-Ac title.
The Churchmen as listed above, are one game behind leader Haverford School with two games to play. Since one of those games is with Haverford School, if EA goes 2-0 this week, the Churchmen will earn at least a share of the Inter-Ac title.
Just don’t ask second-year coach Steve Colfer anything about Haverford School at this point.
“We are focused solely on SCH because they are so good,” Colfer said.
Earlier this season Episcopal Academy scored a14-8 win over SCH.
“It didn’t feel like a six-goal game, it felt much tighter,” Colfer said.
Still, if anybody would have told Colfer in his second year that EA would still be in the running for a share of the Inter-Ac crown in the final week of the season, we’re pretty sure he would have signed up for that fairly quickly.
Episcopal Academy vs. Penn Charter - PSD Photos by Grayson Rupp
“We’re excited to be put in this position in year two, but we have a lot of work to do this week,” he said.
There have been many reasons for EA being in contention, but a big one is the play of senior defender Evan McFarland, a Georgetown commit.
“Evan McFarland is one of the best defensive players in the country,” Colfer said. “He is playing in a league that is layered with good defensemen and I think he is special.”
EA junior Keegan Nash says their team goal is to finish the season undefeated - PSD Video by Grayson Rupp
After a 17-2 win vs. Penn Charter, EA sophomore Reid Dennis says he is most proud of his teams' chemistry - PSD Video by Grayson Rupp
Episcopal Academy closed its week with a 16-5 win over St. Augustine, among the top teams in South Jersey.
Sophomore Carson Jakuc went 11 of 14 on faceoffs and collected four ground balls. Bo McMenamin totaled four goals and one assist, while sophomore Reid Dennis, junior Jackson Orcutt (Georgetown) and classmate Parker Smith (West Point) each scored a hat trick.
McFarland added three ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Malvern Prep’s Turley with a hat trick
In the aforementioned game with Haverford School, Malvern Prep was led by senior Logan Turley (Harvard) who scored a hat trick, while also recording one assist. Sophomore Danny Lucovich contributed two goals and one assist. Freshman Joey Murphy produced a goal and two assists and senior Mike Ortlieb (Duke) added one goal.
Catching up with Malvern Prep’s Owen Mears
Senior Owen Mears has been a two-sport standout at Malvern Prep, a starting defensive back the past two seasons on conference-winning football teams and a four-year lacrosse performer. He will play lacrosse next year at Duke.
“Being a two-sport athlete at such an athletic school, it gives you so many experiences and lacrosse helps me see football differently and football helps me see lacrosse differently,” Mears said earlier this season in an interview. “The defensive back, safety footwork obviously helps me in lacrosse.”
Mears committed to Duke in September of his junior year.
“It felt relieved to get that process over with and going to such a good environment down there, it was awesome,” he said. “The coaching staff is tremendous, the guys on the team are awesome and academics are really strong there.”
In addition, there will be plenty of familiar faces.
“I am fortunate to go with two of my best friends from the lacrosse team, one on the football team and one baseball kids so five Malvern kids are going to Duke.”
Malvern Prep senior Owen Mears #3 - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren
The other Duke lacrosse commits are Mike Ortlieb and Will Tantillo. The football player is Andrew Pellicciotta and the baseball recruit is pitcher Will Oschell.
The three lacrosse recruits all went on the same recruiting visit.
“We didn’t commit at the same time simultaneously,” Mears said, “but we all knew we wanted to go there.”
SCH splits two Inter-Ac games last week
Springfield Chestnut Hill Academy went 0-2 this year against Haverford School, but the Blue Devils have enjoyed some positive moments in both games.
Earlier this year, SCH lost 8-7 at home to Haverford School. Last week the Blue Devils suffered a 9-5 loss to the Fords.
The key performer in last week’s game was sophomore goalie Moe Sobel, who made 22 saves.
Five different players scored goals – juniors Cole Carberry (Brown), Zach Silverman, Spencer Meile (Navy), Sebastian Small and Charlton McDevitt.
SCH then beat Penn Charter, 15-4 with Carberry leading the way, totaling three goals and three assists, Junior Henry Bertelsen.
Springside Chestnut Hill vs. Haverford School - PSD Photos by Mike Nance
(Johns Hopkins) went 12 of 13 on faceoffs with eight ground balls. Senior Griffy Whitman, Silverman and Meile each scored twice. Eleven different players scored goals for the Blue Devils.
Big week for GA’s Rambo
Junior Paul Rambo had a huge week for Germantown Academy.
During a 17-6 loss to Malvern Prep, both Rambo and senior Sean Walsh each had two goals and one assist, while Jake McVeigh and Gavin Peters scored the other goals. Senior goalie Jack Donovan (Michigan) made 17 saves.
Rambo had all four goals in an 8-4 loss to Manheim Township. Freshman Landon Amorium added three assists while Donovan made 12 saves.
In a 14-5 loss to Episcopal Academy, Amorim scored twice while Rambo had a goal and an assist.
Kelly Matozzo had a goal and an assist, while Donovan made 12 saves and Spencer Beach saved eight more.
Germantown Academy junior Paul Rambo #1 - PSD Photo by Michael Szczepkowski