INTER-AC NOTEBOOK (5/12)
Episcopal Academy joins the championship crew; A strong late fight by Haverford School; Malvern Prep earns a share of the title, three Inter-Ac All-Americans, a strong season in goal for Germantown Academy and continued improvement for SCH.
Photos/Videos: Bryce Kash, Marc Narducci, Mike Nance & Ryan Nix
By: Marc Narducci
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA -- The emotion was pure, the product of a great turnaround. Episcopal Academy was out to end a championship drought that lasted more than a quarter of a century. After jumping out to a big lead, the Churchmen held on for dear life for an 8-7 home win over Haverford School causing a three-way tie for the championship of the Inter-Ac League. It was the final day of Inter-Ac play for all teams.
For the first time since 1998, Episcopal Academy wins a share of the Inter-Ac regular season title - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Episcopal Academy, Haverford School and Malvern Prep ended with 8-2 Inter-Ac records. Fittingly, in this closest of races, all three teams went 1-1 against one another.
Three deserving tri-champions, for sure.
While Haverford School and Malvern Prep routinely contend and win championships, this was Episcopal Academy’s first since 1998.
The second year under head coach Steve Colfer brought promise, but nobody outside of Episcopal Academy would have predicted this.
“I never felt better in my life,” said junior defender David Brickman, who also never played better in one of the great two-way performances. “This is the most excited I’ve ever been for a game and it’s the most excited I’ve ever felt in general, after a game.”
Brickman, who is bound for Fairfield, played a major role in the win at both ends of the field. He was a major defensive force, who literally saved one goal, and also scored one himself.
“I think he is such a rare and underrated player and defenseman and just the way he plays with confidence in the middle of the field and he’s slippery as a defenseman with the ball in the stick,” Colfer said about Brickman. “You are so fortunate to have kids like that in your program and he’s such a great kid.”
When junior Parker Smith scored in transition to increase Episcopal Academy’s lead to 8-2 with 3:46 left in the third quarter, this had the look of a major rout.
Haverford School, the proud Inter-Ac champion the previous two seasons, had other ideas. A goal by sophomore Conor Morsell with 3:09 left in the third quarter, began a run of five unanswered goals.
Still, the Fords trailed 8-3 entering the fourth quarter and the odds of them getting back into the game seemed bleak. Except Colfer knew better.
Episcopal Academy vs. Haverford School Game Highlights by Marc Narducci for PSD:
“There is too much history, too much pedigree and too much coaching over there,” Colfer said. “There is too much tradition and pride in the Inter-Ac, and you knew they were coming, and we were able to make just one extra play.”
As it turned out, Smith’s goal in transition was the eventual game-winner.
Speaking of comebacks, Haverford School used a dominant first half to earn a 16-11 win the first time the teams met on April 22.
“We didn’t play well that day,” Smith recalled. “They killed us on ground balls, they killed us in the fast break transition.”
So, the game plan this time was simple and well-orchestrated.
“Our game plan was to outwork them today and have us get those transition goals,” Smith said. “And my goal was a transition goal, and we had one by Reid (Dennis).”
With the score tied at 2-2, Dennis scored with 4:15 left in the second quarter to put the Churchmen ahead for good. It was the second of seven unanswered goals by the Churchmen.
Down 8-2, Haverford School dug into its championship DNA, and fought its way back, cutting the deficit to 8-7 on a goal by Rutgers commit Evan Large with 2:37 left. From there, Episcopal Academy held on, and when the clock hit 0:00, the celebration began.
On the other end, Haverford School may have lost, but the Fords went down swinging.
“I’m proud of our guys, we’ve battled like we’ve done all year,” Haverford School coach Brendan Dawson said. “We had some stretches where we didn’t play great, but that was in large part to what they did to us and that is a great team over there.”
Episcopal Academy received nine saves, many spectacular, from senior Tim Landaiche, who had to show such perseverance just to get on the field.
“He has battled from being more or less the third string kid, he’s battled injuries, and this was only his fifth or sixth game starting,” Colfer said. “So, he came off the bench and he’s just such a great kid and his dad’s an alum and played on championship teams here and I am so happy for kids like that, for families like that.”
EA junior defender David Brickman walks through the emotions of being an Inter-Ac champion - PSD Video by Marc Narducci
EA junior Keegan Nash said he knew his team was "something special" this season - PSD Video by Marc Narducci
Smith was the only multi-goal scorer with two goals and one assist. Junior Keegan Nash (Rutgers) was a force in the midfield, with one goal and one assist, while Dennis also had a goal and an assist. Scoring single goals were Jackson Orcutt, Colin McGrath, Bo McMenamin, and as mentioned earlier, Brickman.
Senior Evan MacFarland (Georgetown) had an outstanding game with two assists, six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Blake Riley was 3 of 4 on faceoffs.
“It’s always Malvern and Haverford every year, but we wanted to change that this year change the culture and we knew we had something special this year,” Nash said.
What was lost in all of this was that Haverford School earned a share of the championship.
The Fords didn’t feel like champions leaving the field, but Dawson reminded his players that their school will also be part of that championship banner.
“It is weird in this league, it doesn’t feel like it right now and I just told the kids there is a lot to be of proud of now and you accomplished it and it’s all part of being an athlete here,” Dawson said.
Episcopal Academy vs. Haverford School - PSD Photos by Mike Nance
After the post-game celebration, which wasn’t totally over for quite some time, Colfer took his team in the gymnasium, pointed to the wall and showed them where their championship banner will hang.
“This moment,” said an emotional Colfer, “is something you will hold forever.”
More on Episcopal Academy
Episcopal Academy remained in contention entering that final Inter-Ac game by defeating Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 9-4. The Churchmen turned it up in the second half after leading 4-3 at intermission.
Smith scored a hat trick while Orcutt added two goals. MacFarland had 12 ground balls, eight caused turnovers, and one assist. Sophomore Carson Jakuc was 10 of 16 on faceoffs while collecting four ground balls. Landaiche made five saves.
Bickel reacts to All-American honor
Malvern Prep senior midfielder Jake Bickel can check off one more goal that he has accomplished. Bickel was among three Inter-Ac players named to the New Balance All-America Lacrosse Senior Game, which will be staged July 26 at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium. The girls’ All-American game will be at 5:30, followed by the boys’ contest at 8 p.m. ESPNU will broadcast both games.
The All-Star game announces its team in four different waves of 11 players each time. Bickel was in the second wave.
“I was hoping I would make the game, and it was one of my personal goals and I thought I had been playing well enough and deserved it,” he said. “Getting that text was a sigh of relief, there we go, one goal down.”
Malvern Prep senior Jake Bickel #17 was named to the New Balance All-America Lacrosse Senior Game - PSD Photo by Bryce Kash
Bickel, a Georgetown commit, was a member of the varsity team as a freshman, where he played sparingly, but he said that year laid the groundwork for the next three seasons, where he has been a high impact player.
“My freshman year I didn’t get to play meaningful minutes, usually I would get to play in a blowout,” he said. “That year I embraced the feel of the program where there is such a sense of pride that I have today.”
He said the lessons he learned from the upperclassmen on and off the field were invaluable during that freshman season.
“I wouldn’t be the player I am today without that freshman year and if I was a player on JV, I wouldn’t be the player I am today,” he said. “Working in practice and going against them and watching some of the senior and juniors and talking to them about how I could get better.”
He took all those lessons to heart.
“Just the learning aspect and being battle-tested, to hit the ground running each week, it really prepared me well,” he said.
He has come a long way, from a seldom-used freshman on varsity to an All-American.
“When I heard I was named (to the All-American game), I was really excited,” Bickel said. “It is a historic game and to be part of it is so cool to be recognized.”
Bickel is looking forward to his remaining time at Malvern Prep. The Friars will compete in the Pennsylvania State Independent Athletic Association (PAISAA) state tournament.
He says he is going to relish his final days playing for the Friars.
“Being part of the Malvern Prep lacrosse program,” he said, “has meant everything to me.”
Haverford School’s Meyer & Cooper All-Americans
Joining Bickel in the All-American game were two members of Haverford School, Griff Meyer (faceoff) and defender Gavin Cooper. Like Bickel, they were both announced in the second wave of players.
Meyer will attend Virginia and Cooper is headed to West Point.
Malvern Prep update
Malvern Prep earned its share of the title by winning its last two Inter-Ac games.
The Friars beat Penn Charter 18-3 and then ended the regular season with a 10-4 victory over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.
In the Penn Charter win, senior Mike Ortlieb (Duke) scored four goals and freshman Joey Murphy added a hat trick.
Against SCH, Ortlieb led the Friars with a hat trick. Senior Logan Turley (Harvard) scored twice. Classmate Owen Mears (Duke) had a goal and two assists, while singe coals were scored by senior Will Tantillo (Duke) and senior Joe Arizin (Holy Cross).
Malvern Prep Lacrosse - PSD Photos by Bryce Kash
Germantown Academy has enjoyed a season of improvement
Germantown Academy won two Inter-Ac games this year, but it was a season of improvement for the young Patriots. One player they will greatly miss is senior goalie Jack Donovan (Michigan). This season Donovan made 233 saves and was among the more impressive goalies in a league where there is no shortage of talent at the position.
The Patriots earned an 8-5 win over rival Penn Charter in their Inter-Ac regular season finale. Junior Paul Rambo, who has enjoyed an outstanding season, led the way with three goals and two assists, while classmate Ryan Maxwell added two goals and two assists. Single goals were scored by freshman Landon Amorim, sophomore Chris Weber and Ollie Pepper, while Spencer Beach recorded 15 saves.
While Donovan will obviously be difficult to replace, much of the nucleus returns next season for the Patriots, who look to make continued improvement.
SCH update
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy won four Inter-Ac games this season, but the Blue Devils were also competitive in many of the losses. The regular season ended with losses to two of the three tri-champions. SCH fell to Malvern Prep 10-4 and 9-4 to Episcopal Academy. As noted earlier, the Blue Devils trailed just 4-3 at halftime to Episcopal Academy.
Against Malvern Prep, junior Cole Carberry, who has enjoyed an impressive season, had two goals and one assist. He has committed to Brown.
Germantown Academy vs. Springside Chestnut Hill - PSD Photos by Ryan Nix
Junior Spencer Meile (Navy) and classmate Zach Silverman each had a goal and sophomore Moe Sobel recorded 21 saves.
In the loss to EA, senior Griffy Whitman (Swarthmore) had a goal and an assist. Scoring single goals were Meile, Silverman and junior Sebastian Small, while Sobel made 19 saves.
This is another team where a lot of players return, and coach Brian Dougherty’s team is another squad that could see improvement once again next season.