McDonogh and Curley will each look to make history with MIAA lax 4-peats
Spring brings chance for unprecedented lacrosse titles for McDonogh (A Conference) and Archbishop Curley (B); C champ Park moves up to the B
by Nelson Coffin
McDonogh and Archbishop Curley have set their sights on precedent-setting lacrosse seasons in their respective conferences.
The Eagles, No. 6 in the Inside Lacrosse national rankings, have already accomplished something only one other team — Calvert Hall — achieved since the MIAA’s opening face-off in 1996 by winning three consecutive A Conference championships.
While the Cardinals’ title bid was short-circuited by the COVID closure of 2020, McDonogh will have the opportunity to nab a fourth straight crown with stiff resistance provided by a slew of tough competitors.
The Friars are on a similar mission in the B Conference by taking at least one more step than previous three-peaters John Carroll, Saints Peter and Paul, Annapolis Area Christian School, Friends and Archbishop Spalding did in their heydays.
Last year's C Conference champ, Park, will move back to the B Conference this spring, leaving an opening for several league contenders to fill the void in the C.
A CONFERENCE
Dropping a tense 11-10 road game to Inside Lacrosse’s national top-ranked team, Malvern Prep, does nothing to sully the prospects for McDonogh to have another banner season in the test of wills and talent that is the hallmark of the ultra-competitive A Conference.
The way the Eagles, ranked No. 1 by Lacrosse Magazine, rallied against a rival boasting a slew of Division I-caliber athletes is likely to serve them well this spring. Senior attackmen Brendan Millon (Virginia) and Eli Schaller (Maryland) scored three goals each in the contest.
With three other senior stalwarts — midfielder Bogue Hahn (Syracuse), goalie Aidan Seibel (Maryland) and longstick Michael Tan (Ohio State) — leading the way, McDonogh has a veteran presence in every sector of the field.
Coach Andy Hilgartner said that his team’s biggest strength is senior leadership and being prepared and ready for every game.
Archbishop Spalding figures to be one of the league’s most formidable threats to the Eagles, with talent up and down the lineup
Senior LSM Robby Hopper (Virgina) is “outstanding between the lines and a major threat in transition,” according to coach Evan Hockel.
Senior Delaware commit Greyson Dunn anchors the backline with a good-as-it-gets ability to cover top attackmen without being flashy while senior FOGO Ryan Criswell (Navy) is adept at winning face-offs and vacuuming ground balls at a high rate.
Senior midfielder Diego Garza (Richmond) is not afraid to unleash a wicked shot from either hand while junior attackman Brady Mollot (Maryland) provides top playmaking chops.
“Our team is looking to improve every day,” Hockel said. “It's not about how you start its about how you finish. The goal every year is to win the last game of the season.”
Loyola Blakefield, which made a nice run to the semifinal round last season before bowing to McDonogh, 7-6, will be looking to make another deep foray into the postseason this year.
“We return seven guys who saw significant minutes last year,” coach Will Haus said, noting that . Some of our top guys, seniors Matt Joerres (attack), defenseman Peter Hopkins (defense) and Jesse D'Alonzo (goalie), will be in the forefront of that group..
“Our team's strength is our senior leadership and commitment to work hard,” he added. “With a lot of guys from last year departing, it is a hungry group ready to prove themselves. It is a group that is accountable, tough, and together.”
True to form, senior attackman, most highly-touted player and only returning starter Matt Higgins, scored the game winner for Boys' Latin in the second overtime to down Gonzaga, 10-9, last week. With the Lakers trailing 6-3, the Maryland commit scored four goals during a decisive 7-3 closing run.
Higgins will pace a talented trio that also boasts senior Lincoln Herring (Yale) and sophomore TJ Shaw while junior Drew McDonald (Delaware) anchors the midfield.
Senior Brady Wesloski (Delaware) and juniors Bryce Barrett (Maryland) and Matt Meredith (Richmond) will man the defense in front of senior Garret Held (Navy) and Blake Conner (Salisbury) in the goal.
BL coach Brian Farrell said the the the team’s strength is hungry players “eager to learn and get better (while) “staying humble and winning practices.”
Calvert Hall, following wins over St. Anne’s Belfield, 15-11, and Hill Academy, 15-14, has shown plenty of prowess on the offensive end of the field in the early going.
Even the defense can score for the Cardinals, as evidenced by senior longstick Jermaine Anderson (North Carolina) netting the tying goal late in regulation against Hill Academy before senior midfielder Will Schoonmaker (Towson) ended the proceedings with his fourth goal of the game on the first overtime possession.
Schoonmaker, Jackson Mitchell (St. Joseph’s) and Will Schwanke (Gettysburg) form an all-senior first midfield line with Michael Steer leading a second contingent that also includes fellow sophomores Matt Schoonmaker and Brycen Hall, juniors Oliver Francis and Ben Harrison and freshman Connor Sullivan.
Seniors Drew Sullivan and Max Murray (Fairfield) are also part of the plan.
The attack has been reconfigured a bit while waiting for senior Mark Botek (Towson) to return from a knee injury. That opened the door for freshman Caleb Kelly, who notched three goals and an assist against Hill, to earn playing time next to seniors Peyton Forte (Navy), and Jack Williams (Yale).
Shortstick defenders abound with seniors Brody Dail (Hofstra), Thomas Nock and Xandr Godzilevsky (Mount St. Mary’s), junior Jaxon Snelbaker (Richmond), sophomore Mischa Morozov and freshman CJ Saunders.
Look for junior LSM Patrick Flatley to contribute to a backline that features seniors Wiley Lent (Sacred Heart) and George Stauffer (Bellarmine), juniors Johnathan Hottle (Vermont) and Jack Tanton (Towson) and sophomore Jacob Norris and Bharat Mahanti on close defense,
Four goalies are all seeking playing time with senior Brady Stangle (Fairfield) earning the starting nod ahead of juniors Grayson Enrique (Drexel) and Caden Augustine. Sophomore Nick Neavin is another strong candidate for the job.
Face-offs are being handled quite nicely by senior Nick Cuomo (Yale), who’s winning draws at a 70 precent clip, and junior Nick Pocalyko.
All in all, Calvert Hall coach Bryan Kelly said that he likes the way the Cardinals are coming together this season with stiff tests against Lawrenceville Prep and Malver Prep looming before the A Conference campaign begins March 28 at St. Mary’s in Annapolis.
Veteran-laden St. Paul’s, which owns a 16-15 verdict over St. John’s College and a 10-6 win over Georgetown Prep, has what coach Steven Settembrino says is “a great balance of senior leadership, but also (with) underclassmen who are vocal leaders on the team.”
The attack, with seniors Luke Bair (North Carolina) and Jack Iannantuono (Penn State), should be a potent unit spearheading an aggressive offense working in tandem with a backline headed by senior shortstick Roman Dodson (Towson) and sophomore close defender Evan March.
The offense will benefit from having attackman Jay Rodgers (Johns Hopkins) and midfielder Griffin Graham (Bucknell) while defender Harrison Schline (North Carolina) helps to shield Zachary Parks (Colby) in the goal.
Junior FOGO Joseph Kim (North Carolina) is another major Greyhound asset.
Severn will benefit from the return of Casey Gattie (Gettysburg) and Tanner Huber (Richmond) as top players and team captains.
“Casey has moved down to close defense for us this year after spending most of his time at LSM in the past and is doing an excellent job,” Severn coach Keegan Wilkinson said. “Casey will be supported defensively by junior two-sports standout Jack Fowler and senior longstick Cole Morris (Franklin & Marshall). “
Huber leads the offense, ably supported by senior Josh Queen (M, Babson College), juniors Sam Long (A/M, Navy) and Kevin Gattie (A), and sophomore Nick Todd (A).
Look for junior Charlie Helfferich to help bolster the backline.
Wilkinson said capitalizing on senior leadership and experience at key positions, while also working in new contributors to the team, will help to tell the Admirals’ story this spring.
“Leadership from upperclassmen has been excellent and the team is eager to compete with the best teams in the country,” he added. “Much of our roster are two/three sport athletes, so it's been amazing to watch them have success in multiple sports on campus this year. Our philosophy will be built on having a team that plays with a competitive edge and desire to represent the Severn community to the best of our ability.”
Boasting a roster with 15 seniors will give Mount St. Joseph "a different mindset surrounding our expectations as a team," says coach Tyler Reid.
A stingy defense starts with senior goalie Austin Slade (Flagler College), who "has proven over the course of last season that he has the ability to steal a game and make big saves in tough moments," Reid added.
Talented sophomore poles Nico Dinisio and Henry Clark, who have shown the ability to cover while also pushing forward to create offense.
Florida Tech commIt Reed Herbert uses size and strength to win midfield matchups for the Gaels, whose attack is also bolstered by senior Owen Craney (Gettysburg), sophomore Gavan Conley and promising sophomore Ryder Scott.
In addition to anchoring the unit, Craney will be tasked with helping his younger teammates to navigate top-notch league defenses.
"The senior leadership as a whole has played a major role in the team," Reid said. "The biggest strength as a team is (building a) team culture and how much they care about being a good teammate."
B CONFERENCE
Senior Gavin Albright (St. Mary's College of Maryland) gives the midfield the kind of heft and heart the Friars will need to reach their lofty goal.
“We are are looking for a lot of players to step up and fill voids left by graduation,” Curley coach Chris Ogle said.
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One of the Friars’ main competitors figures to be reigning C Conference champ Park, which will be paced by senior captains Jake Fruman and Nigel Laster.
“Nigel has been a four-year starter on the defensive end and Jake has been the starting goalie for the last two years,” Park coach Josh Lauren said.
The attack will be manned by juniors Asa Farmer and Nolan Klaitman-Small and sophomore Bryce Bryson.
Lauren said that he is excited that Concordia Prep and Saint John's Catholic Prep have moved up from the C Conference.
“It's great to have eight teams in the Conference again,” the fifth-year coach said. “The B Conference is very competitive and every game is a battle. The B Conference has terrific coaches and student athletes.”
Lauren added that Park is excited to play Indian Creek this year at US Lacrosse’s Tierney Field (April 22) while looking to make a strong run to the playoffs.
The youth movement is in full swing this spring at Indian Creek.
Coach Joe Casolino’s squad, which boasts 15 freshmen and sophomores out of a 20-man roster, will be a spirited bunch eager to compete against more experienced B Conference foes.
Junior attackman Caton Crowder, the team captain and leading returning scorer, will be aided by sophomores David Chialastri, (M) and Ian Jones (M/FO) and freshman KJ Evering, (M/A) and Connor Mackey (M).
Jake Berry, one of only two seniors, will play close defense in front of freshman goalie Isaac Waesche.
C CONFERENCE
Veteran coach Walt Blahut, who has coached at a variety of Anne Arundel County schools in a 34-year career and will be the interim boss at Annapolis Area Christian School this spring for a program that he says has “quality in the new and returning players, which bodes well for the future of the program.”
The Eagles will feature seniors Maks Taishoff (M), Lucca Tomassoni (A), Will VanVeelen (A), Nic Liga (M) and Michael Wilcox (D) with juniors JP Garrett (D), Micah Baker (D), Luke Devore (M), Will Evans (M), Gabe Howard (G), John Dixon (A) and Cooper Cook (LSM) also on board.
Sophomores Griffin Raspa (M) and Judson Pentecost (D) will join freshmen Jackson Miller (A) and Bennett McCue (M) to help their older teammates.
Taishoff, a Lynchburg soccer commit, is "a proven dodger and shooter with Tomassoni as the creator from the attack,” Blahut said. “Will VanVeelen is a pure shooter from any range and will be difficult for opponents to keep off the scoreboard.”
Devore and Liga will handle face-off chores while Garrett takes on the opponents’ top threat with Baker, Wilcox and Pentecost primed to provide defensive support for new goalie Gabe Howard.
“The prospects in the C Conference look excellent this year, as the team is starting to jell working hard in practice and through several tough scrimmages,” Blahut added. "Learning a completely new system is always difficult, but these guys have just worked as hard as they could to master the new motion offense and pressure defense as well as new terminology. Staying healthy will be a major factor as quality depth is an issue.”
Blahut’s preparation includes a couple of quality scrimmage opponents and four B Conference games during March as the Eagles attempt to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
"Building on the growth of the freshmen and sophomores and the experience gained with some tough early tests, as long as we stay healthy, there's a good chance for big rewards come mid-May,” Blahut concluded.
Beth Tfiloh “has been putting in the work every day to establish a true contender this season, and it’s inspiring to see their dedication pay off,” coach Dylan Kranzler said.
The Warriors will rely on captains Ethan Glazer (Sr., M/A), Aaron Zahler (Sr., D) and Ezra Solomon (Jr., D) to stay in the hunt for a title this spring.
“We have a balanced offense complemented by a veteran defense that combines size and speed,” Kranzler added. “This group is hungry to compete at the highest level in the C, and I have no doubt they will make their mark this year”
Senior Brendan Frank and junior Tommy Donnelly have new coach Nate Babcock looking forward to watching those captains help to provide a strong season for Key School.
“Brendan is a big strong shooter and Tommy is an initiator with vision and the ability to get shots off anytime his hands are free.” Babcock said. “Additionally, I anticipate senior defenseman Austin Neise being tasked with the opponents’ top dodger — game in and out. He is long and rangy and should prove to be an annoying matchup for opposing dodgers.”
Senior Christian Dent will start between the pipes for the Zags while freshman Anthony Aguilar will play all over the field as a high-motor long pole, Babcock said.
"I am extremely grateful to have been welcomed into the Key School lacrosse family this winter,” Babcock added. “I inherited a team full of high-character players who are passionate about improving, and who continually strive to put their best-foot forward. We have a unique mix of both brand new, and experienced players. Watching them grow together and find synergy as a team over the past few weeks has left me feeling extremely lucky to be their coach and I could not be more excited to begin this journey as a team."
Glenelg Country School will welcome eight starters back into the fold this spring in the C Conference.
FOGO David Lee and Chase Traff, the latter of whom coach Jim Murphy calls "our human ray shield in the goal," are two of the top returnees.
"The defense will speak for itself this year, as I anticipate them to bring composure and execution to our battle plans," Murphy added. "We hope to make our way back to the playoffs this year and continue to learn what it means to play (winning) lacrosse."