By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/4/11
Malvern Prep rising junior midfielder Joey Carlini has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University.
Carlini helped the Friars place second in the Inter-Ac League and reach the finals of the Inter-Ac Invitational in 2011. He plays club lacrosse for the Dukes’ L.C. and also plays varsity football and basketball at Malvern Prep.
Carlini was a Gait Fab 40 pick at the Philly Showcase last fall and also was picked to play in the EPSLA Showcase in June. He made the Top 205 All-Star Game and the North Carolina camp All-Star team this summer and also was an ESPN RISE Top 40 Sophomore selection.
Carlini is the seventh Malvern Prep player to commit to a Division I college. One is rising senior defenseman Eddie Morris. Also, recent Malvern Prep grad Drew Kennedy (face-off specialist) is headed to Hopkins.
“Eddie and Drew really helped me. I like that it’s a small school like Malvern and I wanted to have the opportunity to compete for a national championship every year in college,” Carlini said. “That intrigued me. Also, I get to play for coach Pietramala, a legendary coach.
“I like the city of Baltimore; it’s a great lacrosse city and there is a lot to do there. That interested me about Hopkins. And its lacrosse tradition is unmatched.”
Carlini said the Friars have dedicated themselves to unseating Haverford School as Inter-Ac champs in 2012. The Fords rallied for a dramatic 5-4 victory over Malvern Prep in the Inter-Ac Invitational finals, capping a perfect 23-0 season.
Other Malvern Prep rising seniors to commit to Division I colleges are midfielder Fran McArdle (Quinnipiac), midfielder PJ Finley and defenseman Jack Sheridan (Notre Dame), midfielder Russell Atkinson and LSM/defenseman Kevin Samolsky (Naval Academy). Attackman Jake Glancy and midfielder Graeme Weaver have committed to Division III Washington and Lee.
“We have been thinking about that game and using it as motivation for next year,” he said. “We are working even harder and our main goal is to beat them and win a championship.
“We have great talent coming back and we are all excited with the group of guys we have. I think we should be one of the top teams in the country.”
Carlini wished to thank Malvern Prep coach David Metzbower and former coach Dan Keating and his assistant, brother Mike Keating, as well as former coach John McEvoy. He also thanks Duke’s L.C. coaches Ebe Helm and Jason Christmas and lacrosse coaches Peter Scott and Russ Atkinson.
