Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/23/09
Saturday’s 9th Annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival is not only one of the biggest fundraising events in the county; it’s a showcase of some of the best talent in the country.
This year’s event – featuring 26 boys’ teams and 26 girls’ teams – represents the largest single-day field in the nation for 2009.
Among the 26 games are several major matchups between teams in the PA Media Lacrosse Rankings.
Perhaps the most intriguing boys’ game is the 3:30 p.m. (Creek Field) battle between No. 1 Conestoga (11-0) and No. 4 St. Joseph’s Prep (6-0). Meanwhile, No. 3 Springfield-Delco (10-1) meets No. 9 Downingtown East (10-2) at 11:30 a.m. at the Creek Field in a game matching East coach Tom Slate vs. the school he led to a state title in 1992.
Meanwhile, defending state champion and No. 2 La Salle (6-3) meets No. 7 Haverford School (9-6) at 11:30 at the Prevost Field. Last year, La Salle defeated the Fords with two memorable buzzer beaters (regulation and in the second overtime) in the semifinals of the final Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association playoffs – a game considered one of the greatest in Philadelphia history.
There is more drama. Jef Hewlings, the coach at Emmaus, takes his No. 10 Green Hornets against Penncrest, a team he built into a Central League power several years ago. Also, No. 5 Malvern Prep (5-4) must deal (1:30 at Creek Field) with Brunswick School (Conn.), a team that is 7-2 and recently downed powerful Hotchkiss School (Conn.).
On the girls side, No. 1 and host Radnor (9-0) meets Notre Dame at 3:30 on the turf field and No. 2 Episcopal Academy (11-3) faces off with No. 8 Strath Haven (8-1) at 12:30 on the Turf Field. In other interesting matchups, No. 4 Bayard Rustin meets eight-time defending Catholic League champion Archbishop Carroll (4-3) at 9:30 a.m. on the Rowland Field and No. 10 Abington (9-1) squares off with No. 9 Baldwin School (6-1) at the Rowland Field at 3:30.
Turf Field
9:00, Downingtown West vs. Archbishop Wood – Boys
11:00, Great Valley vs. Villa Maria Academy – Girls
12:30, Strath Haven vs. Episcopal Academy – Girls
2:00, Springfield-Delco vs. Penn Charter – Girls
3:30, Radnor vs. Notre Dame – Girls
Library Field – All Girls’ Games
9:00, Henderson vs. Germantown Academy
11:00, Penncrest vs. Shipley School
12:30, Harriton vs. Archbishop Wood
2:00, Haverford vs. Lawrenceville, NJ
3:30, Downingtown East vs. Mount St. Joseph
Rowland Field – All Girls’ Games
9:30, Bayard Rustin vs. Archbishop Carroll
11:30, Bishop Shanahan vs. Agnes Irwin School
1:30, Conestoga vs. Merion Mercy
3:30, Abington vs. Baldwin School
Prevost Field – All Boys’ Games
9:30, Penncrest vs. Emmaus
11:30, Haverford School vs. La Salle
1:30, Radnor vs. Tatnall, DE
3:30, Penn Charter vs. Lawrenceville, NJ
Loop Field – All Boys’ Games
9:30, Harriton vs. Shipley School
11:30, Lower Merion vs. Germantown Academy
1:30, Hatboro-Horsham vs. Bishop Shanahan
3:30, Strath Haven vs. Central Bucks East
Creek Field – All Boys’ Games
9:30, Abington vs. Episcopal Academy
11:30, Springfield-Delco vs. Downingtown East
1:30, Malvern Prep vs. Brunswick School, CT
3:30, Conestoga vs. St. Joseph’s Prep
