Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/22/12
From Press Release

It was a thrilling victory for the Swarthmore College men’s lacrosse team, as junior Steve Selverian (Garnet Valley) notched the game-winning goal in the third overtime to cap a 10-9 victory over rival Haverford College on Saturday afternoon.

Swarthmore was carried by sophomore Jonathan Molloy, Selverian and freshman Ian Lukaszewicz, who each scored two goals. Sophomore Daniel Kowalyshyn, scored a goal and recorded an assist. Molloy assisted Selverian on the game-winning goal.

Selverian contributed a strong defensive performance in the midfield as well, leading the team with five groundballs.

Freshman Geoff Geppert scored three goals for the visiting Fords.

Swarthmore led through the whole first half, after two early goals in the first period. Sophomore Brendan Conway scored just five minutes in, and Molloy netted his 11th of the season to put the Garnet up 2-0.

Swarthmore conceded just one goal to senior Will Sangree. Lukaszewicz would score an additional goal to put Swarthmore up 3-1 heading into the second period.

Haverford and Swarthmore would each net three goals in the second period. For Swarthmore, Lukaszewicz netted his second of the day, while Selverian scored, along with senior Max Hubbard, his 11th on the year.

Two goals from Haverford’s senior Henry Lanier, in addition to junior Jake Maldonado, made the score 6-4 at the half.

Just at the start of the third period, the Garnet found itself a man-up and took advantage. Senior John Bukawyn scored to the put his team up 7-4, just two minutes into the period.

However, Haverford would prove the better team for the remainder of the period, netting two goals, from Geppert, while keeping Swarthmore off the scoreboard.

In the fourth, Haverford stayed hot, tying up the game a minute and a half in. The game was knotted until just under the 10 minute-mark, when sophomore Daniel Kowalyshyn scored to put Swarthmore up 8-7.

Haverford responded decisively as sophomore Christian Clay (Lawrencville School), tied up the game 40 seconds later, and just a minute and a half after that, Geppert scored his third of the day to put his team up for the first time in the game, 9-8.

It appeared as though as all hope was lost for the Garnet as they headed into the waning minutes of regulation down 9-8, but Molloy scored the tying goal with just over a minute to play to tie the game 9-9 and send it into overtime.

Haverford falls to 3-4 in the conference and 5-8 overall while Swarthmore improves to 2-5 and 5-9.

The Fords trail McDaniel College (4-3 CC) by a game but defeated the Green Terror earlier in the regular season. Both teams have one league game remaining. Franklin & Marshall College (4-4 CC) is a half game ahead of the Fords, but Haverford defeated the Diplomats in a head-to-head match-up so if the Fords and Dips — whose conference slate is complete — end up in a tie, Haverford would gain the tie-break edge, as it would if the Green Terror and Fords end up with the same conference record.

Swarthmore would eventually sneak away with the win after three periods of overtime, Selverian scored the game-winner and Molloy was credited with the assist.

Defensively Haverford’s goalie, senior Joe Banno made eight saves on the day, and Swarthmore senior Michael Brockway made 13 saves, three of which came in overtime to keep the Fords off the board.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/8/12

The Cabrini College men’s lacrosse team scored two goals in the final 30 seconds of the game to down host Hampden-Sydney College, 13-11, on Wednesday. The victory snapped Cabrini’s two game skid and evened its record at 2-2.

Junior Bobby Thorp and sophomore Corey Elmer led the Cavaliers with five points each. Thorp and freshman Damian Sobieski (Avon Grove) tallied four goals each, while Elmer posted four assists.

The game seemed to be in hand when Brian Hill (Ridley) scored his second goal of the day with just under nine minutes to play, giving the Cavaliers an 11-7 lead. Hampden-Sydney mounted an incredible rally, scoring four goals and tying the score at 11 with 1:17 on the clock.

With 29 seconds on the clock, the Cavaliers capitalized on a Tigers’ turnover, as Sobieski gave Cabrini the lead with an unassisted tally. A penalty on the ensuing faceoff gave the Cavaliers another man-up situation. Elmer and Thorp connected for the third time with 17 seconds on the clock sealing the Cavaliers’ win.

Junior Brandon Dunn went 7-15 in the faceoff circle and secured five ground balls. Senior John McSorley (Ridley) and sophomore Bill McCabe (Spring-Ford) recorded three ground balls each. McSorley also caused a team-high three turnovers.

Cabrini’s junior goaltender Erick Zarzecki posted eight saves and secured three ground balls in the win.

Haverford College 16, Skidmore 9

Phillip Valliant notched seven goals as the Fords’ offense exploded for a non-conference men’s lacrosse victory over Skidmore College at Ridge High School.

The win was the first of the season for Haverford (1-3) while Skidmore dropped to 1-2.

The Thoroughbreds netted the game’s first goal but Haverford ran off six unanswered tallies over a 12-minute span to take command.

Valliant had a career night with his seven goals but he wasn’t alone in helping the Fords’ offense as six others added scores including three from Christian Clay (Lawrenceville School) and a pair from Henry Lanier.

Zack Cohen played setup man most of the night registering a team-leading four assists.

In the defensive end, Dillon Hamill, with three caused turnovers, and Alexander Douglas and Scott Chanelli, with two each, made things difficult for Skidmore’s attack. The Haverford defensive corp helped provide clean looks at shooters for goalkeeper Joe Banno, who finished with 13 saves in the win.

Skidmore creapt within three, 7-4, by halftime, but the Haverford attack — which scored nine goals over the final 30 minutes — proved too strong as the pressure forced the Thoroughbreds into 22 turnovers for the game.

Gwynedd Mercy 9, Richard Stockton 8

Sophomore Nathan Pendleton (Cumberland Valley) led GM (1-2) by scoring three of his game-high four goals in the second half. His two scores in the third quarter alone helped brake a 6-6 tie.

Junior Roy Bakeoven (Archbishop Ryan) added two goals and an assist. Despite being outshot 39-34, junior goalie Ryley O’Keefe (Bishop Shanahan) made 11 stops in goal for Gwynedd.

Salisbury 16, Ursinus 4

The host and No. 1 Gulls (6-0) dealt the Bears (2-1) their first loss.

Stevenson 11, Widener 3

Michael Bassani led Widener with two goals. Charlie Bytheway (Garnet Valley) also scored once and had seven ground balls and junior Bobby Schluter (Tatnall School) made 17 saves.

Marymount 27, Penn State Abington 0

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/4/12

Josie Ferri (Pennsbury) scored three goals to help the Haverford College women’s lacrosse team secure its first victory of the season as it took down host Drew University, 10-8, on Saturday afternoon in non-conference play.

The Fords even their record at 1-1 with the win while the Rangers fall to 0-2.

Albright 8, Immaculata 7

Junior Kim Harkins (Sun Valley) scored five times, including two late goals to break a 6-6 deadlock, as Albright team won its first-ever home game in a nailbiter, over Immaculata.

Meghan Wilson added two goals and Nicole Rohrbach (Pottsgrove) scored once. Goalie Arlena Diep (Cardinal Dougherty) made eight saves and picked up a game-high six ground balls to help Albright to its second victory of the still-young season.

Kelly Kugler (West Deptford, NJ) led the Mighty Macs (0-1) with a hat trick.

Division II
Molloy 17, Holy Family 8

Freshman Brianna Lancetta (Bishop Eustace) led Holy Family with a game-high four goals and three ground balls. Junior Stephanie McNesby (Archbishop Ryan) added two goals and a team-best two assists.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/25/12
From Press Release

The Cabrini College men’s lacrosse team opened their 2012 on a high note, defeating #17 Haverford College, 9-3, Saturday at Haverford’s Swan Field.

Cabrini senior Brian Hill (Ridley) led the Blue and White’s offensive attack, tallying three goals on a game-high eight shots. Junior Bobby Thorp posted a game-high four points, on a goal and three assists.

Senior Joe Arrell (Springfield-Delco) paired a goal and two assists for three points on the day. Freshman Mike Leyden (Haverford High) recorded his first collegiate points with two goals on just two shots.

Blue and White goaltender Eric Zarzecki posted 12 saves.

Senior John McSorley (Ridley) and junior Andrew Kvech caused three turnovers each, while junior Tim Grenier (Ridley) and sophomore JoJo Cooper caused two each.

Freshman Anthony DiNenno (Avon Grove) won 10 of his 14 faceoff opportunities in his first collegiate action. Cabrini controlled 25 ground balls to Haverford’s 21, led by DiNenno’s eight.

The Cavaliers opened the scoring just 71 seconds into the game when senior Joe Arrell found sophomore Matt Biegel (West Chester East). Six minutes later, the Blue and White again found the net. Freshman Julius Mouser (Shipley School) notched his first collegiate goal at the 7:20 mark.

Thorp opened the second quarter with an unassisted goal. After a Haverford goal, Leyden scored the first of his pair of goals with 6:27 to play before halftime.

Sixteen seconds later, a Fords’ holding penalty gave the Cavaliers a man-up opportunity. Cabrini took advantage of the chance as Thorp found Hill for his first point of the season, sending the Cavaliers into halftime with a 5-1 lead.

Dillon Hamill, Zack Cohen and Phillip Valliant scored the goals for Haverford (0-2), who outshot the Cavaliers 31-28.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/14/12

Defending national champion Gettysburg was selected as the favorite in the Centennial women’s lacrosse coaches preseason poll released today.

Centennial Conference Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Poll
1-Gettysburg (7), 79
2-Franklin & Marshall (3), 67
3-Ursinus, 56
4-Haverford College, 53
5-Dickinson, 50
6-Washington College, 45
7-Muhlenberg, 30
8-McDaniel, 29
9-Swarthmore, 24
10-Bryn Mawr, 11

(#) first-place votes

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/13/12

USILA Division III Preseason Rankings

1. Salisbury University 297 14
2. Roanoke College 251
3. Dickinson College 248
4. Tufts University 248 1
5. Cortland 238
6. Amherst College 233
7. Stevenson University 217
8. Rochester Institute of Technology 204
9. Stevens Institute of Technology 161
10. Middlebury College 147
11. Lynchburg College 143
12. Gettysburg College 120
13. Endicott College 105
14. Union College 101
15. Denison University 82
16. Trinity College 67
17. Haverford College 59
18. Bowdoin College 47
19. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 29
20. Skidmore College 27

Also Receiving Votes
Cabrini College, Keene State College, Nazareth College, Springfield, Hampden-Sydney College, Western New England College, Saint John Fisher College, Wesleyan University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Colorado College , Geneseo, Widener University, Colby College

USILA Division II Preseason Rankings

1. Mercyhurst College 108 9
2. Adelphi University 97
3. Limestone College 83
4. C.W. Post 77
5. Dowling College 72
6. Le Moyne College 70
7. New York Institute of Technology 47
8. Merrimack College 41
9. Mercy College 37
10. Pfeiffer University 24
11. Seton Hill 12
12. Catawba College 10

Also Receiving Votes: Bentley University, Saint Michael’s College, Mars Hill College, Queens University of Charlotte

Chris Goldberg

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/18/11

St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) senior midfielder Hunter Sentner has made a commitment to play Division III lacrosse at Haverford College.

Hunter Sentner log:

Hunter Sentner

High School: St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)

Graduation Year: 2012

Position: Midfield

College Choice: Haverford College

Other info: Senter is the second player from St. Anthony’s to pick Haverford College in past month; other is goalie Eric Caliendo.

Club Affiliation: Long Island Stampede

Major lacrosse honors: Adidas All-American, Maverick Showtime

Academic honors: National Honor Society, Honor Roll

What will you major in/study? Philosophy

Why did you choose Haverford? “I was looking for a small, liberal arts school and Haverford definitely fits into that category. It is one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. Coach (Colin) Bathory has very big plans for the team and has already done a great job in moving the program in the right direction. His goal and the goal of all the players on the team is to win a national championship. The location of Haverford is also great. It is right outside of Philadelphia and a perfect distance from my home in Long Island.”

What is your HS team’s outlook for next year? “We have very high expectations next year. We really want to win our 4th consecutive NY Catholic League championship and to be the best team in the country.”

Chris Goldberg

Eric Caliendo

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/17/11
Long Island’s, St. Anthony senior goalie Eric Caliendo has made a verbal commitment to play Division III lacrosse at Haverford College.

Eric Caliendo log:

High school: St. Anthony’s High (NY)

Graduation year: 2012

Position: Goalie

College choice: Haverford College

Club affiliation(s): LI Stampede and LI Express

Major lacrosse honors: Member of the 2011 New York State CHSAA Champions.

What will you major in/study: Biology

Why did you choose Haverford College? “Coach Colin Bathory did a great job recruiting; setting a meeting with Dr. Emerson (President of Haverford College, leading stem cell researcher and former lacrosse player) and keeping in contact with me and my family.”

Outlook for your high school team? “We have a strong senior class and hope to have a ‘four peat’ as the New York State CHSAA Champions.”

Additional comments: “I am thankful to have a great family. My sister was a D1 gymnast at New Hampshire and brother is a lax player at Rensselaer; they are my motivation.”

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/16/11
From Press Releases

Haverford College graduate Derek Lief scored three goals to help the Jerusalem Lacrosse Club past Tel Aviv Lacrosse Club, 12-11, in front of a standing room only crowd at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem, Israel, on Saturday.

Rutgers University product Adam Goldberg scored four goals and added an assist to gain MVP honors for Jerusalem and joined team captain Mathew Markman in raising the Zimmerman Cup, commemorating Jerusalem’s victory in the first ever lacrosse match on Israeli soil. The trophy will be awarded to Israel’s national champions for years to come.

Alex Kost (McGill University) added three goals while Jason Lurie (Eilat, Israel) scored twice. Ben Levine (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) played the entire game in goal to earn the win.

“This game was a great experience for everyone involved,” said Borkan, Israel’s GM, who coached Jerusalem LC to victory. “It was a hard-fought game, and both teams represented their cities with great pride and passion. This was truly a special occasion, as it was the first ever lacrosse game ever played in Israel. Being part of this event is a memory I will treasure forever.”

Israel Lacrosse, an organization dedicated to the development of the sport of lacrosse in Israel, was officially recognized by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) as an Associate Member in April of 2011. The organization expects to field a men’s national team to debut in exhibition play next June at the 2012 European Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam. A full 2012 lacrosse schedule will be announced this Fall.

Chad Cohen (Colgate University) led Tel Aviv with six goals. Max Weisenberg (Bryant University) scored three goals and added an assist, while Danny Navo (Eilat, Israel) scored twice. Zach Lewis (Oberlin College), Ben Chernie (Kibutz Shamir, Israel) and Matt Flapan (Ramat Gan, Israel) each recorded a helper for the beach boys, who were coached by Israel bench boss Bill Beroza.

Weisenberg scored twice in the first quarter to give Tel Aviv an early 3-1 lead, but Jerusalem battled back into the game, forcing a 4-4 tie at halftime and a 7-7 tie at the end of three quarters.

Goldberg electrified the crowd as he scored his fourth goal to give Jerusalem an 8-7 lead in the first minute of the final frame, a lead they would never relinquish. Lief beat Tel Aviv goaltender Jonathan Yaghoubzadeh (Italy) with a pair of goals to put Jerusalem up 10-7, and the home team held on for victory to the delight of the capacity crowd.

The game, which was officiated by Neil Kramer and Jeff Alpert from Los Angeles, was played with four 20-minute running time quarters as per FIL regulations. Players from Israel, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United States were represented in the game. Equipment and uniforms were provided by STX, Warrior, Cascade, Reebok and The Lax Hut.

“We’ve successfully identified over 30 Israeli athletes who have experience playing competitive college lacrosse,” said Scott Neiss, Director of Israel Lacrosse. “We’re hopeful we’ll be able to build a player pool quickly and develop a true national club league.”

The organization is also conducting 20+ youth clinics this summer across the country. The program kicked off on June 20th at Elazraki Children’s Home in Netanya, and makes stops in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Bat Yam, Ashqelon, and other locations.

Chris Goldberg

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/4/11
From Press Releases

Haverford College Director of Athletics Wendy Smith has announced the hiring of Lauren Wray as head women’s lacrosse coach.

Lauren Wray

Wray arrives at Haverford after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant coach at nearby Temple University where she helped guide the Owls to a pair of Atlantic 10 conference tournament appearances.

“Lauren brings a competitive drive grounded in an appreciation for the well-rounded experience of a collegiate athlete,” said Smith. “Lauren’s commitment to supporting our student-athletes’ efforts to excel academically, athletically and extracurricularly made her an ideal choice for this position. Lauren understands and welcomes the challenges ahead of her and I look forward to her establishing a successful program within the highly competitive Centennial Conference and beyond.”

Prior to her position at Temple, Wray served as the head coach at Cedar Crest College from 2008-09 after spending one season as the assistant at Lafayette College. Wray also founded the Triumph Lacrosse Club in Bethlehem in May of 2008 and has continued to manage and coach the first high school women’s lacrosse club travel team in the Lehigh Valley.

“I’m honored and incredibly excited to become the head coach at Haverford College,” said Wray. “Haverford’s extraordinarily strong academic and athletic traditions provide the ideal student-athlete experience, and I am excited to meet and begin work with the team. I am grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to working with the student-athletes, the administration and the athletic staff to take the program to the next level.”

Wray (nee Gallagher) was a four-year letterwinner at Duke University from 1999-2003 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and economics in 2004. Over her career with the Blue Devils she played attack and accumulated 140 goals and 53 assists earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons. Wray began her coaching career as an undergraduate assistant with Duke during the 2003-04 season while finishing work on her degree.

In the summer before heading to Duke, Wray played for the United States Under-19 Women’s Lacrosse Team which competed at the 1999 World Championships in Perth, Australia. She was later selected to the USA Developmental Squad, training as a member of Team USA with thirty developmental players in the summers from 2001-03.

Wray inherits a Haverford squad that in 2011 posted its third straight 10-plus win season and qualified for the Centennial Conference tournament for the second consecutive postseason.

The 2012 Fords return three of their top four scorers including Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-America selection Jose Ferri (Pennsbury), who amassed 51 goals while adding 22 assists during the 2011 campaign. Perrin Downing scored 25 goals and Alexa Pesce tallied 18. Wray’s Haverford squad also returns All-Metro Region goalkeeper Leah Hammerschlag who finished with a 9-7 record and an 8.73 goals against average.

Wray’s husband, Taylor, was announced as the head men’s lacrosse coach at St. Joseph’s University on August 1.

Chris Goldberg