By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/6/12

The boys’ schedule of games for the 4th annual “Checking for Cancer” Invitational features – as always – many of the top boys’ lacrosse teams in the country.

Former Washington College linemates Kevin Giblin (left) and John Nostrant are both cancer survivors and the driving force behind the "Checking for Cancer" Invitational

The event will be held April 14 at Haverford School. It raises money and awareness for three men’s cancers: prostate, testicular and colon. Three girls’ games also will be scheduled.

The seven boys’ matchups are:

Haverford School (PA) vs Lawrenceville School (N.J.)

Georgetown Prep (MD) vs. Delbarton (N.J.)

La Salle College High (PA) vs St. Augustine Prep (N.J.)

Darien (CT) vs Penn Charter (PA)

Salesianum (DE) vs Chatham (N.J.)

Conestoga (PA) vs Garden City (N.Y.)

Episcopal Academy (PA) vs. Radnor (PA)

Haverford School, the Inter-Ac League and Inter-Ac Invitational champions, finished as the No. 1 team in the country last year in every national poll. Conestoga, the two-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association champion, was ranked among the top 5 in every national poll. Georgetown Prep (No. 10) and Garden City (No. 11) and Darien (No. 25) were ranked in the final Under Armour/Inside lacrosse poll.

Meanwhile, La Salle was the PA state champion in 2008 and 2009 and Salesianum was the Delaware state champion in 2009 and 2011. Lawrenceville and St. Augustine and two of the top new Jersey prep powers and Chatham and Delbarton are regular contenders for state honors. Meanwhile, Penn Charter and Episcopal Academy are members of the powerful Inter-Ac League and Radnor is a perennial Central League contender.

The event was created in 2009 by Haverford School coach John Nostrant, a prostate cancer survivor, and his college teammate Georgetown Prep coach Kevin Giblin. Giblin is a colon cancer survivor.

Nostrant and Giblin were roommates at Washington College and linemates on the lacrosse field. They served together as assistant coaches for the United States U-19 men’s team in 2008 when it captured the International World Federation Championship in British Columbia.

Proceeds totaling $13,500 from the 2011 Checking for Cancer Tournament were donated to the Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia last year.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/15/11

Villanova was picked to finish third in the Coach’s poll as Face-Off Yearbook put out its Big East Preseason rankings and all-conference teams.

Click here for full story.

Big East Coaches’ Preseason All-Conference

A Kevin Cunningham, Villanova
A Travis Comeau, Georgetown
A Sean Rogers, Notre Dame
M Matt Bell, Villanova
M Zach Angel, Georgetown
M JoJo Marasco, Syracuse
LSM Matt Harris, Syracuse
F/O Liam O’Connor (Haverford School), Notre Dame
SSDM Quinn Cully, Notre Dame
D Brian Megill, Syracuse
D Chris Creighton (Malvern Prep), Villanova
D Kevin Randall, Notre Dame
G John Kemp, Notre Dame

Preseason Coaches’ Poll

1. Syracuse
2. Notre Dame
3. Villanova
4. Georgetown
5. St. John’s
6. Rutgers
7. Providence

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/9/11

Haverford School donates $13,500 to the Kimmel Cancer Center

Proceeds totaling $13,500 from the 2011 Checking for Cancer Lacrosse Tournament were donated to the Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia today.

The tournament was held on Saturday April 16 and was hosted by The Haverford School. Participating teams included girls’ teams from Baldwin, Friends’ Central, Agnes Irwin, and Germantown Friends. JV Boys teams included The Haverford School and Conestoga. Varsity boys teams included The Haverford School, Darien (Conn.), Radnor, Downingtown East, Georgetown Prep (Md.), Delbarton (N.J.), Conestoga, Greenwich (Conn.), La Salle, Wilton (Conn.), Chatham (N.J.) and Fairfield Prep (Conn.).

The event was created in 2009 by Haverford School coach John Nostrant, a prostate cancer survivor, and his college teammate Georgetown Prep coach Kevin Giblin. Giblin is a colon cancer survivor.

Nostrant and Giblin were roommates at Washington College and linemates on the lacrosse field. They served together as assistant coaches for the United States U-19 men’s team in 2008 when it captured the International World Federation Championship in British Columbia.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/8/11

Haverford School, which went 23-0 last year and earned the tag as National high school boys’ lacrosse champion, has released its 2012 schedule.

The Fords open with three teams from Baltimore’s powerful MIAA conference – St. Paul’s (home, March 13), McDonogh (home, March 17) and Loyola Blakefield (away, March 20). Next Haverford plays at DC IAC power Landon at Navy Marine Corp Stadium (March 23).

The Fords meet their first PA foe on March 31 when they travel to PIAA runner-up St. Joseph’s Prep. Their Inter-Ac League opener is April 3 at Penn Charter and they then host MIAA heavyweight Gilman School on April 5 and South Jersey power St. Augustine Prep on April 7.

Haverford School also meets New Jersey prep power Lawrenceville School when it hosts the annual ‘Checking for Cancer” tourney on April 14 and plays its first of two meetings with heated Inter-Ac rival Malvern Prep on April 17 (away).

Haverford again plays Conestoga – the two-time PIAA champion – in the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival on April 28.

Haverford School 2012 boys’ lacrosse schedule

March
13 Tue St Paul’s (MD) home V 4:30 PM
17 Sat McDonogh (MD) home V
20 Tue Loyola Blakefield (MD) away V
23 Fri Landon (DC) Navy Marine Corp Stadium V 5:30 PM Spring Break
31 Sat St Joe’s Prep away Spring Break

April
3 Tue Penn Charter away
5 Thu Gilman (MD) home
7 Sat St Augustine (NJ) home
10 Tue Germantown Academy home
12 Thu La Salle away
14 Sat Lawrencville (NJ) – Checking for Cancer home
17 Tue Malvern Prep away
20 Fri Episcopal Academy away night game
24 Tue Penn Charter home
26 Thu Germantown Academy away
28 Sat Conestoga – Katie Samson Festival Radnor

May
1 Tue Chestnut Hill Academy away
5 Sat Malvern Prep home
8 Tue Episcopal Academy home
10 Thu Radnor home
Inter-Ac Invitational TBA

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/21/11

Midfielder Tyler Barbarich (Univ, of Delaware freshman/Twist Lacrosse) won 13 of 17 faceoffs and recently added alternate Conor Kelly (Haverford School/Notre Dame freshman) yielded just one goal in a half of play as Team USA opened its preparations for the National championships by defeating a group of Dallas-area All-Stars, 26-4, Saturday night.

The game was held in conjunction with the Dick’s Lone Star Shootout at Five Star Park in The Colony, Texas.

Barbarich is a recent grad of Bridgewater-Raritan (N.J.), where he led his team to the state title in 2011. Kelly, who shared time with Zach Oliveri, is one of three Philly players listed as an alternate. The others are Maryland freshman attackman Kevin Forster (La Salle) and Penn freshman attackman Hup Hupfeldt (Haverford School).

Kelly was the Phillylacrosse.com Co-Player of the Year in 2011 when he led the Fords to a perfect 23-0 season and a national championship.

Attackman and Notre Dame recruit Matt Kavanagh (Chaminade, N.Y./Hotchkiss School, CT post-grad) scored six goals and assisted on three others. Click here for full report on Lacrosse Magazine online.

The US will compete this July in the 2012 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) U19 Men’s World Championships in Turku, Finland.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/19/11
From Press Releases

University of Michigan men’s lacrosse head coach John Paul has signed 18 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to comprise the program’s inaugural recruiting class. Two players rank among ESPN Rise’s Top 100, while three more were rated as Top 25 players within ESPN Rise’s positional ratings. Additionally, Inside Lacrosse rated one player as the No. 2 Canadian prospect for the Class of 2012.

“We’re thrilled with this group,” said head coach John Paul. “This is a talented class, but even more importantly as the first ever Division 1 recruiting class at Michigan, these 18 young men represent something very special. They are making history, and each of them has the potential to leave their mark on the program. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to the Michigan lacrosse family.”

By position there are five attackmen, four defenders, four midfielders, three long-stick midfielders, one faceoff specialist and one goalie.

Graham Conlan (Mohnton, Pa./Hill School) — Conlan is a 6-1, 170-pound defender who has earned three varsity letters and will captain his Hill School team as a senior in 2012. He is coached by Ned Ide. ESPN Rise rated Conlan as the No. 22 defender in the class of 2012.

Daniel Kinek (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus High/Avon Old Farms [Conn.]) -- A 5-10, 168-pound midfielder, Kinek is spending a post-graduate year at Avon Old Farms, which is coached by Dr. Skip Flanagan. Previously he played for Emmaus High School where he earned three varsity letters under head coach Jef Hewlings. Kinek is the Emmaus’ all-time career leader in goals (217) and assists (90). In 2011, he earned Pennsylvania All-State honors, All-Phillylacrosse.com first team, Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association All-Star, MVP of the Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the recipient of the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award. Kinek’s high school team has won three LVIAC titles and a pair of district championships. He has served as a captain of the lacrosse and basketball teams.

Paxton Moore (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) – Moore is a 5-10, 165-pound longstick midfielder who has earned two varsity letters for head coach John Nostrant. Moore was ranked as the No. 12 LSM nationally by ESPN Rise for the 2012 season. He was a part-time starter for The Haverford School’s 2011 team that went 23-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by Inside Lacrosse and ESPN. The team won its league’s regular-season and tournament titles. Moore is a two-time EPSLA All-Star.

Chase Brown (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) — A 6-1, 210-pound longstick midfielder, Brown has received three varsity letters for head coach Brian Wood. In 2011, Brown scooped up 57 ground balls, forced 27 turnovers and chipped in a goal and two assists as Severn placed second in the county. Brown was also a member of the Maryland Freestate team last summer. He has been named team captain for his senior season in 2012. Brown has earned three letters on the football field.

Cooper Charlton (Hudson, Ohio/The Hill Academy [Ontario]) — Charlton is a 6-3, 200-pound defender who lettered all four years at Hudson High School for head coach David Blue. Charlton is currently taking a postgraduate year at The Hill Academy where he is coached by Brodie Merrill and Merrick Thomson. Charlton is a two-time Under Armour Underclassman All-American, 2011 US Lacrosse Second Tier All-American and 2011 OHSLA All-Ohio first team honoree. As a senior at Hudson, he captained the team to the 2011 Ohio state championship. He was the team’s defensive MVP as a junior and senior and received the Ray Hyser Sportsmanship Award.

Brendan Gaughan (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) — A 6-4, 195-pound attackman, Gaughan has received three varsity letters while playing for head coach Jesse Foss. For the class of 2012, ESPN Rise ranked Gaughan the No. 7 attackman and its No. 27 overall player. In 2011, he registered 48 goals and 31 assists, which led to the following honors: US Lacrosse Second Tier All-America, Under Armour All-America West Team, ESPN HS All-America honorable mention. His La Costa Canyon squad was the 2010 CIF Champion and was the CIF runner-up in 2009. Gaughan is a former high school teammate of current U-M sophomore Andrew Hayden. Gaughan also lettered three times in football.

Evan Glaser (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh School) — A 6-0, 190-pound attackman, Glaser has received three varsity letters playing for head coach Andy Hilgartner. Glaser scored 24 goals and added 18 assists in a starting role in 2011 as his squad reached the MIAA semifinals. He has been named team captain for the 2012 campaign.

Matt Graham (Amityville, N.Y./Chaminade) — A 5-8, 150-pound midfielder, Graham plays for head coach Jack Moran. Graham had nine goals, four assists and 33 ground balls as a junior to earn all-league honors in 2011.

Michael Hernandez (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) — A 6-2, 185-pound midfielder, Hernandez has played the last two years for head coach Jeremy Stothers. In 2011, Hernandez registered 37 goals and 40 assists to earn All-Bay Shore Athletic League first team recognition. He will captain the Piedmont squad during the 2012 season.

Kyle Jackson (Sarnia, Ontario/The Hill Academy) — A 5-9, 160-pound midfielder, Jackson is coached by Brodie Merrill and Merrick Thomson at The Hill Academy. Inside Lacrosse named Jackson its No. 2 player in Canada for the Class of 2012. Jackson won three consecutive (2009, ’10, ’11) gold medals with Team Ontario’s Under-19 Team at the Alumni Cup. He is one of 50 players who will compete for a roster spot on Team Canada’s squad for the 2012 U-19 World Championships. Jackson won The Hill Academy’s Leadership and Strength and Conditioning Awards in 2010. He was the team captain in 2011.

Charles Keady (Darien, Conn./Fairfield College Prep) — A 6-3, 190-pound longstick midfielder, Keady plays for head coach Chris Smalkais. Keady was ranked by ESPN Rise as the No. 24 LSM for the class of 2012. He helped his team to Class L runner-up finishes in 2010 and ’11, and earned an SCC title in 2011. He will captain the Fairfield team in 2012. Keady has also earned varsity letters in football and indoor track.

Riley Kennedy (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) — A 6-0, 180-pound attackman, Kennedy has earned three varsity letters under the tutelage of head coach Rob Ambrose. In 2011, Kennedy was a US Lacrosse Third Tier All-American, ESPN All-America honorable mention, All-Midwest second team and all-state first team selection. He tallied 62 goals, 30 assists and 61 ground balls as the Warriors won the Catholic League and their ninth straight state title. In 2010, the Warriors won championships at the league, state and Midwest levels. Additionally, Brother Rice was a finalist at the Midwest Championship. Kennedy is a teammate of fellow signee Chris Walker as well as current U-M freshman Will Meter.

Peter Kraus (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) — A 5-11, 165-pound attackman, Kraus has lettered three times for head coach Alex Whitten. Kraus has started each of his three seasons, earning All-FCIAC honorable mention last season. He will captain his New Canaan team in 2012.

Gerald Logan (Wading River, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School [Conn.]) — A 6-1, 190-pound goalie, Logan will spend a postgraduate year with head coach Chris Burchfield at The Hotchkiss School. In 2011, Logan lettered at Sachem North High School for head coach Jason Mauro. He had a .608 save percentage. Logan also lettered at Shoreham-Wading River High School. He also earned four letters playing soccer.

Brad Lott (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) — Lott is a 6-0, 175-pound faceoff specialist/midfielder and a three-time varsity letter winner at Trinity under head coach Pete Schroeder. For the class of 2012, ESPN Rise ranked Lott the No. 1 faceoff/midfielder and its No. 15 overall player. Lott was an ESPN All-America honorable mention, two-time Under Armour All-America Underclassman, and two-time adidas All-American. An all-state first team selection in 2011, Lott won 71 percent of his faceoffs and recorded 23 goals with 18 assists while leading his team to its second straight state championship game with a 15-1 record.

William Perkins (Dallas, Texas/Saint Mark’s School of Texas) — Perkins is a 6-3, 205-pound attackman. He has earned three varsity letters for head coach Hayward Lee. Perkins was a captain in 2011 and will take on the same duty in 2012. He tallied 45 goals and 16 assists and posted 10 forced turnovers in 2011 en route to all-conference honors. Perkins was all-conference and all-district in 2010. Saint Mark’s has won its last three conference championships and has earned a runner-up spot in the state tournament in 2009 and 2010. Perkins is also a linebacker and captain on the football team.

Brendan Riefberg (Flanders, N.J./Roxbury) — A 6-4, 195-pound defender, Riefberg has earned three letters for head coach John Benbow. He was all-state second team and an adidas Underclassman All-American in 2011. He had team-bests for ground balls (75) and caused turnovers (32) while contributing seven goals and 12 assists. Riefberg captained the Roxbury team in 2011 and will do so again in 2012.

Chris Walker (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) — A 6-0, 183-pound defender, Walker is a two-year letterwinner for head coach Rob Ambrose. In 2011 Walker earned US Lacrosse Third Tier All-America, All-Midwest first team, Michigan All-State first team and All-Catholic League. The Brother Rice captain collected 91 ground balls while chipping in a goal and two assists en route to Catholic League and Michigan State Championships. In 2010, the Warriors won championships at the league, state and Midwest levels. Walker is a teammate of fellow signee Riley Kennedy as well as current U-M freshman Will Meter.

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/14/11

Five Haverford School seniors signed their National Letters of Intent and joined with three others that have committed to Ivy League schools.

Haverford School signees for National Letter of Intent week: seated L-R: Connor Bailey (Georgetown University), Warner Bailey (Georgetown University), Zach Rego (Georgetown University), Will McNamara (University of Virginia), Paxton Moore (University of Michigan); Standing L-R: Ivy League commits Will Gural (Brown University), Sam Rohr (University of Pennsylvania), Henry Blynn (Brown University)

The seniors that signed during the early signing period (No. 9-16) included defenseman Connor Bailey (Georgetown University), defenseman Warner Bailey (Georgetown University), attackman Zach Rego (Georgetown University), midfielder/LSM Will McNamara (University of Virginia) and long stick midfielder Paxton Moore (University of Michigan).

Other seniors headed to Division I colleges in the Ivy League (players do not sign for Ivy League schools since no scholarships are given) include face-off specialist/midfielder Will Gural (Brown University), midfielder Sam Rohr (University of Pennsylvania) and attackman Henry Blynn (Brown University).

The eight Fords were members of a squad that last year went 23-0 and claimed the No. 1 rankings in every national poll while winning the Inter-Ac League and Inter-Ac Invitational championships.

Signed your Letter of Intent? E-mail it in to golax@phillylacrosse.com

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/7/11
From Press Release

Jim Rogalski, head men’s lacrosse coach at The University of Scranton, has announced that seniors Colin McPoyle (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks South) and Mike Rufo (Broomall, Pa./Haverford School) and juniors Taylor Nelson (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East) and Tim Cleary (Shrewsbury, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) will serve as team captains for the upcoming 2012 season.

“All four have shown remarkable leadership ability since I took over as head coach in the summer of 2010,” says Rogalski. “I’m confident that they will continue to serve as leaders as we look to expand upon the progress that we made last season. In addition, each of them will play a key role in our quest to repeat as Landmark Conference champions and return to the NCAA tournament.”

McPoyle and Cleary were mainstays on a defensive unit that held nine opponents under 10 goals last season. In three seasons, McPoyle has appeared in 46 games and has 44 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers. Cleary, a 2011 first-team all-Landmark Conference selection, has 54 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers in 30 career games.

Nelson and Rufo both earned second-team all-Landmark Conference honors last season to help Scranton to its first Landmark Conference title and second conference championship in the program’s 25-year history. Nelson led the Royals in goals (31) and total points (43) while Rufo was second in goals scored (25) and third overall in total points (29). In addition, Rufo enters his final campaign needing 18 goals to move into the top 15 all-time in Scranton history.

The Royals finished the 2011 season with a 9-8 record in Rogalski’s first season as head coach. Scranton won four of its final five games, including wins over Catholic University and defending champion Goucher College in the Landmark Conference postseason tournament, with its only loss coming to then 12th-ranked Gettysburg, 8-3, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III championships.

By Rick Woelfel
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/6/11

Jake Landman is accustomed to being around first-rate lacrosse talent. A junior at The Haverford School, Landman is part of a program that went 23-0 and finished on top of every national poll last season.

Jake Landman

Landman was the goalkeeper for the Fords’ junior-varsity team and worked against the varsity in practice. As he prepares to make his varsity debut next spring, Landman is playing between the pipes for the Philly-based Mesa Fresh ’13 squad that competed in the Quaker Fall LaxFest today at Radnor High.

The daylong showcase featured 16 club teams from the eastern United Stares and Canada and provided ample opportunity for over 100 college coaches to see some of the nation’s top prospects in action against other top prospects.

For a player such as Landman who is looking to establish his own identity, it was an idyllic setting.

Landman, who started playing lacrosse at age 8, spoke about the experience in a conversation with Phillylacrosse.com.

Question: Who got you started as a goalkeeper?
Landman: My cousin taught me. I loved it, I loved the challenge. I love everything about it. I like the fact that you have to be a leader on the field and you have to be the leader of the defense, kind of the quarterback of the defense. I love when the ball goes fast and I save it; it’s kind of an adrenaline rush.”

Question: You’ve had the opportunity to go against some of the finest players in the country in practice. How has that impacted your development as a goalkeeper?

Landman: I can’t even describe how much it’s (helped). Going against the best players, especially from our senior class. Every day at practice is like a game. I can’t describe how much it helped me.”

Question: “How does playing in a showcase like the Quaker LaxFest help you?
Landman: I think it’s pretty important. Coach (John) Nostrant (at Haverford School) does a really good job making sure we’re all in a good club program. Mesa is very good, I love it. If (Nostrant) sees you have potential as a player he’ll see you work with other coaches. He really gets that potential out.”

Question: How do you think your game has picked up from the start of your high school career to now?
Landman: I definitely talk a lot more. My clearing has gotten a lot better. Overall I’ve developed more as a person and a player.”

Question: How hard is it to assume a leadership role on the field when you may be younger than some of the people you’re playing with?
Landman: I just try and get their respect. I try to work with them as a teammate more than a leader.”

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/5/11

Haverford School junior attackman Gavin McBride has committed to the admissions process at Princeton University.

Gavin McBride log:

Gavin McBride

High school: Haverford School

Graduation year: 2013

Position: Attackman

College choice: Princeton

Club affiliation: Mesa Fresh 2013

Intended major: Business

Lacrosse honors: Had 22 goals and 6 assists for 23-0 club that finished No. 1 in the nation in 2011; EPSLA Showcase, 2011

Academic honors: Has a 4.0 GPA

Why did you choose Princeton? “I felt like it was the best chance for me to grow as a lacrosse player, a student, and a person, in general. I felt so comfortable there and the coaches were great to my family throughout the process. Coaches (head coach Chris) Bates, coach (Greg) Raymond and Coach (Mike) Podgajny were awesome.”

What is your HS team’s outlook for 2012? “We may not necessarily have the talent we had last year, but we still have a very talented core of players and I don’t see why we cant do it again.”

Additional comments: “I want to thank my parents for being there and letting me make the decision and not pressuring me. I also wish to thank the college coaches I spoke with. I want to thank (Haverford School) coach (John) Nostrant and coaches (Mark) Petrone, (Travis) Loving and (Paul) O’Grady and Mesa Fresh coach (John) Sims.”

Note: Ivy League student-athletes must continue through the normal admissions process