Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/12/09

La Salle, the defending Pennsylvania state boys’ champion, is ranked second in the nation in the first Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse High School Power Rankings released this morning.

The Explorers, coached by Bill Leahy, went 31-2 last year and defeated Malvern Prep for the final Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (EPSLA) championship and Manheim Township for the last Keystone Cup Trophy.

La Salle, which will compete for the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championship, is led by a host of key senior returnees: goalie Niko Amato (signed with Maryland), middies Peter Schwartz (Duke), Derek Bogorowski (Lehigh) and Gordie Wells, attackers Randy Forster (Penn State) and Westy Hopkins, defenders Tucker Durkin (Johns Hopkins), Mike Noone (Lehigh), Andrew Zbikowski (St. John’s) and Tyler Houchins (Scranton), and long stick midfielder Tyler Knarr (Georgetown) as well as sophomore attacker Kevin Forster.

Maryland’s Gilman School was tabbed as the No. 1 team. Gilman will host La Salle on March 25 in what could be a classic battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2.

“They interviewed me at the (National) Convention and I was crossing my fingers they would make us No. 4 or No. 3, anything but No. 1,” Leahy said. “I guess it’s nice. It makes things a little more challenging, having a little more pressure we have to handle.

“We haven’t done anything this year to earn this ranking; it’s all based on last year. So far we are unproven.”

Also from Philadelphia, Haverford School is ranked No. 13. The Fords of coach John Nostrant were the runner-up to Malvern Prep in the mighty Inter-Ac league last year and fell to La Salle in the EPSLA semifinals.

The Explorers will face several other teams in the Top 25. They host No. 4 Calvert Hall on March 28 and play at No. 7 West Genesee April 4. They meet Haverford School April 25 in the 9th Annual Katie Samson Festival and travel to No. 9 Georgetown Prep May 5.

Haverford also has a number of Division I recruits, including senior goalie Dan Wigrizer (Maryland), senior long stick midfielder Stocky Euler (Lafayette), senior middie Wills Miller (Bucknell), senior defender J.J. Newland (Vermont), junior attacker Stephen Aitken (Penn State), and junior middie/face-off specialist Liam O’Connor (Notre Dame). Other key seniors include senior middie Colton Growney (Williams College), senior defender/LSM George Brooke (Washington & Lee), senior middie Ryan Mansmann (Gettysburg), senior defender Austin Wolfington (Franklin & Marshall) and senior attacker Will Horrocks (Washington College).

Besides La Salle, Haverford will meet No. 19 St. Paul’s (March 14, away), No. 24 Lawrenceville (April 1, home), No. 10 St. Anthony’s (April 11, away).

The Preseason Under Armour/IL High School Power Rankings:

1. Gilman (Md.) (0-0)

Next: 3/13 @ Landon

2. La Salle (Pa.) (0-0)

Next: 3/21 @ Conestoga

3. West Islip (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 4/2 @ Massapequa

4. Calvert Hall (Md.) (0-0)

Next: 3/14 vs. Hill Academy

5. Mountain Lakes (N.J.) (0-0)

Next: 4/1 @ Bergen Catholic

6. Syosset (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/18 vs. Garden City

7. West Genesee (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/24 vs. Irondequoit

8. Delbarton (N.J.) (0-0)

Next: 4/1 @ Summit

9. Georgetown Prep (Md.) (0-0)

Next: 3/13 vs. Brophy Prep

10. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/25 vs. St. Dominic

11. LaFayette (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 4/1 @ Jamesville-DeWitt

12. Saint Andrew’s (Fla.) (0-0)

Next:Tomorrow @ Nease

13. Haverford School (Pa.) (0-0)

Next: 3/14 @ St. Paul’s (Md.)

14. Manhasset (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/25 vs. Sayville

15. Duxbury (Mass.) (0-0)

Next: 4/2 @ Hanover

16. Kent Denver (Colo.) (0-0)

Next: 3/9 vs. Mountain Vista

17. Worthington Kilbourne (Ohio) (0-0)

Next: 4/1 vs. Dublin Jerome

18. Garden City (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/18 @ Syosset

19. St. Paul’s (Md.) (0-0)

Next: 3/14 vs. Haverford

20. Upper Arlington (Ohio) (0-0)

Next: 4/1 @ Hilliard Darby

21. Yorktown (N.Y.) (0-0)

Next: 3/31 vs. North Rockland

22. Darien (Conn.) (0-0)

Next: 4/8 vs. Staples-Westport

23. Boys’ Latin (Md.) (0-0)

Next: 3/14 @ St. Anne’s-Belfield

24. Lawrenceville (N.J.) (0-0)

Next: 3/28 vs. Choate

25. St. Anne’s-Belfield (Va.) (0-0)

Next: 3/14 vs. Boys’ Latin

Tags: La Salle