Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 12/15/09
Directors of the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival have released an updated schedule and list of game times for the 10th annual event scheduled for April 24, 2010, at Radnor High.
The festival raises money for spinal cord research and development. It is named after Katie Samson, a former Radnor High great who suffered a severe spinal injury in a sledding accident in 2000 while a student-athlete at Middlebury College.
Peter Samson, Katie’s father and the founder of the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival, released the times of games and noted two girls’ changes from a schedule released two weeks ago. Abington will play Germantown Friends and Agnes Irwin will meet Henderson.
This year’s field features the largest number of teams ever – as 28 girls’ squads and 26 boys’ team will compete in the biggest one-day scholastic tournament of the year. Overall, the schedule features many matchups of teams that finished high in the rankings in Pennsylvania and at the national level last year.
For the boys, there are numerous marquee matchups. One features 2009 District 1 champion and state finalist Conestoga vs. Inter-Ac league co-champion Malvern Prep. The other Inter-Ac co-champion, Haverford School, will play defending District 11 champion and state quarterfinalist Emmaus.
La Salle, the two-time defending state champion, will meet 2009 state qualifier Lower Merion. Both La Salle (8th) and Conestoga (19th) finished among the top 20 teams in the final Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse national rankings last year.
Meanwhile, state semifinalist Springfield-Delco will meet St. Joseph’s Prep, which went 16-2 and was ranked third in the final PA Media Rankings. Other intriguing matchups include District 1 finalist Downingtown East vs. Suburban One National Conference champion Abington; Inter-Ac power Episcopal Academy and New Jersey prep power Lawrenceville School; and Connecticut prep power Brunswick School vs. Inter-Ac member Penn Charter.
For the girls, top matchups include defending District 1 champion Springfield-Delco vs. defending Inter-Ac winner Episcopal Academy; state finalist Strath Haven vs. Athletic Association of Catholic Academies (AACA) champion Merion Mercy; defending state champion Radnor vs. AACA power Villa Maria Academy; and state qualifier Bayard Rustin vs. Inter-Ac power Baldwin School. Radnor was ranked 14th in the nation by Lacrosse Magazine last year.
A newcomer to the Festival is Unionville, a team that reached the state semifinals last year and won the Ches-Mont League. The Indians will meet Inter-Ac power Notre Dame.
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for the event should contact Clare Girton at 610-293-9984.
Schedule
Boys
9:30 a.m.
Hatboro-Horsham vs. Archbishop Wood, Prevost (football) Field
Shipley vs. Archbishop Carroll, Loop Field
Strath Haven vs. Downingtown West, Creek Field
11:30 a.m.
Radnor vs. Germantown Academy, Prevost
Lower Merion vs. La Salle, Loop
Emmaus vs. Haverford School, Creek
1:30 p.m.
Springfield-Delco vs. St. Joseph’s Prep, Creek
Conestoga vs. Malvern Prep, Prevost
Brunswick (CT) vs. Penn Charter, Loop
3:30 p.m.
Lawrenceville School (NJ) vs. Episcopal Academy, Prevost
Unionville vs. Tatnall School (DE), Loop
Abington vs. Downingtown East, Creek
4:00 p.m.
Haverford High vs. Bishop Shanahan, Turf
Girls
9:00 a.m.
Abington vs. Germantown Friends, Turf Field
Harriton vs. Penn Charter, Library Field
Henderson vs. Agnes Irwin, Rowland Field
10:45 a.m.
Strath Haven vs. Merion Mercy, Turf
Upper Dublin vs. Springside School. Library
Unionville vs. Notre Dame Academy, Rowland
12:30 a.m.
Springfield-Delco vs. Episcopal Academy, Turf
Bayard Rustin vs. Baldwin School, Library
Penncrest vs. Shipley School, Rowland
2:15 p.m.
Radnor vs. Villa Maria Academy, Turf
Methacton vs. Bishop Shanahan, Library
Ridley vs. Germantown Academy, Rowland
4:00 p.m.
Great Valley vs. Friends Central, Library
Conestoga vs. Archbishop Carroll, Rowland
