By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/19/10
The Evanfest Lacrosse Festival, a youth boys’ tournament that benefits families that have a child with a life-threatening disease, will add a high-profile high school matchup this year.
The fourth annual event, which will be held on April 10 at Malvern Prep, will culminate with a much-anticipated contest between Philly powers Malvern Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep.
Evanfest was created in the memory of Malvern Prep graduate Evan Brady, who passed away on Sept. 21, 2005, after a lengthy battle with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer).
Last year’s event – featuring 26 U-13 and U-15 boys’ teams – raised $120,000 and overall the Evanfest Foundation has raised nearly $250,000, according to Evan’s father and the Evanfest creator, Bill Brady. These funds go directly to families to assist with doctor’s bills, medications, and all other needs.
This year the event will feature between 24 and 26 boys’ teams at the U-15 and U-13 level. The capper is a 3:30 p.m. contest on the main field between the host Friars and St. Joe’s Prep, two teams perennially at the top of the Philly rankings. In all, five fields will be used and each youth team will play three games. The Malvern Prep and St. Joe’s Prep JV teams also will play on one of the fields at approximately 4 p.m.
More information can be found at the Evanfest website at http://www.evenfest.com.
Last year St. Joe’s Prep went 16-2 and finished third in the final PA Media Rankings. The Hawks were denied a shot to go to the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament after bowing to eventual state champion La Salle, 4-3, in a thrilling District 12 final.
Malvern Prep went 11-9 and finished seventh in the final Rankings, tying with Haverford School for the league crown and bowing to the Fords in the Inter-Ac championship tournament.
But this matchup has extra meaning because of the connection of Malvern Prep first-year coach Dan Keating to St. Joe’s Prep. Keating was the head coach at The Prep for three years until taking the job of assistant coach under John McEvoy last year at Malvern Prep. Keating, who compiled a 61-22 mark at The Prep and led the team to the Catholic League finals in each season, was named head coach at Malvern last summer after McEvoy retired.
Also, Keating’s top assistant is younger brother Mike Keating, also his top assistant at St. Joe’s Prep.
