By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/6/13
La Salle coach Bill Leahy had a hard time listing all the honors senior attackman Matt Rambo won in 2013:
“The question is not, ‘What did he accomplish?’ It’s ‘What didn’t he accomplish?’”
Not a lot.
In 2013, Rambo led the Explorers to the PIAA championship, a record of 23-2 and a national ranking among the Top 10 in every poll.
Rambo, bound for Maryland, collected 80 goals and 37 assists and was named US Lacrosse All-American for the third straight year. He capped his amazing season by winning the MVP at the Under Armour All-American Game when he scored a record eight goals.
Now, Rambo has been named the Phillylacrosse.com Player of the Year.
“His team and individual accomplishments speak for themselves,” said Leahy. “He is as a very talented player and we’ve very happy and proud to send him off to Maryland.”
Rambo has always dealt with double teams and game plans specifically designed to stop him. For the second straight year he had to carry more of a load early in the year because La Salle was missing All-American midfielder Sean Coleman (football-related injury).
When Coleman returned in mid-season, the Explorers began to realize their lofty expectations. La Salle defeated St. Joseph’s Prep, 11-6, to win the Catholic League championship and earned a tough 6-4 victory over Radnor to advance to the state quarterfinals.
After reaching the PIAA title game for the fourth time in five years, La Salle found a familiar foe – Conestoga, the team it lost to in the finals in 2010 and 2012.
This time Rambo scored four goals and the Explorers coasted, 13-4.
“I guess we had a chip on our shoulders,” said Rambo, who collected 276 career goals, with 78 coming in his freshman year at Abington. “It was good to play them again for the title. I think Sean came back at the right time and we began to peak.
“The state championship was the high point.”
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