Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/22/18
From Press Release
Magerk’s Lacrosse Club of Horsham defeated TJ Smith’s, 7-4, recently to claim the Lacrosse Summer League Championship at Germantown Academy.
TJ Smith’s seized a 3-1 lead, but Magerk’s Joe Palo (SUNY Cortland, Hatboro-Horsham) was strong at the faceoff X and Kurt Dick (Moravian, Hatboro-Horsham) was a force in goal and the game was tied, 4-4 at halftime. Magerk’s then scored three straight goals in the second half to close out its first Lenape championship.
After his great showing on the previous night of games face-off specialist Anthony Paone (Widener) got off to a hot start with a win and fast break goal just seconds into the game. TJ’s would score again soon after and quickly the game was 3-1 making you wonder if the rout was on. After a big save by for Magerk’s settled down and got back to doing what they do well. evened up the face-off play and Magerk’s would use their deep bench to wear down TJ Smith’s. At half time the score was 4-4. General Manager and Beverage Coordinator Bob Erwine along with the Team’s Spiritual Advisor Kevin Dick took the lead in inspiring the squad that would score three in the second half while giving up nothing.
Going into the playoffs, it was a wide open race to the Lenape Lacrosse Summer League Championship. Seven of the eight playoff teams entered with records of 6-2 or 4-4.
TJ Smith’s entered the playoffs as a No. 5 seed on the strength of Goalie Brett Katzianer (Hofstra) and a defense that included Pat Kiel (St. Johns), Nolan Solas (Gwynedd Mercy), and Jake Kitchenman (York). As a unit they allowed just shy of 4 goals a game during the regular season. Smith’s would be put to the test when they met their first round opponent Chickies & Pete’s and their high powered offense which included players such as Dane Mangin (Ursinus, Boston Cannons), Dustan Mangin (Gwynedd Mercy), Kyle Quist (Salisbury), Martin Goldfarb (Drexel), Chris Rahill (Mercer) and Mike Maxwell (Albright). After a controversial out of bounds call in the closing minute of the game, TJ Smith’s capitalized with a goal by Jordan Smith (Delaware Valley) to break the 5-5 tie and move to the second round.
As a No. 2 seed Magerk’s would not have things much easier when it met the No. 7 seed, the Real Deal Bingers of Abington. The Bingers have a core of great young players led by veterans such as Whit Bruemmer (Widener, DeSales) and Randy McNeil (St. Joseph’s). Magerk’s was a young team loaded with a ton lot of talent at every position, bolstered by five players who appeared at Gillette Stadium this past Memorial Day weekend for the NCAA championships. They included Chris Ryan (Albany), Pierre Armstrong and Jared Walls (Salisbury), then Jake Cresta (Wesleyan Captain), and Tasso Karras (Wesleyan). In a hard fought game Magerk’s prevailed and would meet the Freaks of Bryn Athyn.
The Freaks were the two-time defending champions and had been playing inspired lacrosse all season after the loss of teammate Tyler Roy and his wife Christina late in the Spring. Jesse Frazier (Bryn Athyn) and seasoned veterans led by Rob Forster (Penn State) and Kevin Forster (St. Joseph’s). The Forsters made the Freaks a formidable No. 3 seed. Fresh off of a win over the six seed Blue Collar lacrosse Club of the Lehigh Valley the game against Magerk’s promised to be a strong match-up. With storm clouds closing in the game needed overtime. Magerk’s Goalie Dick made a couple of great saves before Austin Clibanoff (Lehigh) clinched it and give Magerk’s its first appearance in the Championship Game.
While the Freaks and Magerk’s fought out it out on Field 2, TJ Smith’s met the No. 1 seed in The Dogs. The Dogs had just beaten the Doylestown Glass Rambucks and had plenty of depth and talent to play back to back games against TJ’s. The Dogs had beaten TJ Smith’s during the regular season in a physical game and the rematch was much anticipated.
The Dogs had Ryan Cataldo (Susquehanna) between the pipes, a physical defense and Michael Ott (Rutgers), one of the elite faceoff players to come out of Bucks County. Throw in Kyle Fanelli (Eastern), Matt Vetter (Tampa), Ryan Brown (Salisbury), and Matt Brown (DeSales) and you have a formidable foe. Katzianer and the defense continued its hot streak, keying an 8-5 win. The Hunsberger Brothers (Craig at Elizabethtown and Paul at Cabrini) and Blake Schoenmeyer (Gwynedd Mercy) starred at midfield and set the offensive tempo.
The Lenape Lacrosse Summer League has been is existence for 21 years and Magerk’s Lacrosse Club has been a competitive squad in for the past eight of them. The team chemistry is attributed to great leadership and nacho’s at their postgame sponsor Magerk’s of Horsham. We are very happy to see them finally get the job done and look forward to seeing them once again. The league is very open to new teams who would like to play with the already 16 committed teams for 2019.
Magerk’s Roster:
Brendan Fryvogel, Joe Palo, Stephen Matchett, CJ Sweitzer, Sean Duffy, Kurt Dick, Trevor Downing, Logan Eldridge, Bryce Womack, Zach Drake, Jimmy Murphy, Jake Cresta, Tasso Karras, Jackson Kleintz, Chris Hammel, Joey Burnham, Eddie Masterson, Chris Ryan, Pierre Armsrtong, Blake Rondeau, Austin Clibanoff, Jared Walls & Rob Moran
