Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/23/21
Ten years ago, Haverford School finished a magical season of lacrosse, rallying past Malvern Prep, 5-4, in the final 37 seconds of the Inter-Ac Invitational, to cap a perfect 23-0 season that gave the Fords a mythical national championship and most will say a place among the best all-time high school boys’ lacrosse teams.
Below are some of the stories from the end of the season on this miraculous season …
Inter-Ac Invitational finals: Walrath scores two goals in final :37 to lift Haverford School past Malvern Prep, 5-4
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/25/11
By Chris Goldberg and Nick Desatnick
Senior Carl Walrath tied the game with 36.9 seconds in regulation and won it with 9.8 seconds to play to give Haverford School a stunning 5-4 comeback victory tonight over Malvern Prep in the championship game of the Inter-Ac Invitational before 1,500 at Cabrini College.
Malvern Prep (14-6) employed a zone defense that frustrated the Fords nearly the entire game. But the Friars, who jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first period, failed to make a clear with 52 seconds left after sophomore goalie Matt Barrett (12 saves in second half) made one of his many key saves off a shot by Matt Walters.
The Fords gained possession and then Will McNamara fed Walrath – the YBH Audi Volkswagen Star of Game – for the game-tying goal.
Haverford’s Joe McCallion, who won more than 50 percent of the face-offs against Malvern Prep’s Drew Kennedy, won the next draw and Haverford School set up its attack. The Fords worked it to Walrath, who scored from close in with 9.8 ticks on the clock.
McCallion won the final face-off and Haverford killed the clock as fans poured onto the field to celebrate arguably one of the finest high school seasons in Philly history, and beyond.
“This means everything,” said Haverford School senior defenseman Alex Beatty, who missed all of last year while recovering from a serious knee injury and returned to make a huge impact. “We were down, 4-3, in the fourth quarter with 50 seconds left and Carl made two amazing plays.
“It hasn’t even hit me yet. I missed 18 months … to be able to come back and play and go undefeated…”
Goalie Conor Kelly kept Haverford School alive with eight saves and Grove Stewart had a key goal late in the third period to make it 4-3.
“It feels unbelievable. This whole season has been incredible, but [going undefeated] has been like the elephant in the room,” said Walrath. “We all wanted to go undefeated, but we didn’t talk about it much. We all knew that all of these wins were great, but until we got the last one, it didn’t really matter. “Now everything is rushing back, all of the wins, and it’s just incredible.”
Attackman Hup Hupfeldt added, “Everyone did a great job all season. We never doubted ourselves… It’s just unbelievable. I don’t know what to say.”
While hoisting the Inter-Ac Trophy in the air, Stewart echoed this sentiment: “It’s absolutely amazing. Best feeling in the world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“It feels unbelievable. This whole season has been incredible, but [going undefeated] has been like the elephant in the room. We all wanted to go undefeated, but we didn’t talk about it much. We all knew that all of these wins were great, but until we got the last one, it didn’t really matter. “Now everything is rushing back, all of the wins, and it’s just incredible.” – Haverford hero Carl Walrath
Haverford School coach John Nostrant, whose team has won all three Inter-Ac Invitational crowns, said his players kept their composure in the face of tremendous pressure.
“I’m just an emotional train wreck, but the bottom line is that this group of guys got along with each other, and trusted each other,” he said. “And when you trust each other, that’s what happens. It’s great for the kids.”
For Malvern Prep, the loss was a major heartbreaker. The Friars employed a zone defense that had the Fords off balance until the end. Malvern’s goaltending was superb and the Friars did not miss in the first period when TJ Hanzsche, Colin Farrell, Chris Hilburn and Keith Dreyer scored to give the Friars a 4-1 lead. Kennedy was a force in the beginning, but McCallion was strong in the second period and beyond.
The Malvern defense was created by Friars coach David Metzbower, who coached under close friend Nostrant last year after leaving a long career as the top assistant at Princeton un the legendary Bill Tierney.
Barrett wished to praise the Malvern Prep defense, led by Wes Pancoast, Jack Sheridan, Eddie Morris and Jack Morgenthaler. “Credit my defense they played great,” he said. “They kept them to the outside, I give it to Haverford…Carl Walrath made a great play, nothing you could do about it…we will win this next year…100 percent.”
“It definitely hasn’t hit me yet. To go undefeated is just an unbelievable experience. To play with these guys has been has been the experience of a lifetime. It hasn’t even hit me yet. I missed 18 months … to be able to come back and play and go undefeated…” – Haverford defenseman Alex Beatty
Hupfeldt said his team expected the Friars to make it difficult to go undefeated.
“In the first half, Drew Kennedy did an unbelievable job winning face-offs, and their offense did a great job keeping possession,” Hupfeldt said. “We know Malvern. They are a very smart team that doesn’t give up much. They came out really hard, and almost got the best of us.”
“But,” Brent Tomlinson chimed in, “they didn’t. Nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easy, and we sure showed that today.”
Beatty said it was special to beat Malvern Prep to clinch the undefeated season.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times, especially Malvern. Malverm always plays their ‘A’ game against us. They definitely got up. But we got the ‘W’ and that’s all that matters.”
Beatty said it will take time to let the season sink in, but he said playing with his teammates has made coming back from a devastating injury worthwhile.
“It definitely hasn’t hit me yet,” he said. “To go undefeated is just an unbelievable experience. To play with these guys has been has been the experience of a lifetime.”
Haverford School 5, Malvern Prep 4
Haverford School 2-0-1-2- 5
Malvern Prep 4-0-0-0-4
Haverford School
Carl Walrath 2g
Grove Stewart 1g
Matt Walters 1g
Brendan McGrath 1g
Will McNamara 1a
Conor Kelly 8 saves
Malvern Prep
TJ Hanzsche 1g
Colin Farrell 1g
Chris Hilburn 1g
Keith Dreyer 1g
Russell Atkinson 1a
Ryan McDevitt 5 saves
Matt Barrett 12 saves
St. Paul’s (Md.) coach Brocato: This year’s Haverford School team was ‘clearly one of the best teams I’ve seen in recent memory’
By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/23/11
St. Paul’s School (Md.) boys’ lacrosse coach Rick Brocato calls this year’s Haverford School team “clearly one of best teams I’ve seen in recent memory.”
Last week MaxPreps ranked Haverford School as its top team and this week the Fords were No. 1 according to the LaxPower Coaches/Computer Rankings, the ESPN RISE POWERADE FAB 50 and the Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse Power Rankings. It is expected that Lacrosse Magazine will name the Fords as their top team in its August edition.
Brocato knows Haverford School well. His Crusaders, a perennial power in Baltimore’s mighty MIAA, have played the Fords for the past 12 years. Brocato played college lacrosse with Haverford School John Nostrant at Washington College (Md.) and said his longtime friend has earned the respect around the country for building a powerhouse that rose to the highest level in 2011.
“He is a good friend and we were college teammates and it’s been good to watch John build that program into a national power,” Brocato said. “It’s been a tireless effort.”
This year’s Haverford School team defeated three MIAA teams – St. Paul’s (10-9), Loyola Blakefield (11-6) and McDonogh (12-10) – to open the season. The Fords later handled two teams – Connecticut’s Darien (11-5) and PA rival Conestoga (11-6) – that at the time were ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Haverford School also went through the rugged Inter-Ac undefeated, topped area powers St. Joseph’s Prep and La Salle and used two Carl Walrath goals in the final 36.9 seconds to rally past Malvern Prep, 5-4, and claim its third straight Inter-Ac Invitational crown.
“This team came at you in waves,” said Brocato. “But it’s one thing to have that much talent; it’s another thing to share the ball.”
As many know, the Fords were loaded with Division I talent. The Fords graduated 12 players that signed or committed to play Division I lacrosse and six more have committed from the rising senior class. Five Haverford School senior were named to the Under Armour All-American squad and seven were named US Lacrosse All-Americans.
“They put the team above individual goals. From the beginning their put their sights on having a special year and they knew it would take a collective team effort to get it done.
“Look at their schedule. They did not back down from anybody. The great thing about John is that he’ll play anybody, anywhere. It’s great to see him have that success. Groups like that don’t come together very often.”
Inter-Ac Invitational real-time: Final – Haverford School 5, Malvern Prep 4
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/25/11
Inter-Ac Invitational championship game
Cabrini College
Haverford School vs. Malvern Prep
End period, Malvern Prep 4-2
Face-offs – Malvern Prep 4-3
Saves – Conor Kelly (HS0 2
Ryan McDevitt (MP) 0
Second Period
no scoring
halftime: Malvern Prep 4-2
Saves for half
Ryan McDevitt – 5 saves
Conor Kelly 3 saves
Half’s face-offs 4-4
Third period
HS: Grove Stewart (X), 3:45 – Malvern Prep leads, 4-3
End third period
Total Saves: Conor Kelly (HS) 6
Matt Barrett (ML) 6
Overall Face-offs: 5-5
Fourth period
9:01 remaining – Matt Barrett 7 saves for Malvern Prep in 2nd half
5:01 – Conor Kelly makes two excellent saves to keep his team within 4-3
3:43 left – Time out, Haverford School possession
MP’s Matt Barrett stops shot by Sam Rohr with 2:45 to play
1:53 to play – Haverford maintains possession
1:40: Barrett stops shot by Matt Walters
1:32 – Time out, Haverford School
1:10: Barrett stops Walters
Malvern fails to clear
Haverford possession
36.9 seconds to play – Haverford School’s Carl Walrath scores off feed from Will McNamara, game tied, 4-4
Haverford School calls time out
Joe McCallion wins FO for HS
HS”s Carl Walrath scores with 9.8 seconds left in regulation
McCallion wins FO – Game over
Haverford School wins, 5-4, to finish 23-0, expected to be No. 1 in the nation
MaxPreps Xcellent 20 Boys National Lacrosse Rankings: Haverford School and Conestoga are now 1-2 in the nation
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/6/11
This week’s MaxPreps Xcellent 20 Boys National Rankings are below.
1. Haverford School (Pa.), 23-0: (Last week’s ranking: No. 1)
2. Conestoga (Berwyn, Pa.), 23-1: (Last week’s ranking: No. 3)
3. Garden City (N.Y.), 18-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 4)
4. Darien (Conn.), 19-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 6)
5. Summit (N.J.), 22-0: (Last week’s ranking: No. 7)
6. West Islip (N.Y.), 19-1: (Last week’s ranking: No. 2)
7. Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.), 20-0: (Last week’s ranking: No. 9)
8. Manhasset (N.Y.), 17-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 8)
9. St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.), 14-3: (Last week’s ranking: No. 10)
10. Deerfield Academy (Mass.), 15-0: (Last week’s ranking: No. 11)
11. Smithtown West (N.Y.), 15-4: (Last week’s ranking: No. 5)
12. Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), 18-1: (Last week’s ranking: No. 12)
13. Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.), 15-3: (Last week’s ranking: No. 13)
14. Bridgewater-Raritan (Bridgewater, N.J.), 18-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 14)
15. Calvert Hall (Baltimore), 17-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 15)
16. Ward Melville (East Setauket, N.Y.), 16-2: (Last week’s ranking: No. 16)
17. St. Ignatius (San Francisco), 19-3: (Last week’s ranking: No. 17)
18. Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 20-1: (Last week’s ranking: No. 18)
19. Coppell (Texas), 15-4: (Last week’s ranking: No. 19)
20. Immaculata (Somerville, N.J.), 19-1: (Last week’s ranking: No. 20)
Haverford School named National champions in LaxPower National Coaches/Computer Ratings
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/20/11
Haverford School is the LaxPower High School Boys’ Lacrosse National Champion for 2011.
LaxPower, the world’s leading authority on lacrosse team performance ratings, is pleased to announce the National Coaches/Computer Ratings for high school boys’ lacrosse for the recently completed 2011 spring season.
The Fords capped off an undefeated Inter-Ac League and Inter-Ac Invitational championship season while playing one of the toughest intersectional schedules in the country. They finished in first place in both the coaches’ poll and in the computer ratings. Haverford (23-0) received 29 of 33 first-place votes among the coaches. No. 2 Jamesville-DeWitt (NY) received 4 first-place votes and finished third in the computer ratings.
Rounding out the top five programs in the country for 2011 are:
#2: Jamesville-DeWitt, DeWitt, NY (22-0) � New York Class B champion (2nd consecutive year)
#3: Conestoga, Berwyn, PA (25-1) � Pennsylvania PIAA champion
#4: Calvert Hall, Baltimore, MD (17-2) � MIAA A championship finalist
#5: Garden City, Garden City, NY (19-3) � New York Class B finalist (2nd consecutive year)
The final rankings were compiled using LaxPower’s CCR rating formula, which combines the national computer rankings with a national poll. The computer ratings used for the rankings are based on over 25,400 game scores for 3,342 high school teams. The poll is a product of rankings by 31 high school coaches from around the country. Each of these parameters represents 50% of the final tallied results.
2011 National Rankings for High School Boys’ Lacrosse
LaxPower congratulates these teams and their players and coaches for an outstanding achievement in 2011 as well as all of the coaches and student-athletes who participated in high school lacrosse this past spring.
2011 National Coaches/Computer RatingsNo Team ST W-L CCR = Poll + PR
1 Haverford School PA 23-0 199.82 99.90 99.92
2 Jamesville-DeWitt NY 22-0 199.16 99.34 99.81
3 Conestoga PA 25-1 198.09 98.23 99.86
4 Calvert Hall MD 17-2 197.76 97.97 99.78
5 Garden City NY 19-3 197.19 97.45 99.74
6 West Islip NY 19-1 196.33 96.68 99.64
7 Farmingdale NY 17-4 196.26 96.82 99.44
8 Bridgewater-Raritan NJ 20-2 195.69 96.12 99.56
9 Deerfield MA 15-0 195.63 96.02 99.61
10 Chaminade NY 15-3 194.48 94.94 99.53
11 St Anthony’s NY 14-3 194.22 94.74 99.47
12 Georgetown Prep MD 18-3 193.69 94.38 99.31
13 Ithaca NY 18-2 193.05 93.61 99.43
14 McDonogh MD 15-4 192.94 93.52 99.42
15 Manhasset NY 17-2 192.76 93.39 99.38
16 Cazenovia Central NY 22-1 192.71 93.19 99.52
17 Gilman MD 13-5 192.14 93.00 99.14
18 Summit NJ 23-1 191.59 92.44 99.14
19 Pittsford NY 20-1 191.43 92.06 99.37
20 Darien CT 19-3 191.38 92.10 99.28
21 Regis Jesuit CO 18-1 190.33 90.90 99.42
22 Landon MD 19-3 189.90 91.05 98.85
23 Ward Melville NY 16-2 189.62 90.46 99.16
24 Duxbury MA 19-3 189.22 90.02 99.20
25 Manheim Township PA 22-2 189.01 89.74 99.26