By Matthew De George
Special to Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/29/22
The spring didn’t go to plan for Lucas Vahey. A sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee made sure of that, ending his sophomore season at Avon Grove after just two games.
Summer is on a much better track for the versatile, two-way middie from Brotherly Love.
Vahey made the all-star game at the Matt Chandik One Percent Lacrosse Showcase Tuesday at the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken. In the process, Vahey was proving one shift at a time just how little he’s lost physically in his time on the sidelines.
“I just got back in the summer, I’ve been grinding,” Vahey said. “It’s been a long run, so it’s great to be back.”
Vahey admitted his endurance isn’t exactly there yet, but his game looks just fine. He impressed with his ability to get up and down the field, a superior work ethic on both ends. A sturdy defensive presence, Vahey also knows what to do with the ball in transition and in the offensive half.
Though he was still sporting a hefty knee brace, it was the only real sign of his injury past, even if the process of waiting and rehabbing hasn’t been the easiest emotionally.
“It kind of tore me apart, to lose my season and have my hopes down for the summer,” Vahey said. “Just getting out here and working hard, it’s amazing.”
Even the summer had been a tad start-stop. He was back by mid-June for the Baltimore Summer Kickoff Tournament. But a knock to his knee sent him back to the sidelines for a week or so. He returned last weekend for the Sweetlax Summer Challenge in Delaware.
The One Percent Showcase is a different beast, with the emphasis on the individual over the team aspect that he has honed with Brotherly Love. That allowed him a little more freedom Tuesday to just let it flow and try to get back to feeling more normal on the field.
That mindset paid off, and the fact that he could keep pace with some of the best talents in the nation despite all the time he’s missed this spring is a big relief.
“My parents have just been telling me, ‘don’t worry about the scouts; just go out and play, get out of your head,’” Vahey said. “And that’s what I did today, and the results showed up, and it felt awesome.”
Vahey had plenty of local company in the 2024 all-star game at the One Percent Showcase. Both positional MVP honors were taken down by Philly guys – offensive MVP Rowyn Nurry of Salesianum/Brotherly Love and FOGO Ben McCarthy (Haverford School/Freedom), the defensive MVP. McCarthy’s Fords teammate and Mesa/Ascension attackman Aydan DiRocco also made the all-star affair, as did Emmaus/Mesa attackman Will Barber, scoring twice in the final. Dylan Jaszcz (Episcopal Academy/Brotherly Love), Ross Prince (Springside CHA/Freedom), Braden Korb (Salesianum/Brotherly Love), Brad Piffath (Malvern Prep/Ascension) and Matt Nelson (La Salle/Freedom) also took part in the 2024 final.
In the 2025s All-Star Game, Chris Cobb of Tower Hill/Brotherly Love scored a pair of goals for the red team, which also included Episcopal Academy/Brotherly Love faceoff man Blake Riley. Haverford School/Big 4 HHH teammates Reece Childs and Gavin Cooper were also selected, with Childs scoring a pair of goals.
