By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/21/23
Combined, Matt Mackrides and Jack Forster scored 205 goals as Penn State teammates in standout careers at University Park.
A decade later, the two head coaches of Philly scholastic powers will have the honor of leading their teams in a special high school matchup Saturday at Penn State’s Panzer Stadium (1 p.m.) as part of the Nittany Lions’ Big 10 regular-season finale vs. Rutgers.
Mackrides, a Malvern Prep grad, is the rookie head coach for his alma mater, the three-time defending Inter-Ac League champion. Forster, a La Salle alum, is the head coach at eight-time defending Friends Schools League champion Academy of the New Church.
This season, ANC is 10-1 and ranked second in Phillylacrosse.com and is among the Top 20 in the Inside Lacrosse Power Rankings, having been among the Top 10 for several weeks. Malvern Prep is 7-5 (ranked No. 5 by Phillylacrosse.com) and has won four straight after a tough stretch if five consecutive losses against elite competition.
Saturday’s game was originally going to be held before the Penn State-Rutgers contest, but before the season the Big Ten moved the college game tonight. Malvern Prep and ANC will attend in preparation for tomorrow.
Mackrides collected 101 goals and 43 assists in his four years at State College (2009-2012), Additionally, he was a three-time First Team All-League selection and Second Team All American in 2012. Forster actually got to Happy Valley a year before Mackrides, but red-shirted two seasons due to severe knee injuries. He came back from his second missed season in 2012 to play alongside Mackrides and in 2013 as a sixth-year senior he scored 41 goals and earned Honorable Mention All-American.
Also, ANC assistant coach Shane Sturgis (Downingtown East grad) scored 97 goals at Penn State and teamed with Mackrides and Forster on the attack line in 2011 and 2012; the three combined for 76 of the team’s 131 goals in 2012.
“We are very excited to play such a meaningful game at such a special place.” said Mackrides. “I’m personally looking forward to competing against Coach Forster on the same field we shared as teammates.
What’s more, there are five current Penn State players from Malvern Prep and ANC and five more from the two schools schools committed to Penn State (see lists below).
“Our MP staff is grateful to the Penn state coaching staff and administration for providing our players an opportunity to play in such a great atmosphere; and furthermore can’t wait to showcase our teams to the Penn state lacrosse community. Malvern Prep and ANC have a lot of familiarity with Penn State and we are excited to hopefully continue the relationship we’ve developed in future years.”
Said Forster: “This is such a great opportunity for our guys and our program. Malvern has been the gold standard in PA for a long time and to be able to play them in Penn State’s Panzer stadium is big time. There are a lot of ties between both our programs and Penn State Lacrosse so that’s going to add a little to it as well.
“Coach Mackrides and myself are used to competing with and against one another but our teams competing at our Alma Mater is definitely exciting. Thanks to Coach (Jeff) Tambroni, all the Penn State staff and Matt Shankoff, PSU 11’, for not only allowing this to happen, but all the work that was put in behind the scenes to make it possible.”
Current Penn State Players
ANC grad
ATT Jeb Brenfleck, Redshirt Sophomore
Malvern Prep grads
ATT Will Peden, Sophomore
ATT/MF Jack Traynor, Graduate Student
MF Matt Traynor, Sophomore
LSM/DEF, Pup Buono, Sophomore
Current Commits to Penn State
ANC
MF Hunter Aquino, 2024
Malvern Prep
DEF Patrick Keenan, 2023
DEF Brad Piffath, 2024
LSM Lucca DiBartolomeo, 2024
MF Roman DiBartolomeo, 2024
MF Peri DiBartolomeo, 2024
