By Chris Goldberg, Phillylacrosse.com
Posted 7/29/24
Phillylacrosse.com honors its award winners for the 2024 scholastic season (photos are on our Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/phillylacrosse/)
Boys’ Player of the Year: Malvern Prep senior LSM Lucca DiBartolomeo. The two-time All-American collected 9 goals, 12 assists, 60 groundballs, and 37 caused turnovers for a team that finished in the top 5 in every major poll and won the National Prep Championship. More impressive perhaps is the fact that five years ago he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to take a year off to undergo intense chemo and radiation treatments. The Penn State signee has been a driving force in fundraising efforts through the HEADstrong Foundation and the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, raising over $30,000 to fight cancer.
From Malvern Prep coach Matt Mackrides: “Lucca is an unbelievable competitor who gives 100% in every situation on the field. It’s not lost on Lucca that each game or practice is not guaranteed and his story of overcoming cancer as a young man is inspirational. He developed into a clear leader and exceptional lacrosse player. He plays with a determined relentless attitude that is impossible to ignore. He’s a difference maker and a special player I feel privileged to have coached.”
Girls’ Player of the Year: Penn Charter senior midfielder Aditi Foster. Despite constant double- and triple-teams and regular faceguard defenses, Foster amassed 84 goals, 54 assists, 73 draw controls, 32 groundballs and 24 caused turnovers to lead the Quakers (16-8) to the national rankings and a close third spot in the Inter-Ac. The Northwestern signee was the Inter-Ac League MVP and a USA Lacrosse All-American. She scored 300 career goals and had 450 points (her first two seasons were at Upper Dublin). Foster also coaches youth lacrosse for her club, HHH, and coaches at camps and clinics.
From Penn Charter coach Colleen Kelly: “Aditi is a phenomenal competitor. She is always working to perfect her game and work to be better than the day before. She is a game-changer and has not had a game where a team does not throw a faceguard on her. Aditi is fast, strong, and athletic. She has a great dodge and ability to score. If you throw a double at her she can hit the open girl, making it impossible to cover. She is one of the most competitive girls I have ever coached and Northwestern could not be a better fit for her talent and determination.”
Honorable Mention Boys’ Players of the Year: Haverford School’s Connor Nolen (2024 SSMF, Duke signee, 16G) and Brody Murphy (2024 Goalie, Richmond, 177 saves, save percentage over .60), Salesianum School’s Rowyn Nurry (2024 ATT, Cornell, 79G, 47 A) and Chase Cellucci (2024 DEF, North Carolina), Radnor’s Michael Savadove (2024 DEF, Harvard), Marple Newtown’s Dave Bertoline (LSM/DEF, Towson, 97 GB, 35 CT, 13G, 18 A), and La Salle’s Paul Van Bastelaar (2024 MID, Penn, 34G, 27A).
Honorable Mention Girls’ Players of the Year: Episcopal Academy’s Maura Irish (2025 ATT, Notre Dame commit, 50G) and Quinn Whitaker (2025 MID, Boston College, 55G), Agnes Irwin’s Caroline Chisholm (2025 MID, Boston College, 38G), Archbishop Carroll’s Chloe Bleckley (2024 MID, James Madison, 62G), Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Alex Reilly (2024 MID, Virginia, 94G, 26A), Radnor’s Taylor Murphy (2025 MID, Duke, 71G, 49 A), Conestoga’s Ellie Wisch (2024 ATT, Penn State, 73G, 100 DC).
Boys’ Team Coaches of the Year: Radnor’s Michael Friel and Westtown School’s Desi Gonzalez.
Friel took the Raptors to an unprecedented fourth straight PIAA championship (3A) in his first season at Radnor. The Raptors went 21-5 and finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the final National Public Schools Rankings, respectively, by Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine.
Friel’s thoughts: “The success of the 2024 season stemmed from the culture built by (former coach) John Begier, the incredible staff of Mark Petrone, John Sims, Larry DiSipio and Cole Yeager, our 22 seniors and the underclassmen all buying into the goal of finishing the season as State Champs.”
Gonzalez led the Moose to a 14-5 campaign that includes the team’s first Friends Schools League championship, first win ever over Academy of the New Church (which it also defeated in the league final), a victory over nationally-ranked Hill Academy (Ontario) and the title in the first boys’ Pennsylvania Independent Schools tournament.
Gonzalez’s thoughts: “This team banded together around the 2024 class which has been a monumental part of building this program since I arrived at Westtown. The 2024 class was special and really wanted to make a change. This was the first championship in school history for lacrosse and they wanted that legacy.”
Honorable Mention Boys’ Coaches of the Year: Devon Prep’s Mark Consolo and Garnet Valley’s Frank Urso. Consolo led the Tide to a 17-6 season, the school’s first District 12 2A championship and a berth in the PIAA 2A quarterfinals. Urso led the Jaguars to a 21-4 season that included a District 1 3A championship and a berth in the PIAA semifinals.
Girls’ Team Coaches of the Year: Bishop Shanahan’s Kacy Small and Upper Dublin’s Dee Cross.
Small guided the Eagles to a 17-8 finish that featured his third District 1 2A title in four years and a berth in the PIAA semifinals where Shanahan’s defense nearly helped pull off a huge upset of soon-to-be 4-time champion Archbishop Carroll, eventually bowing, 4-1.
Small’s thoughts: “If I had to sum up our success this season in one phrase/comment I would say it was all because of the fight and heart in our players. Midway through the season we lost 4 straight games and everyone counted us out…my players had a decision to make…look in the mirror and dig deep to put the train back on the tracks or fold. They chose to fight and show how much heart they had! This district championship run was the most difficult compared to 2021 and 2022. Games were closer with multiple comebacks, and the championship game was a battle. This team knows how to fight for each other!”
Cross led the Cardinals to a 19-4 campaign that featured a share of the Suburban One American Conference title and a strong fifth-place finish in the District 1 3A tournament, as well as the program’s first PIAA berth since 2011. Cross also collected her 300th career win.
Cross’s thoughts: “Team chemistry is the reason we did so well this year. The upperclassmen welcomed the freshmen right away and everyone was so unselfish. We had different people step up in each game to make a big play. It was a fun team to coach and they had fun being together on and off the field.”
Honorable Mention Girls’ Coaches of the Year: Downingtown West’s Emily Ernest and Academy of Notre Dame’s Anna McNevin. Ernest led the Whippets to an undefeated Ches-Mont League title, a 23-2 record, a semifinal berth in District 1 3A and a quarterfinal berth in the PIAA. McNevin, who like Ernest was a rookie coach, guided the Irish – which was 3-16 in 2023 – to an 11-9 season with wins over Agnes Irwin and Conestoga.
