Phillylacrsse.com, Posted 4/13/24
Special to Phillylacrosse.com
It may be an overlooked quality of a Radnor team that has shown many attributes in its 3-year reign as a PIAA champion.
But on Friday night, the Raptors’ physical play was evident.
From the start.
In a rematch of last year’s PIAA and District 1 Class 3A finals at Springfield-Deco, it was hard not to find the blue-collar edge in the blue-blood Raptors. One Tucker Graham sortie to the cage, one mobbing of a faceoff win, one hard-nosed transition play at a time, Radnor willed its way to an 11-6 decision in the first of what promises to be several installments against the Cougars.
“We talked before the game that, (if) we want to win this game, we’ve got to win the physicality battle,” said Graham, who had four goals for the Raptors (7-1 overall, 5-1 Central League, ranked No. 5 by Phillylacrosse). “It’s overlooked as an attribute of our team, and I think that’s the chip on our shoulder.
“We have to prove (that) to (us) this year because we graduated a lot of guys. I think we’re doing a good job so far – and we did tonight – that we’re here to knock you to the ground.”
This year’s Radnor team has many new faces. For one, it’s led by longtime coordinator and athletic director Mike Friel (former Springfield-Delco coach), instead of John Begier, though the assistant coaching staff remains largely unchanged. But around an identity of grit and grind, this year’s Raptors have a chance to carve their own path.
For instance, Radnor lost eight of nine draws in the first half to Springfield’s Lucas Aaron, but still led 5-3 at halftime thanks to the swarms of open-field pressure by the Raptor poles.
That unit is led by a bona fide blue-chipper in Harvard-bound Michael Savadove. The rest of the rotation lacks that D1 pedigree – Bryan Henry is bound for Middlebury; Jake Barber and Henry Pierce are uncommitted, Pierce as a senior who is unsure if he’ll play lacrosse at the next level. Yet the whole assembled by defensive coordinator John Sims far exceeds the sum of its parts.
“He’s kept the culture here, and it’s taken some time into the season to form it,” Pierce said, referencing Sims. “But I think tonight was the first night we were really connecting together as a unit.”
Radnor got five saves from Johnny Webb, who came up with big stops when his team needed them. It killed three straight penalties in the third quarter before allowing a scramble goal to Ty Gougler. But that merely ended more than eight minutes of scoreless lacrosse, which suited the team leading 7-4 just fine.
Nate Lucchesi scored three goals to go with two assists, including an absolute rocket from 15 yards with 6:51 left in regulation to make it 9-6. Graham had two strong runs to the cage in the fourth quarter on which he would not be denied, the first while getting a shove into the crease. Kessy Cox paired two goals with two assists, including a superb low-and-away bouncer on a broken sequence with a half-second left in the first half.
Gougler, the hero of last year’s District 1 final in which he suffered a season-ending knee injury, led Springfield (7-2 overall, 3-1 Central League, ranked No. 6 by Phillylacrosse) with two goals and two assists. Brad Barber scored twice, including a with 9:51 left in regulation to get Springfield within two.
Radnor turned the tide at the X late. Aaron went 12-for-20, but Carter Mountain (6-for-15) shook his struggles in going 4-for-5 in the fourth quarter, with aid from his wings.
If it’s a consolation, Springfield knows what it takes to shake off regular-season losses against Radnor to create different results. Last year the Cougars avenged a league loss to Radnor with a 10-8 triumph in the District 1 final before bowing the Raptors in the state championship.
“It just shows us how we can’t go into a game thinking that we’re going to win or that we’re really good,” Gougler said. “We have to pay attention to the little things, get groundballs, win faceoffs and not turn the ball over.”
Radnor 11, Springfield-Delco 6
Radnor 3-2-2-4-11
Springfield-Delco 2-1-2-1- 6
Springfield-Delco
Brad Barber 2g
Ty Gougler 2g,1a
Luke Valerio 1a
Conner Aughe 1g
Evan Diblasi 1g
Jackson Kennedy 8 Saves
Lucas Aaron 13/21
Radnor
Tucker Graham 4G
Nate Lucchesi 3G 2A
Kessler Cox 2G 2A
Tommy Goldstein 1G
Owen Knight 1A
Sawyer Smith 1G
Carter Mountain 6/17 FO
Bryan Henry 0/2 FO
Logan Montrella 2/3 FO
John Webb 9 Saves
