DiRocco, Murphy Push Haverford School Past Malvern Prep, 10-8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tuesday afternoon's game between No. 2 Haverford School and No. 4 Malvern Prep was more than just a game between two nationally ranked teams. It was also a rematch of the 2023 Inter-Ac Championship game as well as the first matchup of the season between two of the fiercest rivals in Pennsylvania.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fortunately for lacrosse fans, this game lived up to the hype. This contest was extremely physical and at times was played at a chaotic pace. However, it featured outstanding performances from elite college prospects on both sides. In the end, Haverford School secured a 10-8 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game got off to a ripping, crowd-pleasing start, as Harvard recruit [player_tooltip player_id='19765' first='Logan' last='Turley'] tallied a first quarter hat trick. Turley's teammate and Yale-bound [player_tooltip player_id='15159' first='Nick' last='Wehmeyer'] dominated the face-off dot in the first stanza, going 5-for-7. Meanwhile, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='23606' first='Conor' last='Morsell'] (1G/2A) and Navy commit [player_tooltip player_id='14943' first='Aydan' last='DiRocco'] (3G) found the back of the net for Haverford. MP held a 5-3 lead after the first quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The action settled down in the second quarter and the teams went into the locker rooms tied 5-5 at halftime. The credit for Haverford being able to even the score in the second quarter goes to junior FOGO [player_tooltip player_id='14541' first='Griff' last='Meyer']. The future Virginia Cavalier supplied the Fords with several clean face-off wins that steadied the ship for Haverford after a rocky start at the X. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second half began much differently for the Fords. They received key third quarter goals from Duke commit [player_tooltip player_id='15352' first='Connor' last='Nolen'] (2G) as well as [player_tooltip player_id='24572' first='Evan' last='Large'] (Air Force), and DiRocco to take a lead they would never relinquish on their way to a 10-8 victory. Malvern stayed close in the second half thanks to goals from [player_tooltip player_id='24575' first='Tommy' last='Tray'], [player_tooltip player_id='19705' first='John' last='Majka'] (2G), and [player_tooltip player_id='14539' first='Owen' last='Mears'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A couple of notes from the defensive side of this contest. Haverford School goalie [player_tooltip player_id='15293' first='Brody' last='Murphy'] (Richmond commit) was simply amazing all day. He snuffed out several point-blank scoring opportunities for Malvern and turned away a handful of step-down missiles. Murphy was credited with 14 saves, but in person, it felt like double that stat line. Five-star defenseman [player_tooltip player_id='14520' first='Gavin' last='Cooper'] (Duke signee) was a dominating force for Haverford too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Malvern's LSM group had an impressive afternoon as well. Rutgers commit [player_tooltip player_id='15038' first='Kyle' last='Worsnup'] and Penn State signee [player_tooltip player_id='14838' first='Lucca' last='DiBartolomeo'] relentlessly pursued the ball, caused turnovers, and displayed fantastic clearing speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is no doubt that the superstars shined during Haverford's 10-8 victory over Malvern Prep. Still, there were also four “under the radar” prospects who impressed us on Tuesday. Below we have highlighted their skill sets and contributions to their team's efforts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["18391"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"2024 has been a breakout season for Fertels and against Malvern Prep he kept his recruiting momentum moving upward with a beautiful dime to [player_tooltip player_id='23606' first='Conor' last='Morsell']. Fertels is a high IQ prospect who can play with both hands. His shiftiness and speed make Fertels a legitimate downhill threat in the open field. In the offensive end, Fertels consistently makes the right decision on when to shoot or draw and then pass to the open man. When he decides to pull the trigger for a shot, Fertels can snipe every corner on the cage.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["23606"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://preplacrosse.com/2024/04/promising-class-of-2027-attackmen-suddenly-on-my-radar/u0022u003eHighlighted on this site last weeku003c/au003e as part of a feature on '27 attackmen on varsity, this wiry left-hander has tremendous instincts for the game. Morsell is a crafty passer who is especially effective at distributing while he is on the move. Morsell dished out two assists in the win over Malvern Prep. Morsell's well-timed off-ball movement is another asset this freshman possesses. Against MP, that skill enabled him to slide from wing to the GLE at just the right moment for a beautiful catch-and-shoot goal on the doorstep. Morsell is also a highly accurate shooter who can score from multiple angles. His separation speed is an underrated part of his game.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["24577"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Riley is a hardnosed and athletic midfielder with an unlimited upside. His quick bursts of speed and nice bag of dodges allow him to move past most defenders with ease. Once Riely has created an odd man situation, he can effectively shoot or distribute on the run. Riely's ability to absorb stick checks and body contact will on the move is noteworthy. With his speed, agility, and physicality, Reily can play as a two-way mid who can drop back to provide a solid defensive effort.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["24575"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Still uncommitted, Tray is a tenacious midfielder with a high IQ and a nose for the ball. In this game, Tray turned garbage into gold when he pulled a loose ball out of the scrum and managed to fire an off-balance shot into the net just as he was being flattened by a Haverford defender. This play was just another example of Tray's non-stop motor and knack for being in the right spot at the right time. When he is not converting on opportunistic scoring chances, Tray can find the back of the cage via step-downs or swift dodges from the wing. He's also comfortable operating at attack, his natural position.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6621a8ae562d1"} /-->