Malvern Prep Exacts Revenge to Clinch National Prep Championship

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the case of Malvern Prep, the third time was the charm. <br><br>The Friars faced archrival Haverford at Loyola University on Sunday in the National Prep Championships title game. In a back-and-forth contest, Malvern dominated the fourth quarter pulling away in a 9-6 win over the Fords. While this game may have been for the trophy, it was also for bragging rights. The two Philadelphia powers had already faced each other twice this year with Haverford winning both in tightly contested battles. With the Fords winning the second game in the last twenty seconds, it was sure to leave Malvern bitter and hungry for revenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fueled by that anger, the Friars constructed a perfect game plan that left Haverford out of sync the entire game. While the Haverford offense appeared to have played themselves out of the game due to poor ball control, there is still credit to be given to the Malvern defense. By pushing out and applying heavy pressure, Haverford was forced to throw big skips leading to turnovers. On the offensive end, it was quite the opposite. With smart ball movement and a plethora high-percentage shots, the Haverford defense seemed to have no answers down the stretch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While it was a star-studded group for both teams, these are the players who made the biggest impact:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["14544"],"_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":"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games, and that is who [player_tooltip player_id='14544' first='Michael' last='Ortlieb'] is and what he did. The righty from Malvern was Sunday's star of the show, scoring five goals. Ortlieb showed great range in his game being a multifaceted threat all day. When behind the goal he served as the team's quarterback, dodging off the end line or setting up the offense. He also shined as an extremely dangerous off-ball threat with the combination of great field sense and accurate finishing truly shined. Whether it was following the slide or getting lost in transition, Ortlieb consistently made the defense pay. With two goals late in the game, he was able to ice the game for the Friars. The Duke-bound junior will have the keys to the offense for one more year before heading off to Durham.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["14838"],"_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":"It was hard not to notice DiBartolomeo, as he was all over the field the entire game. Possibly the unsung hero of the game, he was one of the biggest difference-makers for Malvern. With an emphasis on applying heavy pressure to the Fords, DiBartolomeo served as the perfect weapon for this scheme. Time after time he was able to press out and cause a bad decision by Haverford, which often led to a turnover. His day did not stop there as he was also a dominant force on the wing, getting multiple groundballs or being able to cover right off the faceoff and slow transition. With an ideal ending to his Malvern career, the senior pole will stay in state and head off to Happy Valley to play for the Nittany Lions.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["15293"],"_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":"While it may have been a struggle for the Fords on Sunday, [player_tooltip player_id='15293' first='Brody' last='Murphy'] served as one of the true bright spots. Facing a barrage of shots on net all day from Malvern, Murphy at times single-handedly kept Haverford in the game. Whether it was shots from outside or an inside cutter, Murphy was able to make stops. To go along with a solid frame is his ability to stay calm and track shots high or low. Facing an aggressive Malvern 10-man ride, Murphy was able to efficiently find outlets and help get the ball up the field. Heading south to Richmond this fall, he is a great pickup for a Spider program looking to make a push back into the NCAA Tournament.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["14906"],"_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":"From the start of the game, it was apparent Haverford wanted to stop Udo. After getting two points in the first quarter it started to seem like it was time for a new plan. Udo's combination of size and skill was very hard to stop. Although not the fastest player, Udo uses his body very effectively to maneuver around defensemen and create space. While he has good scoring ability off the dodge or off-ball, it was his passing that made him dangerous. Malvern's game plan was to hit off-ball cutters and Udo was able to find the open man at will. Once Haverford started to key in on him it opened scoring opportunities for different players. The Brown-bound senior has the size and skill to be a quality lefty attackman at the next level, and he's also set to play football for the Bears.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664e07498a9be"} /-->