Philly at Fall NHSLS: Episcopal Academy, Radnor, and La Salle

Continuing our coverage coming away from the National High School Lacrosse Showcase while looking ahead to the 2025 season, let's check in on Episcopal Academy, Radnor, and La Salle, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/12/fall-nhsls-takeaways-and-spring-lookahead-haverford-school-pa/">on the heels of last week's writeup on Inter-Ac power Haverford School</a>.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Episcopal Academy </h2>   Candidly, I didn't get to catch the Churchmen as much as I would have liked. However, I liked what I saw. Between that small simple size on Sunday, the promise that EA's underclassmen showed me on film in '24, and their time playing together on the summer circuit, I can envision the program taking a big step forward in Year 2 under Steve Colfer. Keeping up with the likes of Haverford and Malvern Prep in the Inter-Ac is no easy task, and that rang true in EA's blowout losses to their conference rivals a year ago. There's no doubt that the Churchmen will benefit from being another year older and having last year's experience under their belt, but if they want to close the gap in the near future, they'll need to establish more depth to supplement the talent in the starting lineup. Their top guy on each side of the ball, junior attackman/midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='40420' first='Parker' last='Smith'] and defenseman [player_tooltip player_id='123284' first='Evan' last='MacFarland'], are two of my favorite prospects in their respective classes and always seem to pop.    Smith is up there as one of the best pound-for-pound players in high school lacrosse, possessing a sturdy 5'7, 175-pound frame and serving as a primary initiator for EA. A midfielder on the club circuit (and at the next level), Smith plays attack for his high school team and puts significant pressure on the opposition with his ability to get defenses rotating and stretch the field with his big-time outside shot. He's incredibly efficient in the two-man game, dangerous as a shooter both with his feet set and on the run, and capable of finding the open man upon drawing the slide. His effort level and toughness are two of Smith's best attributes and will serve him well once he eventually matriculates to West Point, a destination that is a phenomenal mutual fit. After posting 25 goals and nine assists as a re-classed sophomore, he'll step into a larger role in 2025.     As polished as any defenseman in this class, it's tough to find holes in MacFarland's game. He's developed into an elite defensive playmaker after being unranked heading into his recruitment, choosing Georgetown over a pair of Ivies last September. Regarding his skill set, his top-flight footwork is a great place to start. Whether below or above GLE, he can match feet with the shiftiest and most athletic dodgers and execute checks while running full speed or rely on his footwork and position play to erase the opponent's top option, which he did at NHSLS. A bonafide vacuum off the ground, MacFarland has an outstanding stick and tremendous instincts in transition, making a significant impact in the open field and once he crosses the midline to affect outcomes of games. He's a talented soccer player, yet brings a level of physicality to the table that is more in line with a linebacker in football. Based on what he has shown in his first three years, he looks beyond capable of ultimately becoming a multi-year starter for Kevin Warne's defense.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Radnor</h2>   In June, Radnor's senior class helped the program achieve a rare feat by helping lift the Raptors to their fourth consecutive PIAA title, avenging early May's three-overtime loss to La Salle with a 9-6 win in the 3A championship. Heading into the 2025 season, Radnor and second-year head coach Mike Friel will have to replace the lion's share of the starting lineup, including all five players who were named First or Second Team All-Delco in 2024, as well as two of Radnor's five honorable mention selections. So, things will look different this upcoming spring, an inevitability following the graduation of such a deep, talented, and experienced class.   At NHSLS, the new-look Raptors went 2-1, picking up wins over St. Mary's (Md.) and Bishop Ireton (Va.) before falling to Bullis (Md.) 11-6 to cap the day. On the offensive end, Cornell-bound junior attackman [player_tooltip player_id='123288' first='Tommy' last='Goldstein'] and Mount St. Mary's-bound midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='18401' first='Sawyer' last='Smith'] showed particularly well and appeared to play with a lot of confidence after making steady contributions last spring. Goldstein, the younger brother of Cornell standout sophomore Ryan Goldstein, looked poised as a primary ball-carrier and applied constant pressure with his bouncy change of direction and aggressive dodging style. Though he's on the smaller side, he went at bigger defensemen and regularly got topside, finishing at a high clip in tight, also finding the net a few times as a stepdown shooter. Goldstein worked well in tandem with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='123287' first='Finn' last='Petrone'], a lefty who put up 15 goals a year ago. Petrone consistently put himself in the right spots, doing a nice job of drifting to space and shooting the ball with precision from the wings. At the midfield, Smith had a breakout junior season and carried that success over to the summer. Given how much the Raptors graduated at midfield, Smith will undoubtedly get a lot more attention as opponents game plan for Radnor this season. At 6'2, he's a big and athletic dodger and a force when getting downhill, creating separation in 6v6 situations with a nice arsenal of moves up top and thriving in transition. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='123295' first='Tyler' last='Vitale'], a shortstick defensive midfielder headed to Wesleyan, also showed well. A great athlete, he moves laterally at a high level, plays tough 1v1 defense and is an asset on the wings of face-offs.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">La Salle</h2>   The senior-laden Explorers were often dominant in 2024, bringing a 23-1 record into the PIAA championship game before falling just short of their ultimate goal. This offseason, La Salle's roster got hit hard by graduation, waving goodbye to New Balance All-American at midfield, the face-off X, and on close defense, in addition to a few more multi-year starters.   Entering 2025, the Explorers will also have a new head coach steering the ship after Rob Forster stepped down following four years at the helm to take the third assistant job at UPenn. In what was a no-brainer of a decision, La Salle tabbed former Academy of the New Church (Pa.) head coach Jack Forster to replace his brother at their alma mater. Fortunately for Forster and the Explorers' staff, the cupboard is far from bare, even if last year's senior class will be greatly missed. At NHSLS, La Salle was without a plethora of starters for various reasons, changing the equation slightly while also benefitting some of the more inexperienced returners that were able to see significant playing time. On the defensive side of the ball, senior [player_tooltip player_id='123298' first='Kevin' last='Ring'] caught my eye in particular. The left-handed Monmouth signee had a nice slap check for a caused turnover, as well as a pretty GB on the sideline. He got beat for a goal once or twice in the time I watched, but overall, I felt like he made a strong impact, as did uncommitted senior Ryan Vandegrift, who slid hard to create a turnover then picked up the groundball himself. Offensively, Johns Hopkins recruit [player_tooltip player_id='14599' first='Max' last='Wickersham'] will be the go-to option at attack. Often working from the wings, he scored two goals against Landon, showing his deceptive explosiveness, dodging hard, and finishing appropriately in tight once he got his hands free. His veteran playmaking ability will be vital for an offense that will feature a lot of sophomores and juniors this spring. My biggest takeaway, however, was the brilliant play of promising young midfielder Michael Van Bastelaar. Not only was the sophomore one of the best 2027's at the event, but he was arguably the best player on the field in the Explorers' battle with the Bears. A tremendous athlete who created separation at will, van Bastelaar didn't back down when dodging through the teeth of the defense to score hard-nosed goals. He's armed with a powerful and accurate shot, and did a really nice job of changing planes, scoring on a pretty high-to-low on one occasion. I was incredibly impressed with his motor and toughness, attributes that made his brother, Paul, a top recruit in the Class of 2024.

Continuing our coverage coming away from the National High School Lacrosse Showcase while looking ahead to the 2025 season, let's check in on Episcopal Academy, Radnor, and La Salle, on the heels of last week's writeup on Inter-Ac power Haverford School.