Five Who Impressed: Malvern Prep (Pa.) 10, Boys' Latin (Md.) 8

In what was a highly anticipated Mid-Atlantic showdown to kick off the season, host Malvern Prep toppled Boys' Latin in a clash of traditional powers, breaking an 8-8 tie with five minutes left to emerge with a 10-8 victory. Here's an in-depth look at five of the best players on the field:    This Alabama native got his feet wet at the varsity level a year ago and now looks every bit of a steady contributor in the Lakers' starting lineup. Pairing a strong first step with standout speed, Lynch constantly showed the willingness to attack his matchup and could probably stand to be even more assertive going forward. After some narrow misses, he got better as the game progressed, with both of his goals taking place in the third quarter as BL mounted its comeback effort. Early in the half, he beat a Richmond-bound senior defender from X and got topside for a finish, then six minutes later, Lynch exploded past a Penn State commit and finished from 5x5 on a shot that went stickside low. Yesterday's game was just a taste of what Lynch is capable of, and I'll be intrigued to follow his progress heading into league play.     The Friars entered the season needing to replace the bulk of their top six after graduating a stellar group of '25s, leaving plenty of questions about who would shoulder the offensive load this spring. If Tuesday was any indication, [player_tooltip player_id='121320' first='Jamie' last='McCracken'] is more than ready to answer the call. The Brown commit erupted for five goals and did so in emphatic fashion. Philly-tough in every sense, McCracken is a fearless dodger who consistently plays bigger than he is. He beat multiple defenders on several of his tallies, absorbing contact, bouncing off checks, and finishing with poise.   In the first half alone, he went coast-to-coast, cashed in off a restart from the corner, found the net after grinding out a tough ground ball, and added another on a dazzling individual effort that showcased his elite change of direction. Each goal seemed to build momentum for both himself and the Friars. But it was his fifth and final strike that stole the spotlight and slammed the door on BL with under a minute to play. On that sequence, McCracken blew past a short-stick along the sideline, fought through a sliding defender, and finished acrobatically while airborne and showcasing tremendous body control. The highlight quickly made its rounds, and rightfully so. Quite frankly, this description doesn't come close to doing it justice. On Tuesday afternoon, McCracken wasn't just productive — he was dominant. If this performance is any indication, he's poised to carry that confidence deep into the spring.     Murphy saw significant playing time for the Friars last season and ultimately carved out a sizable role, an impressive feat considering how senior-heavy the roster was. On Tuesday, the promising young left-hander had the ball in his stick far more often than he did a year ago (as expected) and finished with two goals, though it certainly could have been more. With the game tied at three midway through the second quarter, Murphy came off a high pick and ripped a 15-yard shot that the goalie had no chance of stopping. Then, with about six minutes remaining, he delivered a fantastic finish, faking multiple times before burying a close-range opportunity off a feed from [player_tooltip player_id='23638' first='Danny' last='Lucovich']. The goal proved to be crucial, giving the Friars a 9–8 lead. As mentioned in previous write-ups, Murphy has an outstanding feel for the game, which makes sense given the fact that he's the son of longtime Penn coach Mike Murphy, who joined Malvern's staff for the 2026 season. There's little doubt he'll be one of the most sought-after offensive prospects in the Class of 2028.     If any program can turn a career face-off specialist into a formidable SSDM, it's Malvern Prep, which has been a 'D-Mid U' of sorts for as long as I can remember. Rudloff caught my eye on Tuesday, but I noticed him even more upon my rewatch earlier today, especially when it came to his physicality. The Drexel-bound senior put a kid on the ground in the middle of the first quarter as he turned the corner, then did so again near the restraining line late in the third stanza, corralling one of his three groundballs on the day. There were multiple instances in which he applied tough pressure up top to the point that the Lakers just moved the ball elsewhere, as the BL midfielders had very little success attacking Rudloff, George Laskowski, and the Malvern shortsticks. All day, Rudloff did a great job matching feet, maintaining contact, getting the ball off the ground, and making the appropriate decisions. He'll only get better from here, too.     Often matched up against star Malvern defenseman [player_tooltip player_id='71563' first='Dylan' last='Novak'], a Notre Dame–bound senior, Shaw controlled the matchup from start to finish, piling up a hat trick and an assist. Now wearing No. 9 — a long-standing tradition reserved for the Lakers' top attackman — the Georgetown commit made his impact felt with and without the ball, repeatedly losing Novak with sneaky and well-timed cuts. Shaw struck early, slipping free in the first half for a 10-yard step-down rip. He found space again early in the second quarter, finishing cleanly by the hash. Just a minute into the fourth, he beat Novak from X and went low for another score, then delivered a slick feed to Joey Kellar for the third goal in BL's furious four-goal surge. With Matt Higgins now making noise in College Park, the BL offense will need to lean heavily on Shaw — and if this performance is any indication, he's more than ready for the responsibility after leveling up during the offseason.

In what was a highly anticipated Mid-Atlantic showdown to kick off the season, host Malvern Prep toppled Boys' Latin in a clash of traditional powers, breaking an 8-8 tie with five minutes left to emerge with a 10-8 victory. Here's an in-depth look at five of the best players on the field: