Western Reserve Stuns No. 1 Culver, 10–5, for MSLA Championship

Entering the Midwestern Scholastic Association Tournament at 12-1, the Pioneers were battle-tested and eyeing their biggest challenge yet: a Culver squad ranked No. 1 in every national poll. On Saturday, Western Reserve delivered its most complete performance of the season, closing with a statement revenge win and perhaps making a case to finish atop the national rankings themselves.   After a 3-3 first quarter, Western Reserve broke it open with a 4-0 run, shutting out Culver through the entire second quarter and deep into the third before a late goal with 2:17 remaining. The WRA defense was buttoned up, and the Pioneers controlled play throughout, with d-middies like Tufts-bound senior Will Harrington and sophomores Gunner Flanagan and [player_tooltip player_id='170723' first='Jaxon' last='Crouse'] standing out. Syracuse recruit [player_tooltip player_id='142061' first='Gentry' last='Curtis'] excelled at the face-off X, while Richmond-bound junior goalie Cole Narkiewicz closed the door with seven second-half stops to finish with nine on the day.   Offensively, the Pioneers were led by four-goal efforts from [player_tooltip player_id='37809' first='Hunter' last='Harris'] (Lafayette) and [player_tooltip player_id='129204' first='Kellen' last='Bladon'] (Penn State), with additional scores from Noah Gehlert (Ohio State) and [player_tooltip player_id='175480' first='Darcy' last='Muegge'] (Brown).    To get a sense of Harris' talent, some of the top programs in the country made strong pushes to poach him following his dominant NHSLS performance over the off-season. Staying loyal to the Leopards, he's headed to Lafayette as a surefire Top 100 recruit and projects to make an immediate impact. Harris shot 4-for-9 in the win over Culver, including an empty-net goal in the final three minutes to seal it. He made his presence felt early—after his first shot was saved, he stayed with the play and rode the ball back. From there, he capitalized on a poor approach with a wing dodge. In the third quarter, he showed his range, first on a righty sweep and then with a rocket from at least yards. Simply put, Harris is a problem for opposing defenses, with his blend of size, skill, athleticism, and dynamic dodging making him difficult to contain. He can score through contact, stretch defenses from distance, and apply pressure from anywhere on the field. He looks college-ready and should make his presence felt quickly in the Patriot League.     One of three Canadian lefties committed to Penn State in the Nittany Lions' 2027 class, Bladon finished with four goals on the day, with two of his goals coming during the Pios' 4-0 run in the middle of the game. In addition to his scoring ability, his elite stick skills continued to shine, as he was constantly hauling in passes thrown his way that were less than ideal. He found the back of the net on a pretty backhander midway through the first quarter, curling around the crease on a cut, accepting a pass, and finishing cleanly in style. Then, with just over a minute remaining until halftime, Bladon cranked one high past [player_tooltip player_id='120633' first='Bodhi' last='Harmon'] on EMO on an assist from [player_tooltip player_id='175480' first='Darcy' last='Muegge'], a fellow Canadian 2027 who has enjoyed a terrific junior season. Bladon had a brilliant backdoor cut in the third quarter, then buried one with less than a minute left, right after Harmon jumped back into the net. Overall, Bladon was a force without the ball, showed off his silky mitts, and was exceptionally efficient throughout the game.     Western Reserve had the luxury of having three face-off specialists committed to noteworthy Division I programs, to the point that the Pios could afford to rest Curtis from time to time, including in the MSLA semifinal against Kiski. Coming into the Culver matchup fully healthy and rested, he was superb, winning 10-of-18 with eight groundballs against the Eagles' formidable tandem of underclassmen. Curtis, a 'Cuse commit from Kansas, had some timely (and clean) wins, bouncing back after being outdueled 5-2 in the opening quarter. Smooth with his exits and in traffic, he was dominant during WRA's aforementioned run in the middle of the game and did a stellar job handling the rock and getting it to the offense. While I'm a little uneasy about Syracuse's future at the position once Johnny Mullen graduates next spring, Curtis has developed really nicely and is on the right path. He was lights out on Saturday and was a huge reason why WRA came out on top.     It's hard to just pick one defender to highlight, given that WRA put together one of the more impressive defensive performances I've seen all season. In a game packed with talent, [player_tooltip player_id='176881' first='Masi' last='Shone'] quite literally shone through both on-ball and off-ball, in addition to impressing off the ground and in other complementary ways. A postgrad from Portsmouth (N.H.) who was formerly committed to Binghamton, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/05/intriguing-commitments-from-the-last-two-weeks/">he was recently highlighted by Carey Smith after pledging to Lafayette</a>. After popping on the tape of WRA's win, I quickly learned why Pat Myers & Co. worked to secure his services. He's got excellent instincts, makes huge hustle plays (he won a big run-out late in the second quarter), has sharp stick skills, and made his matchup work for their opportunities. He moves really well in the back half of the field and is dialed in away from the ball. I love what he's made of and where his game is headed, and I'll be intrigued to follow his college career.

Entering the Midwestern Scholastic Association Tournament at 12-1, the Pioneers were battle-tested and eyeing their biggest challenge yet: a Culver squad ranked No. 1 in every national poll. On Saturday, Western Reserve delivered its most complete performance of the season, closing with a statement revenge win and perhaps making a case to finish atop the national rankings themselves.