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.

In my opinion, DiBartolomeo is the most exciting player to watch in high school lacrosse in 2024. Not only that, but he’s up there in terms of overall impact and importance to his team. He’s always electric, but that sentiment was cemented after watching him from the sidelines of the Friars’ electric 8-7 win over Boys’ Latin last Wednesday in arguably the game of the year. 

DiBartolomeo’s ability to disrupt the other team’s offensive possessions (especially during crucial times in the game) is second to none. The frequency with which he gets his stick in the passing lane, anticipates a pass, gets a knockdown or interception, and then darts upfield with the ball in his stick is so impactful on the outcome of a game. In that sense, he’s like a game-changing NFL safety — Ed Reed comes to mind, but since DiBartolomeo’s a Philly kid, I’ll throw Brian Dawkins’ name out there, too.

In the win over BL, he had at least three deflections or passes, several big groundballs, and several more instances where he affected the Lakers’ ability to get quality looks on cage. On top of that, highly touted middie Liam White’s two goals came on EMO or when he came off a pick when matched up with DiBartolomeo. Also, you can’t talk about Lucca without also mentioning his brothers at shortstick, Roman and Peri. Collectively, the trio played a huge part in the Malvern win (though that’s nothing new for them), then apparently followed that up with a lights-out performance in the Friars’ 7-4 victory over St. Anthony’s on Thursday night at Rutgers.