Haverford School defense makes Chen’s job easier in win over Malvern Prep

HAVERFORD – By the time shots started finding Jason Chen Tuesday, the Haverford School goalie was already locked in.

Having a defense in the pool that can help post a first-quarter zero as the Fords did against Malvern Prep will help a goalie settle in. So will a half-dozen blocked shots and 25 caused turnovers.

“It helps a lot, especially early on in the game,” Chen said. “I find it’s hard for me to get on my own pace, and when the defense is creating turnovers and making my job really easy, it allows me to settle in and really get the feel of the game.”

With the defense dialed in, Haverford School had no problem getting by Malvern, 14-3, in its Inter-Ac League water polo opener, an early statement of intent that the Fords are serious contenders for their first league title since 2009.

Chen made seven saves in three quarters of action, leaving with the Fords (14-2, 1-0) in control at 13-1 when he exited. The Fords’ defense constantly harassed Malvern in the attacking end of the pool, causing it to cough up the ball at will. They killed seven of eight exclusion penalties, not allowing a goal a man down until the fourth quarter.

“Jason, when he’s hot in goal, it’s electric,” Haverford senior JR Leitz said.

In particular, a defense led by the length of Leitz and Matej Sekulic’s strength at two meters keyed on Malvern Prep’s Brennan Robinson and Jack Cassidy, collapsing on them any time they got the ball and forcing the rest of a young Friars team to beat them. That gamble paid off.

Robinson is the only senior seeing significant time on a squad completely rebuilt from the 24-win Inter-Ac champions of last fall, one led by the graduated Steve Salle (Brown) and Isaac Salinas (Navy). The young Friars (4-7-1, 0-1) had no answers in the first taste of Inter-Ac play for many of them.

“When they had the ball, we look for the people around to crash and try to get the ball,” Leitz said.

Matej Sekulic goes far post and in. 10-1 @FordsWaterPolo, third quarter. pic.twitter.com/3gXbiBmolQ

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) October 2, 2018

Jack Caulfield put up a game resistance in the Malvern goal for as long as he could. The junior stopped six shots in the first quarter, including a long-distance Sekulic skip shot that nearly beat the buzzer. But the incessant pressure and ball movement of the Fords eventually wore him down.

“It’s pretty rough,” said Caulfield, who finished with nine saves. “They move the ball really well. It’s hard to go back and forth, side to side each time, and you’ve got to know what you’re getting into.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Malvern Prep vs. Haverford School

Five Fords scored in the first quarter, and Ryan Cochran finally got Malvern on the board with 4:54 left in the half. But that’s when the Fords kicked the offense into overdrive. They rattled off four goals in two and a half minutes to furnish a 9-1 halftime lead.

David Gobora broke through first in that string, just after he had hit the crossbar. Parked on the right wing, he took a cross-crease feed from Jack Deppen to bury a shot past Caulfield with 2:53 left to half, then added his third of four markers on the day 25 ticks later courtesy of a Chen outlet pass.

Ryan LaRocca scores from Sekulic man up. After 3, it’s all Haverford School, 13-1. pic.twitter.com/EFKO3YpLf8

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) October 2, 2018

Deppen (goal, two assists) set up Leitz for a man-up marker, then Jake LaRocca deposited a Gobora feed into the back of the cage in the final minute, again man up. In all, Haverford School converted on five of nine exclusion fouls, one of the four misses coming when Bram Schork rang the post on a five-meter penalty.

Ryan LaRocca and Sekulic each posted hat tricks, the latter adding an assist. Schork scored twice, and Jake LaRocca and Leitz each chipped in a goal and a helper.

Cassidy and Robinson added goals in the fourth quarter for Malvern, the former off a long pass from Caulfield with Cassidy streaking on a fast break.

But Tuesday’s game belonged to Chen and the Haverford defense. Fresh off a weekend where the Fords won four games at the Beast of the East tournament but were stung for 19 goals by Brunswick School, a bounce-back performance was needed. And to get by an albatross like Malvern Prep for the first win is an even better sign that they could be building toward something special.

“It gives us a really good boost of momentum and we’re going to carry it forward throughout the rest of the season,” Chen said. “Obviously the past few years, Malvern has been quite the struggle, and it’s good to have them be the first game and win in such a fashion, so it’s really motivating an energizing.”