All-Delco Boys Lacrosse: Busenkell’s banner season could be just a prelude of things to come
In addition to Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year Grant Pierce of Radnor, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:
Max Busenkell, Garnet Valley: In his first full campaign of varsity lacrosse, the junior attackman lived up to the hype of being one of the top attacking talents in the country. The Notre Dame commit was the leading scorer in Delaware County with 69 goals, was second with 49 assists and first by a mile with 118 points, the only Delco player to cross into triple digits. He led the Jaguars to 19 wins and appearances in the District 1 Class 3A final and PIAA class 3A final. Busenkell scored six goals on two occasions. He topped out at nine points (six goals, three assists) against Downingtown West early in the season. He added two goals and six assists in beating Strath Haven. Busenkell supplied four goals and two assists in the win over Kennett in the District 1 semis and in the double-overtime loss to the Blue Demons in the state semis. Also a standout football player, Busenkell was recognized with All-Central League, All-Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Coaches Association (EPLCA), All-American and Academic All-American honors.
Jack Clark, Springfield: What Clark may lack in size, he more than makes up for with his speed, shot and all-around killer instinct. Clark led the Cougars to the District 1 Class 3A title with 56 goals and 74 points. No one else on Springfield had more than 33 points. Clark was tied for second in Delco in goals (with the highest goals-per-game rate of the trio) and eighth in points. His capstone performance was the District 1 semifinal, when he blistered Radnor for a season-high six goals and one assist in deciding a one-goal game. He added four goals and one assist in the district final victory over Garnet Valley. An All-Central and All-EPLCA pick, he’ll continue his career at Drexel.
Ryan Goldstein, Radnor: Given the defense’s strength behind Pierce, it could be easy to overlook what Radnor’s offense achieved. But Goldstein made sure that wasn’t the case in the state final, scoring two goals to go with five assists as Radnor routed Kennett on the way to the program’s second PIAA title and 23rd win of the season. Goldstein was by far the best classical X operator in Delco this season. He led the county with 50 assists to go with a top-10 tally of 46 goals. That placed him second to Busenkell in points at 96. Goldstein’s orchestration of the offense was a big reason why Radnor’s passel of attacking middies – seven total players with at least 17 goals each – were so effective and why Radnor went all the way. Goldstein went off for four goals and five assists against Strath Haven in the District 1 opener. He added three and three in the PIAA quarterfinals. The Cornell commit was an All-Central and All-EPLCA selection.
Geordy Holmes, Haverford School: The Fords offense came from different sources game to game, especially once Teddy Malone went down with an injury after his stellar outing in the win over Malvern Prep. But Holmes was the most stable source of offense on the squad. He was first in goals with 32 and tied for second in points with 38. A senior leader out of midfield, Holmes has the powerful game to impose his will on proceedings and to get his teammates involved with the space his physicality creates. He led the Fords with five goals and two assists in the Inter-Ac tournament Round 1 win over Springside Chestnut Hill and managed a hat trick despite the lopsided loss in the final to Malvern. He added four goals in an overtime loss to national power Brunswick (Conn.) and in beating Lawrenceville School (N.J.). The All-EPLCA and All-Inter-Ac pick will continue his career at NCAA runner-up Maryland.
Reilly Dugan, Episcopal Academy: The Churchmen attack was unbelievably balanced, with five players scoring between 29 and 36 points on the season. Dugan distinguished himself from that group as a pure middie who did the work on both ends of the field. He benefitted from EA’s young playmakers with his dodges from up top, ability to sweep across the defense and unleash a howitzer of a shot. Dugan scored 21 goals to go with 10 assists. He scored four times in trouncing Haverford School on April 27, then a hat trick in the second win over the Fords. He had two goals and three assists against Springside Chestnut Hill in early April. An All-Inter-Ac and All-EPLCA selection, Dugan will stay close to home for college at Villanova.
Christian Mazur, Strath Haven: What didn’t Mazur do for the Panthers this year? He’s got a motor that doesn’t stop, putting up such a great season that the faceoff man warranted a place on the squad as a middie. He not only did the job at the X at a clip near 70 percent, but he was one of the Strath Haven’s top scorers and most dogged defensive presences. He finished second on the team with 42 goals and third with 52 points. He had four four-goal games and topped out with a five-goal outing against Harriton. He added three and two in the regular-season finale against Marple Newtown and two and one in topping Central Bucks South in the District 1 Class 3A opener. An All-American and All-EPLCA selection, he’s bound for the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Andrew McMeekin, Episcopal Academy: The junior faceoff specialist is the class of the area’s FOGOs and one of the most talented in his class nationally. A Princeton commit and All-Inter-Ac/All-EPLCA selection, McMeekin helped Episcopal Academy average 12.1 goals per game in a daunting 13-game slate that included a pair of wins over Haverford School. McMeekin went 13-for-19 at the X in the first meeting with a pair of goals. He was 17-for-27 in their playoff loss to Haverford School in the third meeting. McMeekin scored four goals and three assists on the season, including two goals and an assist in a rout of Germantown Academy. He won draws at a near 70 percent rate this season and was a huge driver of offense for EA’s varied attack.
Ryan O’Connor, Springfield: Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Springfield had a tremendous defense that worked beautifully as a unit. O’Connor was the playmaker that turned that stinginess into offense and kept teams on the back foot. With O’Connor leading the way, Springfield allowed 5.55 goals en route to 17 wins and the District 1 Class 3A crown. The junior long-stick midfielder was a turnover machine, hassling opponents all over the field. Combined with his wing play for faceoff man Colin Hannigan, he was adept at turning groundballs into offense that was vital for a team that, short of Clark, lacked consistent sources of set offense. O’Connor added eight goals and five assists, including a hat trick against Pennridge on April 11, plus many more attacks that he started for others to cash in. An All-EPLCA and All-Central selection, O’Connor recently changed his commitment from Villanova to Penn State.
Sam Morin, Garnet Valley: Morin wrapped up a long career with the Jaguars with a new wrinkle: Taking faceoffs, sometimes as the primary man, others as a change of pace to complement Sam DiTrolio. That unique combination played a role in the Jaguars’ 19-win season, with progress to the district final and state semifinals. Morin didn’t just win draws (like a 6-for-9 outing in the District 1 semifinal against Kennett) but was a vital midfield presence to turn the ball over if he didn’t win the draw. He showed the athleticism that makes him capable of playing as a close defender or LSM at Towson. Morin scored six goals, with a pair against Upper Darby, and added two assists. The All-Central selection also landed on the All-EPLCA and All-American teams.
Will Delaney, Episcopal Academy: The senior LSM brought not just his unreal athleticism to the Churchmen but his defensive prowess. The Churchmen went 9-4 against a tough Inter-Ac schedule. Two of the losses were to national power Malvern Prep at a historically high ebb, plus a loss to Haverford School in their third meeting and a one-goal loss to Severn School of Maryland in the opener. Delaney was one of three seniors on a stout defensive unit. The veterans comprising the close defense gave Delaney a platform to make plays with his speed and active stick in much the same way his brother, All-Delco and now All-American basketball player Conner, did in his days at EA. Delaney also scored a goal and added an assist for EA. He’ll play next year at Hofstra.
Chuck Cacciutti, Haverford School: Though it was an up-and-down season by Haverford School’s lofty expectations, the Fords still won 14 games, hung a loss on an all-time Malvern Prep squad and made the Inter-Ac final. Cacciutti was a big reason why, one of the better raw shot-stoppers around. The Fords allowed 6.52 goals per game against a difficult regional schedule, and the junior netminder’s victories include taking down PIAA powers Conestoga, La Salle and Garnet Valley, holding them to a total of 17 goals. He led the Fords with 12 saves in a 6-4 win over GA in April and made 12 stops in the signature 9-8 win over Malvern Prep. An All-EPLCA and All-Inter-Ac selection, he has committed to Penn.
