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GLEN MILLS >> In the last few years Marple Newtown and West Chester Rustin have separated from the rest of the District 1 2A boys’ lacrosse programs.
But with Tuesday’s 6-3 triumph in the PIAA Semifinal, the Tigers took control of the budding rivalry, and more importantly are headed to the program’s third straight appearance in the state title game.
“This is the time of year,” said Marple Newtown head coach Kevin Merchant. “The 34 guys on this team are one of very few teams still practicing. I couldn’t ask for more of these kids.
“We have 16 seniors, and all of their friends are starting to think about Senior Week and graduation. But these guys are showing up for work and working their tails off.”
For the third straight year, the Tigers (21-3 overall) will face District 7 powerhouse Mars in the championship final, to be held on Saturday at Penn State’s Panzer Stadium. A year ago, Marple Newtown won it 11-10. In 2022, Mars prevailed 9-6.
“The mark of a good team is that sometimes you just need to gut out a win against a good opponent,” Merchant said. “We will clean some stuff up and be ready for the weekend.”
As referenced, things didn’t go perfect for the Tigers against the Golden Knights (18-6 overall). Marple Newtown got off to a fast start, but then were held scoreless for a 22-minute-plus stretch, which allowed Rustin to knot it at 3-3 at halftime.
“We were a little sloppy with our execution,” Merchant said. “But credit to Rustin – they had a great game plan.”
The Tigers used the break, primarily, to make some mental adjustments, and then went out and won it in the third quarter. Sophomore attacker Evan Kostack accounted for all three third quarter goals, with the eventual game-winner coming off a pass from teammate Brian Box. Marple Newtown wound up having a shots on goal advantage of 9-1 in the pivotal period.
“The coaches just told us to step it up, so we came out and did what we were told. We started doing a better job of reading what (Rustin) was doing,” Kostock said.
“Some of the shots that normally fall just didn’t today,” Merchant added. “You have those days. We were getting some really good looks and moving the ball. Part of our halftime talk was to not let the frustration set in. Let’s continue to work hard, be selfless, and the opportunities will come.”
Other than Kostack, the big story in the second half was the Tigers’ suffocating defense. Rustin did not score in the final 28-plus-minutes of the contest. And it was no coincidence that Marple Newtown faceoff specialist, Alexander Chambers, went 6-for-6 in the second half.
“Part of it was just not really having the ball much, and we forced the issue a couple times where we probably should have reined it in,” said Knights’ head coach Kevin Philibin.
“Our defense stepped up,” Kostack added. “Our goalie, Marko (Dalicandro) made a bunch of saves and showed up big-time.”
The Tigers’ terrific start included three goals in the opening seven minutes of action and included a goal and an assist by Joe Yukenavitch. But the Knights regrouped and wrestled away momentum with a pair of goals in the final half minute of the first period – the first a man-up goal by Jackson Lamb, and then a heady play by Jack O’Hora, who scooped up a loose ball in front of the Marple Newtown cage and quickly deposited it.
Rustin nearly tied it but a shot by Leo Flores hit the crossbar in the early going of the second. The Knights did tie it, however, midway when Jimmy Boland took a pass from Lamb – a fellow sophomore – and scored to make it 3-3 at the break.
“Coach (Mike) Steuber, our defensive coordinator, put together a zone defense that flustered (Marple Newtown), and gave us a couple extra possessions,” Philibin explained.
“I think that was the first time this season that we played in a zone. After the first two goals I looked at (Steuber) and said, ‘we should probably get out of it,’ and he waved me off, so we stayed in it. It took our guys a little time to get their feet under them.”
In all, the Tigers’ defense limited Rustin to just seven shots on goal in 48 minutes of action. And Marple Newtown has now outscored its postseason foes 85-24.
“We always put a four goal cap on every game,” Merchant pointed out. “That’s our goal heading in. I think we are deep on defense and the kids work very hard. Our offense is high-powered, but our defense is very good.”
In four head-to-head playoff meetings since 2023, the Tigers have won three against the Knights: in the 2023 and 2024 PIAA Semis, and in the 2024 district final. Rustin topped Marple Newtown for the ’23 district crown.
“We talked before the game that (Marple Newtown) was going to punch us and we had to be able to punch right back. And we did that,” Philibin said. “But they made adjustments at the half and we struggled to find the net.
“But I am proud of our guys. Last year we made it to this spot and everybody thought we were a bit of a flash in the pan with our seniors. We might not be as top heavy as we were last year, but we are as deep as we’ve ever been.”
Marple Newtown 6, West Chester Rustin 3
W.C. Rustin 2 1 0 0 — 3
Marple Newtown 3 0 3 0 — 6
W.C. Rustin goals: Lamb, O’Hora, Boland.
Marple Newtown goals: Kostack 3, Kirby, Yukenavitch, Box.
Goalie saves: Brockett (R) 11; Dalicandro (MN) 4.
