Flanegan makes milestone save as Lansdale Catholic tops Archbishop Carroll in PCL playoffs

LANSDALE >> It was a testament to Connor Flanegan that his milestone 500th save came in a spot that wasn’t remotely advantageous to a goalkeeper.

The Lansdale Catholic senior had watched three flags reduce his defensive unit by half, putting visiting Archbishop Carroll in a 6-on-3 advantage in the second quarter of Monday’s PCL playoff game. His remaining defenders held firm as each flag wore off and somewhere in that mix, Flanegan got his stick in the way of a shot as he’s done hundreds of times at LC.

Flanegan’s milestone was a cause for celebration as the No. 3 Crusaders dispatched the No. 6 Patriots 15-2 to advance to Wednesday’s PCL semifinal.

“My immediate thought as soon as I made the 500th save was ‘I want 500 more,’ I just want this season to go on forever because these are my boys and I love them to death,” Flanegan said. “Eventually it’s going to end, but I’d like it to end with a state championship win to be honest.”

Despite losing his junior year to the pandemic, Flanegan will go down as one of the best to ever stand between the pipes for the Crusaders. With a potent attack, solid midfield and defensive unit that’s gotten stronger throughout the season in front of him, the senior goalie hopes he can add a few more accolades to that career resume before it’s all done.

Lansdale Catholic wants to compete for a PCL title, although the Crusaders will have to get past No. 2 St. Joe’s Prep on Wednesday to have a shot at it. The Hawks beat LC 10-4 in the regular season in a game where Flanegan all but stood on his head making 19 saves but the senior and his teammates were eager to get another shot at the Prep.

They’re also setting sights on a state playoff run and Flanegan credited coach Mark Princehorn for pushing the right buttons this spring.

“This season has meant a tremendous amount to me,” Flanegan said. “Coach Princehorn, it’s his first season as our coach but his second year as our AD, I love the guy, he fights for our boys and he generates so many opportunities for our teams. For this team, we have something really special and we couldn’t have it without him.”

LC’s defense wasn’t its strongest unit at the start of the season but Flanegan lauded his teammates for putting in time and work to improve at areas they struggled in, most notably clearing the ball after a defensive stop. It’s not a one-man responsibility and Flanegan said the defensemen, pole mids and short-stick midfielders have come together as a group, which has strengthened them in adverse settings like being a man, or in Monday’s case three men, down.

“The defense is a huge part of this team and we love each other like brothers,” Flanegan said. “We’re family and we always have each other’s backs. When we’re down 6-on-3, we don’t see it as an obstacle, we see it as an opportunity to prove ourselves.”

Connor Mann did what he does best by scoring five goals for LC, with the Crusaders also getting five tallies from Mikey Kleinert and a hat trick from Pat McKeever. The hosts never trailed, but Carroll did score an early goal for a 1-1 tie before the Crusaders scored the next seven first half goals for an 8-1 lead at the break.

LC  scored six goals in the third quarter, five coming from Mann and Kleinert and the other from Patch Flannery for a 14-2 lead that put the Crusaders on cruise control into the semifinal round.

Flanegan wasn’t overly busy, making six stops in goal, but that didn’t stop his teammates from rallying around his achievement. During a stoppage shortly after the milestone stop, the LC players swarmed him by the team’s bench and senior defenseman Liam Hannon gave his goalie a bear hug before the returned to their positions.

After the game, the Crusaders patiently waited for Flanegan to finish an interview before dunking a cooler of water on him. It didn’t seem to faze him too much, something that’s also played a key role in his success on the field.

“I think the biggest thing to becoming a successful goalie is the mindset,” Flanegan said. “As soon as you give up a goal, you have to recognize what you did wrong and forget the rest. You have to be strong, stay big and maybe be a little bit crazy.”

Flanegan said playing in the PCL against teams like the Prep and state power La Salle have made him a better player and helped sharpen him for the next level. The senior, an outstanding student, will continue his career at Division III Rochester Institute of Technology which was the perfect fit.

RIT is nationally ranked and expects to contend for national titles and also offered Flanegan a chance to get a Bachelor’s and Masters’ in mechanical engineering in just five years, which was the perfect fit.

Growing up in a hotbed area for lacrosse and seeing all the local players who went on to start at all three college levels and even beyond, Flanegan always wanted to see himself at the next level. He’s just got a few more things to finish with the Crusaders before he  gets there.

“I’ve wanted to play in college since I was in first grade,” Flanegan said. “As soon as I picked up the sport, it was something I always a shot at.

“You hear about these legends and the myths about these guys who are like heroes or gladiators and I always wanted to be someone others looked up to like that so playing college lacrosse fit that goal.”

LANSDALE CATHOLIC 15, ARCHBISHOP CARROLL 2
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 3 5 6 1 – 15
ARCHBISHOP CARROLL 1 0 1 0 – 2