Hill School boys lacrosse tests mettle against No. 6 nationally-ranked Lawrenceville
POTTSTOWN >> At the midpoint of the 2023 lacrosse season, several outlets have Hill School ranked among the top 10 or 15 teams in Pennsylvania despite a modest 3-5 record.
Saturday’s game against arch rival Lawrenceville (N.J.) shows why the Blues remain highly regarded.
On a schedule littered with state and regional powers, the No. 6 nationally-ranked Big Red offered the Hill’s steepest challenge to date — one the hosts handled with poise despite a 16-8 setback on Harry Price Field.
The game was separated by an hour-plus lightning delay at the seven-minute mark of the second quarter.
On either side of the delay, the Blues were able to turn a potential Lawrenceville rout back into a tight game.
John Macielag and Elliott Schaller scored 24 seconds apart to bring the Blues back within two from a 5-1 deficit.
After the game resumed, so did Hill’s momentum when Ben Walt and Anthony McMullan scored seven seconds apart.
Meanwhile, Blues goalie and UMBC commit Billy Stephens had 15 saves to keep Hill within striking distance.
But Lawrenceville’s talent is matched only by its depth, and the Big Red flexed their muscles with a 9-3 margin after halftime. Denver commit DJ Clark led the way with four goals and two assists, while Yale signee Hunter Chauvette added a pair of scores and helpers.
Johns Hopkins-bound defender Quintan Kilrain scored the game’s first goal and made his presence felt all over the field.
“That’s one of the best teams in the country, this is a great rivalry,” Hill coach Dave Page said. “I’m happiest with our compete level today. I was most impressed by the way we came out after the delay, the guys were ready to get back out there and compete.”
Hill midfielder and faceoff man Pierce Hart showed why he’s headed to St. Joe’s to play lacrosse next year, battling a trio of Big Red faceoff specialists to a standstill on the stat sheet and generating opportunities for the Blues in a game where they had to play from behind from the outset.
Hart’s highlight came on a third-quarter scoop-and-score, a goal that ended a 5-0 Lawrenceville run.
With a 10-1 record, the Big Red are ranked No. 6 in the country and likely on the rise after Tuesday’s win over No. 4 Brunswick (Conn.). They have conquered Inter-Ac stalwarts Malvern Prep and Haverford School already this year, with La Salle College and Academy of the New Church looming on their May schedule.
Going down the Lawrenceville roster, it’s easier to list the players who aren’t committed to Division 1 college programs. Schools including Yale, Johns Hopkins, Army, Princeton, and Michigan have commitments from some of the 17 Division 1-bound Lawrenceville players in the classes of 2023 and 2024.
“Credit to them — they’re one of the best teams in the country,” Page said.
Meanwhile, Hill visits The Hun School in Princeton this coming week before a long-awaited battle with Academy of the New Church, the team that bested the Blues by a single goal in last year’s Mid-Atlantic Prep League title game.
“I don’t think there’s any team we’re afraid of,” Page said. “We construct the schedule this way for a reason — I run it by the seniors before the schedule is finalized, make sure they’re up for these games. They’re gamers. These kids want to compete.
“The goal is to get to where they (Lawrenceville) are. We’ve got work to do, but maybe after today we realize we’re a little closer than we were.”
Lawrencevillle 16, Hill School 8
Lawrencevillle 4 3 6 3—16
Hill School 1 4 2 1—8
Lawrenceville
DJ Clark 4 goals, 2 assists
Hunter Chauvette 2 goals, 2 assists
Chris Matia 2 goals, assist
Mike Rooney 2 goals
Quintan Kilrain goal, 2 assists
Reece DiCicco goal, assist
Chuck Rawson goal, assist
Tyler Eye goal
Ford Collins goal
Mason Vance goal
George Northup 7 saves
Hill School
Ben Walt 2 goals
Elliott Schaller 2 goals
Marcel Vernon goal
Pierce Hart goal, 15/28 faceoffs
John Macielag goal
Anthony McMullan goal
Zach Warren assist
Chris Stackhouse assist
Billy Stephens 15 saves
