PIAA Class 3A Boys Lacrosse: Michael Savadove, Radnor ready for rubber match with Springfield

CONCORD — Watching from the sidelines was hard on Michael Savadove, if not necessarily all that difficult on his Radnor teammates.

The junior defenseman is the first to vouch for those filling the void created when he went down with a leg injury that deprived him of the chance to play most of districts and the first round of states. You’d only really notice a hiccup among the Raptors in that District 1 Class 3A final, a 10-8 loss to Springfield.

While his deputies handled matters well in his absence, there’s no denying that the return of the Harvard commit will matter significantly in Saturday’s state final rematch.

“We have loads and loads of guys that can take anyone’s spot. The talent on this roster is off the charts,” Savadove said after a tight win over La Salle in the state semis Tuesday. “I think (it’s) just having trust in them, but it’s great to be back. It’s tough watching from the sidelines, but when you know you have guys like (Henry) Pierce and Brendan Ward and other guys that can step up, everyone needs to step up. It’s just great to be back.”

The margins will be that fine Saturday, in the nightcap of a championship quadruple-header at Penn State and what might be the marquee game of the day. The meeting of Radnor (22-3) and Springfield (22-2) unquestionably brings together the top two boys teams in the state. Of their combined five losses, two are to each other. Only one of the remaining three was to PIAA opposition – Springfield to Spring-Ford in the opener. Radnor’s losses came to Episcopal Academy in its opener (minus a contingent of players from the District 1 Class 5A basketball champions) and Long Island power Garden City.

Other than that, the two teams have been head-and-shoulders above the rest of Pennsylvania lacrosse. Their two battles have been epic – a 6-5 overtime win for Radnor in the regular season to give it the inside line on the Central League title, then a 10-8 revenge win by Springfield in the District 1 final.

The past means there will be plenty of respect on both sides if little in the way of secrets in the rubber match.

“We know them well, they know us well,” Springfield coach Tom Lemieux said. “They’re an unbelievable staff. They have unbelievable kids over there. We’ve just got to look at winning the little battles, competing and playing as hard as we possibly can. They’re really good – it should be fun.”

Both teams can acquire a little history in the PIAA era of lacrosse championships. Radnor has won each of the last two titles and is looking to match Conestoga’s three-beat from 2010-12. Radnor, Conestoga and La Salle each had three PIAA titles. Springfield is looking to join that trio, having won in 2016 and 2017 (the latter in Class AA).

Injuries play a part in the prep. Radnor has Savadove back after he watched the district final in a walking boot. The Raptors’ depth of defensive talent meant they could cover for him, but the improvement with the elite one-on-one defender back is significant. It was necessary against La Salle, a close scrape at 7-4.

Springfield is on the other side of the injury luck. The District 1 final was a showcase for Tyler Gougler, who scored four massive goals. But he tore knee ligaments in the fourth quarter of that game, ending his junior season.

Without him, what once was a supporting cast has had to take the spotlight, and they’ve risen to the occasion. Senior Aidan Kreydt has 12 goals in three games, including a seven-spot to navigate out of trouble against Mount Lebanon in the quarterfinals. Patrick Flaherty tallied 13 points in the first two states games before a quiet semifinal. Sean Donaldson and Ty Henderson have five goals each in states.

“I think they’ve done a really nice job,” Lemieux said. “Everybody’s had to step up a little bit, and I think all-around we have, to the bench, to the attack guys, to the defense, the goalie, the faceoff circle. I think we’ve all bumped it up just a little bit. I think they’ve played well the last couple of games.”

Both teams are first and foremost defensive marvels. Springfield has allowed 103 goals in 24 games this season, Radnor 100 in 25. They’ve pitched a combined three shutouts and have held opponents to one goal or fewer 14 times.

Just to illustrate the monstrous gulf between this pair and the rest of the state: Wissahickon finished fourth in District 1. Springfield beat the Trojans, 14-1, in the district semifinals. Radnor beat them 16-1 in the state quarterfinal.

Springfield players used the disappointment of the regular season loss to Radnor as fuel for the district final rematch. The Raptors don’t seem to be quite so focused on the revenge narrative this time around.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s about that game,” Savadove said. “It’s just that we’ve earned another couple of days. This is the final go-round. This has been our goal since Day 1. It’s nothing to do with them; it’s all about us.”

“We’ve been practicing since November for this,” Radnor attackman Owen Knight said. “We’ve been playing for these moments. We’re ready to go, we’re looking forward to the next couple of days in practice and just getting after it on Saturday.”