By Alex Frazier
Welcome to the 2010 lacrosse season. I plan to write a notebook every other week in addition to covering key games. I welcome ideas for features. Please let me know of anything interesting or noteworthy as the season progresses.
At the start of each new year, I like to honor the new coaches in the league. This year there are only two.
New coaches
Cosmo DiLiegro, Harry S Truman
DiLiegro comes to Truman this year from Conwell Egan, where he coached the lacrosse team for the past three years. He remains the boys varsity soccer coach at Egan.
He has been a teacher in the Bristol Township School District for the past 10 years. The past two years he has taught Engineering and Wood Manufacturing at Truman.
“I have found that it is an advantage for me to be able to have contact with my players during the normal school day,” he said. “I can make sure they are keeping up with their academics and they are maintaining a perfect behavior record.”
As for his first season at Truman, his goal for this year is to see continual improvement as the season progresses.
“We have only one returning senior player; therefore, our focus is on developing our younger players without sacrificing success this season,” he said. “I want my team to be disciplined and determined and this has become our motto for the season.
“We need to limit penalties and display sportsmanship and strong character at all times. As an educator, I want my boys to be leaders in the classroom as well as the playing field.”
Jamie Huber, Pennsbury
Huber moves up from defensive coordinator/assistant coach the past two seasons. He was the founder of the Truman program in 2001 and served as the Tigers’ head coach through 2007.
Coach Huber is also a co-founder of the Arrowhead Lacrosse Club in 2002 along with fellow Bucks County coaches Dean Curtis and Josh Hanlon. He played lacrosse at Archbishop Ryan High School where he served as a three-year captain and earned Honorable Mention All-Catholic League honors his senior season.
Huber graduated from Penn State where he was a member of the Nittany Lion’s men’s lacrosse club team that won back-to-back NCLL National Championships 1999-2000.
Coach Huber is a veteran teacher in the social studies department at Truman and currently resides in New Jersey with his dog Murphy.
League overview – Overall this year, the conferences should be more competitive. We may even see some new titleholders by the end of the season, but I’m not making any predictions.
National Conference
Under new head coach Jamie Huber, Pennsbury is off to a sizzling start. The Falcons won their first six games, including a 17-2 rout of league archrival Neshaminy. Lax Power has the Falcons ranked fourth in the East Regional and first in eastern Pennsylvania.
The Falcons are scoring a lot of goals (78) and not giving up many (25).
Returning for Pennsbury are attackmen Kenneth Warren and Calvin Hopkins; midfielders Shawn Caven, Ricky Jutkiewicz and Tom Considine; and long pole middie Dan Marr.
Abington, however, is the preseason favorite to defend its conference title. The Ghosts lost a 10-9 decision to an always-tough Germantown Academy squad.
The Ghosts will be deep and talented on attack (Joey Jones) and midfield (Rich Rambo), but the defense is young. Senior goalie Jesse McGinley will provide stability in the back.
Council Rock North is ranked 10th by Lax Power. So far the Indians have only played one game, that a 14-1 rout of Northeast Catholic.
On attack Rock North will be led by Tyler Hamilton. Tyler Shablin and Shane Perdikis anchor the midfield and Justin Mooller returns as an all-league long pole middie.
Neshaminy, Council Rock South and Harry S Truman will battle it out for four through six.
The Redskins return goalie Eugene LaBorde, senior attackman Chris Brady and long pole Steve Lewallen.
With only one returning senior, midfielder Steven Bruse, Truman is a young squad this year. Not only that, but the Tigers will have to adapt to a new coach. Under Cosmo DiLiegro, the team hopes to show progress during the season. Last year Truman didn’t win a conference game. The Tigers hope to change that this year.
Continental Conference
Hatboro-Horsham (3-1) and Souderton (4-1) are both off to strong starts. The Hatters are ranked 13th in eastern Pa. and are undefeated in the conference, albeit they have only played one game. Standout returners for Hatboro include Ryan Kreston (A), Eddie Coombs (M), Ryan Mullen (D) and goalie Dino Vitale.
Souderton may be a dark horse/spoiler this year. The Indians have already clipped perennial power Central Bucks West 7-6, but lost to defending champion Central Bucks East (11-7).
Although the Patriots have started slow, they remain the favorite, along with Hatboro-Horsham, to sit atop the conference by the end of the season.
East features a pair of explosive attackmen in Brian Urban and Alex Fetterman and long pole midfielder Parker Rushworth.
Don’t count out C.B. West. The Bucks return a pair of defenders in Weston French and Andrew Argentieri as well as long pole middie Steve Moran.
Pennridge, Central Bucks South and North Penn will duke it out for the bottom three spots.
The Rams have two strong players in Craig Hunsberger (M) and attackman Kevin Faganiak.
American Conference
Having won the conference for the last three years, Upper Dublin is naturally the favorite to repeat.
Although the Cardinals have yet to win a non-league game, they are 2-0 in the conference. They return Casey Boyd (M), John Quici (long pole), Willie Beury (A) and Charles Minehart (D).
But the top four teams are all in the hunt. Plymouth Whitemarsh split with the Cardinals last year and has a win over Upper Merion (8-6). The Colonials feature Colin Joka on attack; and Pat Nolan, Shawn Kaplan and Zach Shulman in the midfield.
Upper Merion returns a group of talented seniors in Nate Hare (A), James Brennan III (M) and Tyler Zeoli (D).
Wissahickon lost five one-goal games last year and is hoping to turn that around behind a strong defensive unit of Tom Bracaglia, Beau Gomez, Ward McMasters (long pole) and goalie Sean Smith
Springfield graduated its best player, Martin Goldfarb, last year but hopes to get the same kind of offense from Nick Barraclough.
Cheltenham, Upper Moreland and Norristown will be in the mix at the bottom of the conference.
Sol Top Five
1. Abington
2. Pennsbury
3. Central Bucks East
4. Hatboro-Horsham
5. Upper Dublin
Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Association Top 15
(March 29)
1. Conestoga
2. Haverford
3. Springfield Delco
4. LaSalle
5. Malvern
6. Emmaus
7. St. Joseph’s Prep
8. Episcopal
9. Abington
10. Garnet Valley
11. Radnor
12. Central Bucks East
13. Ridley
14. Spring-Ford
15. Avon Grove
Others receiving votes: Downingtown East, Germantown Academy, Hatboro-Horsham, Holy Ghost, Penn Charter, Penncrest, Pennsbury, Shipley, Unionville
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