By Alex Frazier
Meet…Ryan Ambler
When Matt Rambo defected to LaSalle this year, Abington’s chances of repeating as National Conference champions for a fifth straight year took a big hit.
In all, the Ghosts lost 60 percent of their offense, either through graduation or transfer.
But with players like Ryan Ambler on attack, the goals have been coming, and so have the wins. The Ghosts are currently 4-0 in the conference and have already defeated archrival Pennsbury.
“The guys on the team are pretty tight-knit,” said Ambler. “With Matt leaving, it brought us a lot closer together. It made us realize there were no superstars on the team, so we had to work together, work 10 times harder to do well, which makes all the wins sweeter.
“Everyone is on the same page. We have the same goals, and we’re trying to achieve those goals, and it’s fun.”
Ambler was born with a lacrosse stick in his hand.
Well, not literally, but with a father who played at Abington and Drexel and started the program at Wissahickon, he might as well have.
Ambler actually started handling a stick even before going to pre-school.
He also dabbled in football, which he quit in ninth grade, and basketball, which he played until his junior year.
He has started at attack for Abington since his freshman year when he scored 55 goals and 37 assists, quite impressive statistics for a ninth grader.
The goal of every player, of course, is to improve each year and Ambler is no exception. As a sophomore, he pumped in 47 goals and added 58 assists.
This year there is even more pressure on him to produce.
“There’s more weight on his shoulders now,” said coach Randy McNeill, “but he’s comfortable with that. He’s willing to take on the pressure and get everyone else involved.”
So far he has responded with 15 goals and 23 assists in his first eight games.
“Ryan is a great kid to coach,” said McNeill. “Every year he just gets better. He’s a completely unselfish player. He prides himself on making the guys around him better. That’s a wonderful thing as a coach to see. He is our leader.”
Another interesting stat is that Ambler has missed just one game in his high school career. That came last year at the Katie Sampson Tournament.
But he could certainly be excused for that since it was his sister’s wedding.
“It was a big controversy,” he explained. “Our family is pretty close, and she needed me there. I was pretty (mad) that she made me go, but it had to happen.”
Apparently, his sister needed him more than the team, which beat Downingtown East by four goals.
“We probably would have won by 10 if I was there, maybe,” he quipped.
Ambler is also captain of the team. He’s not the kind of leader who likes to scream at players. He would rather lead by his example.
“If I can show that I can beat my guy and make people around me better, that’s good enough,” he said. “Nothing needs to be said. If I can point people in the right direction and lead the offense and direct people, I’ve done my job, even if I don’t score a point.”
Even though he is only a junior, Ambler has already verbally committed to Princeton.
Ambler had been thinking about following his father’s footsteps and heading to Drexel.
“My dad took me to Drexel games, and I became friends with the coaches over the years,” said Ambler.
But when Drexel coach Chris Bates left for Princeton and took with him assistants Stephen Brundage and Greg Raymond, Ambler decided to follow.
“They’re like family to me,” he said.
What makes it even more enticing is that his brother Colin is a volunteer assistant coach.
“It’s a bonus having him there,” said Ambler.
He has already taken his overnight to Princeton.
“I fell in love and there was no way I could turn it down,” he said. “The coaches will be looking out for my best interests.”
Academically, Ambler may be a bit challenged at Princeton, but his GPA has gone up this year. He’s gotten all A’s except a B in his honors English class.
“It’s made me work harder,” he said, “and I still have to do well on my SATs.”
“It’s nice to see somebody take on a goal,” said McNeill. “He’s very driven, like in setting a goal and going out and achieving it.”
He is considering majoring in psychology.
“It’s interesting to me,” he said. ”I don’t want to do something where 30 years down the line I’m going to hate my job. Psychology is always something new and interesting.”
And coaching isn’t out of the picture. He already helps out with the fifth and sixth graders.
“I wouldn’t mind that,” he said. “I like coaching. I think it’s a ton of fun.”
Bears getting a bite – For the past few years, Upper Moreland has been the proverbial 90-pound weakling that other teams kicked sand on.
But watch the Bears.
Under new coach Mile Liberona, they’re getting bigger and stronger and faster.
Not that it shows in their record just yet, but slowly and subtlely Upper Moreland is climbing out of the depths.
The program is only five years old. This year’s freshman class is the first one that has had any prior experience before high school.
“It’s a big spectrum of level of ability,” said Liberona.
The previous record for wins in a season was four. The Bears have one in the first six games and are likely to surpass that mark.
“I want to see them play hard, not quit in games and play until the final whistle,” said Liberona. “They have. They play hard for me.”
The Bears’ first win of the year came against Cheltenham last week.
“For the seniors, it was their first win since the beginning of their sophomore year,” said Liberona. “You hear about teams finding ways to win games. These guys are finding ways to lose games; they don’t know how to win yet.”
One example was a double overtime loss to Wissahickon.
“Against teams that have longer programs, our youth shows,” said Liberona.
And their mindset.
“They were rated last last year in Pa. east,” said Liberona. “Some games they go into thinking they already lost the game. I’ve been trying to get that out of their head.”
Another encouraging sign is goal production. Two years ago the Bears scored 31 goals in the season; last year it was 29 and so far this year they have netted 37.
“I think they’re starting to understand the concepts of what we’re introducing,” said Liberona.
What makes the Bears’ progress even more interesting is that Liberona had exactly one year of coaching experience, and that at the jayvee level, when he took over the program this year.
To his credit, he has a wealth of playing experience, so he’s no novice to the game.
“Managing personalities takes time to get used to,” said Liberona. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a learning experience for me.”
Liberona gives credit to four players in helping to turn the program around.
Senior midfielder Ryan Christensen didn’t play last year, but he’s making an impact this year. He is tied for the lead in goals and leads in points.
“I’ve been blown away by the type of player this kid is,” said Liberona. “
He was a big reason why the Bears defeated Cheltenham.
“He scored a couple of goals and played keep-away at the end,” said Liberona. “He shows a lot of leadership.”
Senior captain Andrew Benner switched from defense to midfield this year.
“We ask him to stop the other team’s best midfielder,” said Liberona. “He’s forcing the other team to go through different guys. He’s a smart player, a physical player. He does anything the coach asks him.”
Another senior captain, Taylor Pickersgill, anchors the defense.
“He understands what the offense is trying to do, and he will manipulate the players to where they’re supposed to be,” said Liberona. “He calls all the hot slides. He’s very vocal. He’s almost like another coach.”
Junior attackman Talon Blickley transferred from Abington. Liberona said he has the highest lacrosse IQ on the team to go along with a blistering shot.
“If we need a goal, that’s who we look for,” said Liberona. “The guys recognize that to make the offense work they need to go through Talon.”
Last year there was more bickering among the players than consensus.
This year’s a different story.
“These guys have been very supportive of each other, cheering each other on,” said Liberona. “When they come off the field, they’re talking about what is going on on the field, how to change it up, what they need to work on, who needs to be where. We haven’t got the wins to show for it, but I like the way it’s going.”
Around the league – On Tuesday, Plymouth Whitemarsh survived another challenge against Upper Dublin. Coming into the game, Upper Dublin had a loss to an Upper Merion squad that the Colonials had beaten.
The Flying Cardinals took a 6-5 lead at the half, and the game was tied 7-7 at the end of the third quarter. Neither team could strike pay dirt in the fourth quarter although Upper Dublin had several good opportunities in the closing minutes.
With about 50 seconds left Upper Dublin set up a play, but PW goalie Andrew Sabia stoned an open player on the crease to send the game into overtime.
PW won the opening faceoff, but after a timeout, Nick Swift turned the ball over. The Colonials regained possession and Swift redeemed himself, dodging several defenders before spotting Colin Joka open on the wing. He dished off and Joka hit the back of the net to give PW an 8-7 win and sole possession of first place in the American Conference.
“We played pretty well,” said PW coach Phil Chang. “Overall, I was pleased with our effort.”
Several key games are on the horizon. Next Tuesday, Upper Merion and Upper Dublin will square off. If the Vikings win that, they still have a chance to share or win the conference title outright, depending on the outcome of the PW-Upper Dublin game on Friday and the second game against PW on May 9.
There were two huge games of note last Friday. In the National Conference, Abington took a big step toward a fifth straight conference title by beating Pennsbury, 10-6. The Ghosts had a 5-1 lead at the half and played the Falcons even in the second half. Abington’s defense played a big role in the win.
Brian Gallagher and Matt Figeuroa scored hat tricks for Abington.
“A lot of people had us losing,” said junior Ryan Ambler. “We played hard the whole game. We hadn’t put together a full game all year.”
The second game was an American Conference battle between Upper Merion and Plymouth Whitemarsh, which the Colonials won 9-7. The teams were knotted at four at the half, but PW outscored the Vikings by a goal in each of the final quarters.
SOL Top 5
1. Central Bucks East
2. Abington
3. Pennsbury
4. Central Bucks West
5. Council Rock North
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