“It started off as an ordinary rainy, wet, cold Thursday,” Fourth Former Will Mullin said.
But Thursday May 22nd was anything but ordinary.
The Fords were gearing up to beat the 11th-ranked team in the country, the Malvern Friars, in an attempt to win the PAISSA Boys Lacrosse Championship.
“You don’t remember many Thursdays in your life,” Fourth Former Connor Reynolds said, “but I don’t think anyone’s gonna forget this one.”
The first quarter started quickly with two loud, rowdy, and damp student sections—Haverford in a blackout theme and Malvern in a polo theme. Both teams came out strong, showcasing their fast pace and offensive capabilities.
Malvern’s Logan Turley scored the first goal right out of the gate. The Fords were quick to fire back and within 8 minutes, were leading 2-1.
“The crowd was booming in the first quarter,” recalled Fourth Former Lucas Crutchlow. “It was one of the best showouts of the year.”
Malvern was quick to respond, and the first quarter ended with both teams tied at 3.
The second quarter stayed in theme with the first, with both teams broadcasting their impressive offensive capabilities. The Fords began having trouble on both offense and defense.
Long possessions and a team disconnect led to Malvern scoring two in a row, making the game 5-4.
“It looked like the offense was forcing plays that didn’t need to happen,” Crutclow said. “The possessions were too long. They looked stuck and didn’t know how to get unstuck.”
Despite these struggles, Haverford kept Malvern’s aggressive offense at bay and scored three goals, ending the half at 6-6.
“The upperclassmen really helped us stay confident, and kept us from getting discouraged during the game.”
Conor Morsell ’27
Fourth Former Conor Morsell, who scored three goals, said, “The upperclassmen really helped us stay confident, and kept us from getting discouraged during the game.”
The third quarter was a struggle for the Fords, as they went down 9-6. “The crowd went hush,” Reynolds says, “We were uncertain as to how the game was going to play out.”
On a timeout during the rough stretch, they were still confident.
“We were just thinking, there’s still plenty of time left in the game, and we have to take it one goal at a time,” Morsell said.
Suddenly, Fourth Former Danny Kinnard scored a crucial goal to allow the crowd a deep breath. That spark ignited the Fords, who went on a 3-0 run, making the score at the end of the third quarter 9-9.
The Fords’ run continued into the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 12-9 with little time left.
“That goal helped kick-start the team and student section,” Fourth Former Topher Jodz said. “We all started to realize what we had known all along, that we were still in it.”
Credit must be given to the Fords’ defense, who went on lockdown, not letting Malvern score for 20 minutes. Sixth Former and Williams College-commit goalie Colin Decker saved eight goals throughout the game.
“When I get scored on, I think to myself, ‘Why did that goal go in?’ and then try to correct for next time,” Deker said. “My main thing is that you just have to forget the past. You can’t dwell on the goals you let in.”
The Fords were sitting pretty, up 12-9 with six minutes to go. Malvern demonstrated some resilience, chipping down the lead to one point.
The score was an uncomfortable 12-11.
“When they started coming back, I started getting very nervous,” Fourth Former Kaeden Jacobs said. “The Fords are not very good with momentum changes.”
Malvern called a timeout. They needed to tie the game with 45 seconds left.
“Walking out of the huddle with 45 seconds left,” Decker said, “my defense and I knew we had to be prepared to make one more stop. Malvern was able to cause a turnover, and once they passed the ball to [Malvern player Jake Bickel], I knew that he was going to get a shot off. The way he brought his hands back, I could tell he was shooting low stick side, and I was able to react to it and make a save.”
And Decker did just that, saving the game-winning goal.
“The save of his life!!” said the game’s announcer, Alejandro Alvarez.
“We all started going crazy—it was the best thing I have ever seen,” Jacobs said.
“Winning this championship was such a big accomplishment for this team. It feels great to win my last high school game, especially in that environment, and I’m really happy we accomplished our goal this year.”
Colin Decker ’25
“Winning this championship was such a big accomplishment for this team. It feels great to win my last high school game, especially in that environment, and I’m really happy we accomplished our goal this year,” Decker said.
Morcell reminisces on the bus ride home after winning the PAISAA Championships.
“[It] was amazing, we were yelling and hugging each other,” Morsell said. “Everyone was just so happy.”
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