Midwest Shakeups in USA Lacrosse High School Boys' Regional Top 10 Ranks

Every Tuesday during the high school lacrosse season, USA Lacrosse updates Regional Top 10 and National Top 25 rankings to reflect the results of the previous week. Below are the USA Lacrosse High School Boys’ Regional Top 10 updates through games played June 9.

The South Region and West Region are not included after completing play.

New York and Connecticut state champions highlighted the final Northeast Region rankings. Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.) rallied for its first Class C crown, South Side (N.Y.) picked up another cardiac win in overtime, this for its second Class B title, and a pair of newcomers in McQuaid Jesuit (N.Y.) and Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) move into the rankings on the strength of Class A and Class D championship runs, respectively. Fairfield Prep (Conn.) finished its stellar season with a win over Darien (Conn.) in a matchup of preeminent Connecticut programs. Farmingdale (N.Y.), Ridgefield (Conn.) and La Salle Academy (R.I.) landed just outside the top 10 after building solid resumes.

La Salle (Pa.) is the only one of the top 10 teams in the Mid-Atlantic Region rankings still competing. The Explorers continued their march toward a state championship date with two playoff wins. Outside of the top 10, Virginia crowned its champions. Robinson won the 6A state title to complete an undefeated year, Riverside won its fifth straight 5A championship and Atlee won a third straight state title. New Jersey also capped its state-regulated play with titles going to Moorestown, Westfield, Bernards, Summit, Don Bosco and Gill St. Bernard’s. The Kirst Cup — the tournament to find the de facto overall state champ — begins June 11, with Summit seeded first after Don Bosco opted not to participate.

The final week for the Midwest Region ranking featured significant changes. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio) vaults up to No. 2 after a heart-stopping state title win over No. 3 St. Xavier (Ohio), which moved up after a semifinal win over Upper Arlington (Ohio). Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) put together an impressive run for a comeback win for a crown of its own. The region also has one newcomer, with MICDS securing the Missouri state championship to cap a big late-season run.

NORTHEAST

1. Brunswick School (Conn.), 17-1

The Bruins’ bid for a second Prep Nationals championship, and an undefeated season, came crashing to a close with a 14-5 loss to Lawrenceville (N.J.), with the Big Red avenging a 13-12 overtime defeat back in April. Now David Bruce says goodbye to 10 seniors who will all go on and play Division I lacrosse. They include Virginia commits Hudson Hausmann and Luke Hublitz and Georgetown-bound Robert Plath, who were named All-Americans. Previous: 1

2. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), 12-2

The Friars season started with plenty of questions after 18 players from last year’s squad went on to play Division I lacrosse. The answer at season’s end was a familiar one — a fourth consecutive CHSAA title. The strength of this St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) team was defensively, with Dante Vardaro (UPenn) leading the way, while All-American Luke Breslin (Lehigh), who had 42 goals and 20 assists, paced the attack. Previous: 2

3. Belmont Hill (Mass.), 17-1

Like Brunswick (Conn.), Belmont Hill (Mass.) fell just short of a perfect season, a one-goal defeat to IMG Academy (Fla.) their lone loss. The Hillers ended a stellar campaign with a first Independent School League title since 2017 and 14th in program history. While Ben DiBattista (Lafayette), Peyton Fox (Princeton) and Will Stewart (Villanova) will be sorely missed, Virginia commit Preston Evans returns. Previous: 3

4. Chaminade (N.Y.), 11-4

The Flyers lost back-to-back games by three combined goals in March and their only other defeats the rest of the way came to rival St. Anthony’s (N.Y.). Chaminade (N.Y.) will lose standouts in Ben Fox (UNC), Jack Tully (Bucknell) and Sal Caputo (Iona), a host of players return, including the entire starting attack as well as Notre Dame commit Gavin Lynch. Previous: 4

5. Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.), 21-1

A senior-laden Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.) team rallied from a two-goal halftime deficit to score seven unanswered goals in the second half to beat Jamesville-Dewitt (N.Y.) to win a first-ever New York State Class C title. Balance was the name of the game in the title tilt and throughout the season, with five different Phantoms scoring two or more goals in the final and Brady Smith (UAlbany) making 12 saves. Previous: 5

6. Fairfield Prep (Conn.), 21-1

The Jesuits edged Darien (Conn.) 9-7 to win the CIAC Class LL title, the program’s seventh state title and first since 2013. As has been the case all season, especially during the season-ending 18-game winning streak, the Shannehan brothers — Tim and Luke, who scored three goals apiece — paced the offense, while the defense, led by George Hawley, who held Brady Pokorny scoreless, was rock-solid. Previous: 6

7. South Side (N.Y.), 21-1

After rallying to beat Yorktown (N.Y.) in the semifinals, South Side (N.Y.) did it again in the New York State Class B final, with Mike Aiello scoring the tying goal with 0.8 seconds left in regulation and Cole DiPietro netting the overtime winner in a 12-11 win over Victor as the Cyclones captured a second state title in program history. Previous: 7

8. McQuaid Jesuit (N.Y.), 20-2

Dom Giangreco scored three goals, including the winner with 28.6 seconds left in the first overtime to lead McQuaid Jesuit (N.Y.) to an 8-7 victory over Farmingdale (N.Y.) in the New York State Class A final. John Harding had three assists and Will Gordon made 12 saves for the Knights, who captured a first-ever state title in program history. It concluded a magical season that included a first Section V championship. Previous: NR

9. Darien (Conn.), 16-7

Brady Pokorny’s stellar high school career ended on a sour note — scoreless in a state championship loss. Surely that will provide fuel on his trip to two-time national champion Notre Dame. Carter Hagen (Loyola) and Porter Barnett (Richmond) also graduate from a Blue Devils team that lost in a CIAC final for just the fourth time in 18 appearances. Previous: 9

10. Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.), 14-6

Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) made it three consecutive state championships — and seventh in program history — by defeating Marcellus (N.Y.) for a second straight year in the New York State Class D final. The Seahawks started the season with back-to-back defeats, but ended with five straight wins, including the 12-7 victory over Marcellus in which Cold Spring Harbor scored four goals in the first 4:16 to take control. Previous: NR

— Dylan Butler

MID-ATLANTIC

1. Lawrenceville (N.J.), 19-1

Lawrenceville avenged its only loss of the season in convincing fashion, 14-5, over Brunswick (Conn.) to repeat as Prep Nationals champions. The Big Red topped Deerfield (Conn.) 19-8 in the semifinals to set up a rematch of the overtime game it lost to Brunswick in the regular season. Lawrenceville dominated most of its competitive schedule this year to the tune of a 324-142 advantage. Lawrenceville finished the year on an 11-game winning streak. Previous: 1

2. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 20-3

Malvern captured its season finale, 9-6, over Haverford (Pa.) in the National Prep Championship. It was a reassuring win for a team that suffered two of its three losses to the Fords in the regular season. Malvern stopped Culver Academy (Ind.) in the National Prep Championship semifinals 11-6. The Friars won their final seven games and finished with wins over Georgetown Prep (D.C.), Calvert Hall (Md.), Boys’ Latin (Md.), St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), Salesianum (Del.), La Salle (Pa.) and Gonzaga (D.C.). Previous: 2

3. Haverford (Pa.), 20-2

The Fords saw déjà vu with the same ending to this year as last year. Haverford, which had beaten Malvern (Pa.) twice in the regular season, lost to the Friars in the National Prep Championship, 9-6, to close their season. Nonetheless, the Fords proved to be among the top teams in the country again. They defeated Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) 8-5 in the national semifinals In addition to two wins over Malvern, Haverford topped Landon (Md.), McDonogh (Md.), Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) and Taft (Conn.). Previous: 3

4. Salesianum (Del.), 17-2

The Sals won their fourth straight state championship with a dominant 16-6 win over Cape Henlopen (Del.). Elliot Dotson and Carson Robins each scored four times and had an assist apiece. Rowyn Nurry had a hat trick plus three assists and Mitch Cummings scored a pair of goals. Brayden Lasensky won 15 of 20 faceoffs to key the possession game. Cameron Taylor made 11 saves. It was their eighth in the last nine championships. The Sals upped their schedule this year and lost only to Lawrenceville and Malvern. Previous: 4

5. McDonogh (Md.), 15-3

The Eagles fulfilled a pre-season goal of becoming just the second MIAA team to three-peat as champions. In the semifinals, they avenged a regular-season loss with a 10-9 win over second-seeded Archbishop Spalding (Md.). Then, they defeated Boys’ Latin (Md.) 14-12 for their third straight title in the toughest conference in the country. Brendan Millon scored three goals and had three assists, Luke Miller had a hat trick and two assists and Aidan Seibel stopped 13 shots in goal. It’s the Eagles’ sixth conference championship. They equaled Calvert Hall’s three-peat from 2017-2019. Previous: 5

6. Boys' Latin (Md.), 14-3

The Lakers fell to McDonogh for the MIAA title, 14-12. Matt Higgins scored three goals and had an assist, and Spencer Ford had a hat trick while Parker Hoffman was efficient at the faceoff X. Boys’ Latin advanced to the title game with a 13-9 win over fifth-seeded Gilman (Md.) in the MIAA semifinals. Boys’ Latin earned the top seed in the MIAA with just one in-conference loss in the regular season. Out of conference, they picked up wins over St. John’s College (D.C.), St. Andrew’s (Fla.) and Gonzaga (D.C.). Previous: 6

7. Landon (Md.), 17-2

The Bears ended their year with a 17-6 win over Georgetown Prep (D.C.) to capture their first IAC championship since 2017. After losing two of its first four games, Landon did not lose again. The Bears made it a priority and won the ground ball battle in all 19 games this year. Previous: 7

8. Archbishop Spalding (Md.), 13-5

The Cavaliers earned the second seed for the MIAA playoffs but fell to third-seeded McDonogh 10-9 in the semifinals of the MIAA on May 14. The Cavaliers led 6-3 with six minutes to go in the second quarter. Connor Wilbur scored three goals and had a pair of assists and Gordon Bennett had a hat trick and assist. Spalding won seven straight games entering the playoffs. Previous: 8

9. Gilman (Md.), 12-7

The Greyhounds saw their breakout season end in the MIAA semifinals against Boys’ Latin, 13-9. Jay Wilkerson, Griffin Graham and Jay Rodgers all scored two goals apiece. Zach Parks kept Gilman in it with 12 saves. Gilman opened the year with a statement win over Georgetown Prep (D.C.), beat St. John’s College (D.C.) and St. Ignatius (Ohio). They avenged a loss to Calvert Hall (Md.) with a win in the MIAA quarterfinals rematch. Previous: 9

10. La Salle (Pa.), 22-1

Stevie Davis went 10 for 13 on faceoffs and scored three times in an 11-4 win over Manheim Township (Pa.) in the state 3A quarterfinals. Max Wickersham also had a hat trick and three assists and Paul Van Bastelaar had three assists. Will Trymbiski and Declan Heilig each had two goals apiece.  The Explorers opened state tournament play with a 15-1 win over Upper Dublin (Pa.). Wickersham and Van Bastelaar each had four goals and two assists. Heilig scored twice and had two assists, and Davis went nine for 10 and Christian Peterman won six-of-seven faceoffs. Previous: 10

— Justin Feil

MIDWEST

1. Culver Academy (Ind.), 14-3

The Eagles put forth another dominant season, going undefeated against Midwest opponents, sweeping Highland Park and Dallas Jesuit on their Texas trip and also beating the likes of Gonzaga (D.C.), Western Reserve Academy (Ohio) and Hill Academy (Ont.). Culver capped its season with a Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association title, over WRA, then split a pair of games at the National Prep Lacrosse Championship. Previous: 1

2. Olentangy Liberty (Ohio), 23-1

The Patriots captured their first state title with a thrilling 15-14 championship game victory over St. Xavier. Down 11-10 early in the third quarter, Liberty took control by scoring five of the next six, starting with back-to-back goals by Keegan Kuhn, who tied for the team lead with five. Jake Struck, who assisted one of those key Kuhn goals and then scored another pivotal one before the third quarter was through, also had five goals, while Ben Godwin set a state title game record with 16 saves. Previous: 4

3. St. Xavier (Ohio), 20-4

Down from the jump, the Bombers kept battling back in the state title game as they earned runner-up honors for the second straight season. Trailing Liberty 8-4, Khalif Hocker sparked a 4-0 run midway through the second quarter to tie the game. Down 15-12 early in the fourth, St. Xavier again responded with two straight goals before the teams finished with eight-plus scoreless minutes. Hocker led all scorers with six goals. Previous: 5

4. Rockhurst Jesuit (Mo.), 18-2

The Hawklets capped a remarkable four-year run, in which they went 61-7, with their fourth straight Lacrosse Association of Kansas City title. Luke McNamara (who finished the year with 97 goals and 23 assists) tied his own single-game program record with nine goals in Rockhurst Jesuit’s title game victory, finishing his remarkable career with 332. The Hawklets’ lone losses this season came to top-20 Maryland teams Our Lady of Good Counsel and Georgetown Prep. Previous: 3

5. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), 21-3

The Shamrocks capped a remarkable tournament run with a huge rally against Hartland. Down 6-3 at the intermission, the Shamrocks outscored the Eagles 11-2 in the second half for a 14-8 state title game victory. Luke Zajdel led the way for DCC, scoring five goals, while fellow junior Lachlan Moffatt added a hat trick. Senior Paddy Denk and sophomore Nick Edwards combined to dominate the X as the Shamrocks won all 14 second-half faceoffs. DCC’s other postseason wins all came by double digits. Previous: 6

6. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 19-4

For the second straight season, the Golden Bears’ tournament run came to an end with a close loss to St. Xavier. Down 4-1 early in Wednesday’s state semifinal, Upper Arlington rallied to tie the score at six and the teams were knotted again at 10 after three quarters. Ultimately, the Bombers took over the fourth, thus ending an impressive season for the Golden Bears, which included beating Michigan power Brother Rice and Indiana state champ Hamilton Southeastern. Previous: 2

7. Trinity Louisville (Ky.), 17-1

The Shamrocks will always remember this season, as they ended the year on a 16-game winning streak, capped by their first state championship since 2017. Logan Bryant, Huck Campbell, Noah Hollister and Charlie Horner were among the many heroes of the state tournament for Trinity, whose 16 straight wins included an overtime victory over Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.) and a double-overtime win over St. Xavier (Ky.). Previous: 8

8. Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.), 15-4

The Royals played their best lacrosse when it mattered most, avenging a pair of four-goal regular-season losses to Cathedral and Carmel in the state semifinals and title game, respectively. The Royals thus avenged last year’s loss to the Greyhounds in the state title game and won their third championship in the last four years. Junior keeper Luke Williams stood out throughout the postseason, including 14 saves against the Irish, while David Gould led a balanced HSE team in scoring this season with his 50 goals and 27 assists. Previous: 9

9. Lake Forest (Ill.), 22-3

The Scouts’ defense delivered their first state championship since 1997. Lake Forest allowed less than four goals per game this season, including one apiece to Loyola Academy (super-sectionals) and Glenbard West (state championship game). Keeper Augie Silver stood front and center in that impressive Scouts’ defense, including his 13 saves in the state title game. Previous: 10

10. MICDS (Mo.), 17-5

The Rams ended the year with seven straight wins, including two critical victories over leading rival St. Louis University Jesuit. The latter came in the state championship game, a 15-6 victory that saw Austin Minges explode for five goals and Willy Carpenter and Ian Spakowski also tally hat tricks. Previous: NR

— Jonah Rosenblum