Top Teams Hold Strong in Nike/USA Lacrosse Regional Top 10s

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 Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Boys’ Regional Top 10 updates through games played April 23.

Behind front runners St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) and Manhasset (N.Y.), Fairfield Prep (Conn.) took advantage of another Brunswick (Conn.) loss to move up to No. 3 in the Northeast Region. Mount Sinai (N.Y.) and Pleasantville (N.Y.) also remain perfect on the season. Three new teams climbed into the Top 10, led by streaking Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.), while No. 9 Ward Melville (N.Y.) has recovered from a 2-2 start and Victor (N.Y.) took over the final spot thanks to a major victory.

A perfect week for the top four kept them intact in the Mid-Atlantic Region. A pair of losses by St. Mary’s (Md.) — one to higher-ranked McDonogh (Md.) and one to unranked St. Paul’s (Md.) — opened the door for St. John’s (D.C.) and Boys’ Latin (Md.) to move up. Red-hot Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) slides into the Top 10 with a 9-0 start, edging out Academy of New Church (Pa.), which fell in a head-to-head with former No. 10 Malvern Prep (Pa.).

A pair of losses by St. Mark’s (Texas) reshuffled the ranks in the South Region with many in the region being Florida playoff semifinalists. No. 1 Lake Mary (Fla.) has 20 wins without a loss to lead the way. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.) started a new win streak to move up, and Bolles (Fla.) also made a significant jump to No. 4. A key matchup in Georgia went to Roswell by a goal over Blessed Trinity (Ga.) to further jumble the region rankings.

Culver (Ind.) retained the No. 1 ranking in the Midwest Region even after its second loss of the year. There was one notable development in the region, with St. Viator (Ill.) remaining perfect by knocking off defending state champion Loyola Academy (Ill.) to earn a top five spot. Upper Arlington (Ohio) earned a pair of big out-of-state wins to confirm its strength.

Colorado results impacted the top half of the West Region that is still led by St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.). Cherry Creek (Colo.) jumps up to No. 2, as the only unbeaten after Legend (Colo.) suffered its first loss to No. 3 Valor Christian (Colo.). Loyola Los Angeles (Calif.) moves back into the Top 10 after securing a spot in its league championship.

Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Rankings

National Boys' Top 25 | National Girls' Top 25
Northeast Boys' Top 10 | Northeast Girls' Top 10
Mid-Atlantic Boys' Top 10 | Mid-Atlantic Girls' Top 10
South Boys' Top 10 | South Girls' Top 10
Midwest Boys' Top 10 | Midwest Girls' Top 10
West Boys' Top 10 | West Girls' Top 10

NORTHEAST TOP 10

1. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), 9-0

Even playing an upgraded national schedule, the Friars are winning handily, with a pair of two-goal wins their closest margin of victory. On Saturday, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) defeated Darien (Conn.), 18-7, at Cy Donnelly Field. Owen Duffy had three goals and four assists, Jackson Greene had four goals and two assists, Jack Speidell had three goals and two assists and Michael Moon won 16 of 18 faceoffs. Previous: 1

2. Manhasset (N.Y.), 8-0

The Indians trailed by a goal entering the fourth quarter and then outscored Ridgefield (Conn.) 5-3 in the final frame for a one-goal win at Ed Walsh Field Friday night. Liam Connor and Danny Kolin scored two goals apiece, Aidan Haggerty had a goal and an assist and Cal Girard won 11 of 14 faceoffs in the 6-5 victory. The 139th edition of the Woodstick Classic is coming up April 29 at Garden City (N.Y.). Previous: 2

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

The Jesuits continued their strong start to the season, beating host Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), 9-5, Saturday. Timothy Shannehan had two goals and two assists, Maddux Little had three goals, Peter Grandolfo scored a pair of goals, Tyler Fox and Marco Firmender had one goal and one assist apiece and George Hawley had three caused turnovers and scooped up three ground balls, limiting Bosco’s Princeton-bound senior Mark Marino to no points on 0-of-11 shooting. Previous: 4

4. Chaminade (N.Y.), 6-2

The Flyers are in the midst of a 10-day layoff following the 13-12 loss to Fairfield Prep (Conn.). Chaminade (N.Y.) will host Kellenberg (N.Y.) and Delbarton (N.J.) at Gold Star Stadium this week. Previous: 5

5. Brunswick School (Conn.), 7-3

The Bruins suffered a third loss of the season — by a grand total of four goals — to Taft School (Conn.), 10-9, with Will Erdmann scoring five goals in the defeat. Brunswick (Conn.) bounced back to beat Hotchkiss School (Conn.), 13-9, on Saturday. The Hill Academy (Ont.) and Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.) are on the horizon this week. Previous: 3

6. Mt. Sinai (N.Y.), 9-0

The Mustangs remained perfect on the season with a 15-6 win over Massapequa (N.Y.) Saturday at home. Cole Marsala and Lucas LaForge had four goals and three assists apiece, Jake Spallina had four goals and one assist and Christian Colantonio had one goal and one assist in the victory. Previous: 7

7. Pleasantville (N.Y.), 8-0

Daniel Picart scored five goals, including what proved to be the winner with 7:13 left in regulation, Hank McCourtney had one goal and two assists and Nick Reich and Erik Coleman added one goal and one assist apiece in a 10-9 win over Kellenberg (N.Y.) on Saturday. Previous: 9

8. Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.), 9-1

Andrew Girolamo had five goals, Aiden Bross, Cole Mayclim and Tommy Cottrell had two goals apiece and Denny Piekutowski made 10 saves as Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) defeated New Canaan (Conn.), 12-9, on Saturday. The Crusaders have won eight in a row, including a 12-7 win at Wilton (Conn.). Previous: NR

9. Ward Melville (N.Y.), 7-2

The Patriots made it five consecutive wins, defeating Commack (N.Y.) 19-5, on Friday. Niko Barbero had four goals, Stephen Rosano had two goals and four assists, Zach Brittman had three goals and one assist, Madden Murphy won all 13 of the faceoffs he took, while Michael Kitevski was 12-of-13. Previous: NR

10. Victor (N.Y.), 5-1

The Blue Devils picked up a huge 16-11 win over Jamesville-Dewitt (N.Y.) on Saturday. Thomas Gravino had five goals and two assists, Pax Marshall had three goals and one assist, Jack Herendeen had two goals and two assists and Sam Ricci won 22 of 29 faceoffs. Previous: NR

— Dylan Butler

MID-ATLANTIC TOP 10

1. Haverford (Pa.), 9-2

The Fords rolled over Germantown Academy (Pa.) 16-5. Ben McCarthy went 19 for 21 on faceoffs and scored twice, Aydan DiRocco scored a hat trick with two assists and Brady O’Kane had four goals. Colin Zeller assisted on three goals. They opened the week with a hard-fought 8-5 win over Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.). Brody Murphy made 14 saves while Wells Finn and Will Burfiend each scored twice, Ryan DiRocco had two assists and Connor Nolen had a goal and two assists. Previous: 1

2. Loyola-Blakefield (Md.), 9-3

The Dons ran their winning streak to seven with victories over Gilman (Md.) and John Carroll (Md.). Loyola beat Gilman, 10-6, to open their week. They handled Carroll, 14-2. They start the week with a big game at Boys’ Latin on April 25 Previous: 2

3. McDonogh (Md.), 11-1

The Eagles dug out a pair of wins in MIAA A Conference play. McDonogh won a key matchup with St. Mary’s (Md.) 7-5. Aiden Seibel made 13 saves in his first start and Zach Hayashi won 11 of 14 faceoffs. Matt Miller paced the attack with a hat trick. McDonogh held off Calvert Hall (Md.) 9-7. McCabe Millon snapped a 6-6 tie with his only goal and the Eagles built a two-goal edge on Mac Christmas’s only goal. Bogue Hahn and Brendan Millon had two goals apiece. Seibel stopped eight shots and McDonogh never trailed in the game. Previous: 3

4. Georgetown Prep (Md.), 11-2

The Hoyas played just once this week. They won handily 15-5 over St. Albans (D.C.). Nate Kabiri and Larry Horning each had five goals and an assist, Colin Burns scored a goal and had five assists, and Owen Horning scored twice and assisted on another goal. Ciaran McCleary and Harrison Hall had a goal apiece. They put their eight-game winning streak on the line against St. James (Md.) on April 24 and Episcopal (Va.) on April 28. Previous: 4

5. St. John’s (D.C.), 10-3

The Cadets rallied in the second half to overtake Bullis (Md.) 10-9. St. John’s trailed 6-3 at halftime but picked up momentum with Jackie Weller won five straight faceoffs to start the second half and ignite a 7-1 run that proved enough to then hold off Bullis. Weller won 13 faceoffs and had 10 ground balls, Ryan Duenkel had three goals in the third quarter, and Caleb Fyock made 10 saves. The Cadets beat Bishop Ireton (Va.) 18-2 to close their week. Previous: 6

6. Boys’ Latin (Md.), 8-3

The Lakers blew by Severn (Md.) 16-7. Spencer Ford scored four times and added an assist, Matt Higgins had a pair of goals and four assists and Jackson Walsh tallied a hat trick and an assist. Boys’ Latin smothered Archbishop Spalding (Md.) 10-1. They face a key conference game against Loyola-Blakefield on April 25. Previous: 7

7. St. Mary’s (Md.) 9-4

It was a tough week for the Saints, who were right in it with McDonogh in a 7-5 loss, but then turned around and fell to a 6-5 St. Paul’s (Md.) team, 14-8. Jacob Kucinski scored two goals and Gavin Burlace had two assists. Nick Golini scored one goal and assisted on another. Burlace scored a hat trick in the loss to St. Paul’s. St. Mary’s looks to bounce back with games against John Carroll (Md.) and Gilman (Md.). Previous: 5

8. Radnor (Pa.) 9-2

The Raptors continued their winning ways. After a hard-fought 6-5 overtime win over Springfield-Delco (Pa.), they rolled by Penncrest (Pa.) 14-1 and won at Marple Newtown (Pa.) 11-6. They finished the week with a 12-4 win over Spring-Ford (Pa.). Previous: 8

9. Malvern Prep (Pa.), 8-5

The Friars capped their week with an 11-7 win over ANC (Pa.). It was just the second loss of the season for the Lions. Malvern outscored ANC 6-2 in the second half to pull away for the win. Michael Ortlieb scored five goals and had an assist. AJ Nikolic also had six points on three goals and three assists. Ennis Udo had a hat trick and assist and Christopher Rabena made eight saves. The Friars opened the week with wins over Germantown Academy (Pa.) and Penn Charter (Pa.). Malvern stopped GA, 11-7, and overwhelmed Penn Charter, 20-5. Previous: 10

10. Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) 9-0

The Pirates thrived against a gauntlet of strong New Jersey teams. They defeated three teams in the consensus Top 10 in the state to remain unbeaten this year. They topped Rumson-Fair Haven (N.J.) 10-5, then handled Summit (N.J.) 8-4 before dispatching Westfield (N.J.) 15-5. The defense, led by Notre Dame commit Shawn Lyght, has been lights out. Luke Knezovic had four goals and an assist in the win over Rumson. Elijah Rippey scored a goal and dished out two assists in the win over Summit. SHP faces a light week with only West Essex (N.J.) on the docket. Previous: NR

— Justin Feil

SOUTH TOP 10

1. Lake Mary (Fla.), 20-0

Amassing a 16-2 lead by halftime, the Rams were dominant once again in a 24-4 win over Niceville (Fla.) in their regional quarterfinal. Lake Mary takes on Creekside (Fla.) in the regional semifinal, with the winner either facing Ponte Vedra (Fla.) or Nease (Fla.). Previous: 1

2. St. Andrew’s (Fla.), 17-3

The Scots have made it to the regional semifinal after defeating Westminster Christian (Fla.) 23-3. Freshman Nick Testa continued his impressive season with a four-goal, five-assist effort. While not big on the scoresheet, Ethan Sands and Beck Trafton each picked up seven ground balls and won over 80% of their faceoffs. Previous: 3

3. Cardinal Gibbons (N.C.), 13-5

The Crusaders are back on track after a three-game losing streak, picking up three wins in a row last week. The week started with a 15-3 win over Leesville Road (N.C.), followed by a 16-2 victory over Broughton (N.C.). The week closed with a tight 9-8 overtime win over Cannon (N.C.). Senior Ayden Turner had hat tricks in two of the three contests. Previous: 5

4. Bolles (Fla.), 19-2

Parker Kane’s five-goal effort helped the Bulldogs to a regional quarterfinal win over Menendez (Fla.). Daylin John scored two goals and added five assists in the win. Bolles faces Pensacola Catholic (Fla.) in the regional semifinal. Previous: 7

5. St. Mark’s (Texas), 14-3

After posting a marquee win a week ago, the Lions lost two out of three last week. St. Mark’s fell to Highland Park (Texas) and Episcopal School of Dallas (Texas). Sandwiched between losses was 10-7 win over St. John’s (Texas). St. Mark’s closes the regular season against McKinney (Texas). Previous: 2

6. The Woodlands (Texas), 15-3

The Highlanders kicked off the week with a dominating 14-3 victory over Memorial (Texas). The Woodlands, however, fell to Westlake (Texas) 10-8 in its last regular season game of the year. Previous: 4

7. Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), 13-3

The Highlanders advanced to the regional semifinals after a 17-5 win over Bishop Moore (Fla.). Sophomore Landon Baker scored a team-leading five goals in the win. Lake Highland will face St. Edward’s (Fla.) in the regional semifinal. The Highlanders defeated St. Edward’s 15-8 earlier this month. Previous: 8

8. Roswell (Ga.), 15-3

Hill Plunkett’s five-goal effort helped lead the Hornets to their biggest win of the year, defeating cross-town rival Blessed Trinity (Ga.) 17-16. Roswell lost to Cambridge (Ga.) 13-12 earlier in the week. Alex Lobel scored a team-leading five goals in the loss. Previous: 9

9. Blessed Trinity (Ga.), 16-1

The Titans’ quest for a perfect season ended in the regular-season finale. Blessed Trinity lost to Roswell (Ga.) 17-16 after relinquishing the game-winning goal in the final two minutes of the match. Junior midfielder Liam Brubacher scored a team-leading six goals in a losing effort. Previous: 6

10. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), 14-3

The Raiders won 26 out of 28 draws in a 19-6 win over Boca Raton (Fla.) in the regional quarterfinal. St. Thomas Aquinas faces Columbus (Fla.) in the regional semifinal. Previous: 10

— Justin Boggs

MIDWEST TOP 10

1. Culver Academy (Ind.), 12-2

The Eagles absorbed just their second loss of the season Sunday, falling to The Hill Academy (Ont.). Culver will look to rebound Thursday with a home game against Everest Academy (Ont.) with the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MSLA) Championships in Hudson on deck. Previous: 1

2. St. Xavier (Ohio) 11-0

The Bombers had a relatively quiet week, playing just one game, a 22-4 victory over Loveland (Ohio) on Monday that saw Johnnie Guttman (6 goals, 3 assists), Khalif Hocker (5 goals, 3 assists), Brendan Deeley (3 goals, 4 assists) and Magnus Violet (19-of-23 faceoffs) deliver big performances. This coming week will be quite a bit louder, with Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) followed by Mitten State powers Forest Hills Central and Detroit Catholic Central. Previous: 2

3. Brother Rice (Mich.) 9-1

The Warriors led most of the way against Forest Hills Central (Mich.), but the Mitten State showdown was never easy as the Rangers kept fighting back. Fortunately for the Warriors, they had Hunter Polonkey on their side and he contributed one clutch goal after another as they remained undefeated against in-state opponents. Previous: 3

4. Dublin Jerome (Ohio), 11-0

The Celtics had another dominant week, picking up three in-state wins against Thomas Worthington, Archbishop Moeller and Springboro, and scoring at least 16 goals in all three victories. Watch for an intriguing battle April 26 with Hudson in a rematch of last year’s state semifinal contest, which was won by the Celtics in dominant fashion. Previous: 5

5. St. Viator (Ill.), 12-0

The Lions picked up their most impressive victory yet Saturday, a 15-6 win over Loyola Academy, last year’s Land of Lincoln state champion. Knotted at four early in the second quarter, Marquette commit Leo Izquierdo scored three straight goals for Viator, per the Daily Herald’s Dick Quagliano, finishing the game with five. Nicky Pastore added his own hat trick in due time as the Lions impressed mightily against a stingy Ramblers defense. Previous: 7

6. Hartland (Mich.), 7-1

Since falling to Brother Rice (Mich.) in early April, the Eagles have won five straight games by a combined margin of 84-18, including an impressive eight-goal victory over Detroit Country Day (Mich.). Up next, Hartland faces a three-game week, including undefeated Lake Orion (Mich.) on April 28. Previous: 6

7. Upper Arlington (Ohio), 11-1

The Golden Bears sent a strong statement about the strength of Buckeye State lacrosse this weekend, topping Trinity Louisville (Ky.) and Salesianum (Del.). Junior Tommy Janowicz led the way against the Shamrocks Saturday with five goals and sophomore Jack Caine added a hat trick, while sophomore goalie Sam Old delivered a 13-save performance Sunday. Previous: 8

8. Loyola Academy (Ill.), 8-1

The Ramblers suffered their first loss Saturday, falling to undefeated St. Viator (Ill.). Loyola has plenty of chances to avenge that loss in the days ahead with Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) and Cathedral (Ind.) coming up on April 28 and Brother Rice (Mich.) to follow on April 29. Previous: 4

9. Hilliard Davidson (Ohio), 12-0

The Wildcats had a dominant week, limiting Hilliard Bradley and Olentangy to two goals apiece. All of which sets up a showdown May 2 against another one of Ohio’s top teams, Upper Arlington. Previous: 9

10. Rockhurst Jesuit (Kan.), 11-0

The Hawklets made it eight straight wins by a double-digit margin. In a similarly impressive streak, Luke McNamara has now scored five-plus goals in six straight games, including five goals against Blue Valley Eastside Monday and six against Pembroke Hill Thursday. Previous: 10

— Jonah Rosenblum

WEST TOP 10

1. St. Ignatius Prep (Calif.), 13-3

Freshman Max Ripple led the Wildcats’ attack in a 22-4 win over Archbishop Mitty (Calif.) on April 19, tallying five goals and one assist. Jon Benefore and Stu Gates each added two goals and two assists. St. Ignatius was set to play Marin Catholic (Calif.) on April 24 to begin a busy stretch of four games in six days, including at Sacred Heart Cathedral (Calif.), Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.) and Corona del Mar (Calif.). Previous: 1

2. Cherry Creek (Colo.), 12-0

The Bruins have staked their claim as the top team in Colorado after adding an 8-7 win over Arapahoe (Colo.) last week to remain unbeaten while former No. 2-ranked Legend (Colo.) suffered its first loss. Ollie Nolting scored Cherry Creek’s final goal against Arapahoe with about a minute left to make it 8-5, and it ended up being the decisive one after the Warriors scored two goals in the final 16 seconds. Previous: 4

3. Valor Christian (Colo.), 11-1

The Eagles handed Legend its first defeat of the season, a 13-6 decision sparked by a six-goal second quarter. Baden Brown scored three goals and added an assist, and Blake Benton also had a hat trick. Liam Goodwin chipped in two goals and two assists, and Alex Rismani tallied one goal and three assists. Buck Cunningham made 12 saves in goal. Valor also added an 18-1 win at Highlands Ranch (Colo.) last week. Previous: 5

4. Legend (Colo.), 8-1

The Titans suffered their first loss, 13-6, to Valor Christian on April 18, but they will have to wait an extra few days for a chance to bounce back after a scheduled game against Regis Jesuit (Colo.) on April 22 was cancelled. Legend, which owns notable wins over Mater Dei (Calif.), St. Margaret’s (Calif.) and Mountain Vista (Colo.), is set to play at Chaparral (Colo.) on April 25. Previous: 2

5. Mater Dei (Calif.), 15-2

The Monarchs split their two games last week, beating Orange Lutheran (Calif.) 22-1 but suffering a surprising 12-11 loss at Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.). Tristan Jewell scored three goals and had an assist in that loss. He also had a hat trick against Orange Lutheran, while Michael Ray added three goals and one assist and Harrison Kim was the points leader with two goals and three assists. Previous: 3

6. De La Salle (Calif.), 15-3

The Spartans have enjoyed a bit of an easier ride since beating Foothill-Santa Ana and losing in overtime to Mater Dei on back-to-back days earlier this month. After rolling to a 36-2 blowout against Dublin (Calif.) on April 14, they added a 20-1 victory against Granada (Calif.) last week, and collected a forfeit win from Foothill Pleasanton. Freshman Kellen Dunn led the attack against Granada with four goals and one assist, and goalkeeper Spencer Biles faced just two shots. Previous: 6

7. Foothill-Santa Ana (Calif.), 14-4

Luke Fox scored five goals and assisted three others, as the Knights beat Trabuco Hills (Calif.), 14-8, on April 22. Connor Pietras added three goals and one assist, Bode Jellerson and Sean Sanchez each chipped in two goals and one assist, Jackson Hines had one goal and three assists and Cohen Krudwig made 11 saves. Two big games remain against Corona Del Mar (Calif.) on April 26 and St. Ignatius on April 28. Previous: 7

8. Bishop’s School (Calif.), 13-1

The Knights outscored Pacific Ridge (Calif.) and Francis Parker (Calif.) 30-1 last week. They’ve only allowed 71 goals this season and 28 of those were in their three toughest games, an 11-6 loss to Colorado Academy, 10-8 win against Torrey Pines (Calif.) and 11-9 victory against Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.). Previous: 8

9. Torrey Pines (Calif.), 11-3

The Falcons seem to have figured some things out after a bit of a slow start to the season. They added three more dominant wins last week, beating Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) 15-8 in the closest competition they’ve faced from an in-state opponent since suffering three straight losses to ranked teams in March. Previous: 9

10. Loyola Los Angeles (Calif.), 13-5

The Cubs will face Sierra Canyon (Calif.) in the Mission League championship on April 25 after beating Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) 20-5 in the semifinals over the weekend. Their two games last week were both lopsided results, a nice break after five straight games that were decided by three goals or less, including overtime wins against St. Margaret’s (Calif.) and Corona del Mar. Previous: NR

— Laurel Pfahler