Lower Merion High School | Archive | December, 2013

William Smith College senior back Margaret McConnell was voted the Liberty League Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year and first-year forward Alessandra Patrizio was voted the Liberty League Rookie of the Year the conference office announced this morning. They are two of the six Herons honored in a vote of the league’s head coaches.

McConnell was joined on the All-Liberty League first team by senior forward Taylor Cappello and senior midfielder Melanie O’Connor. Patrizio garnered second team recognition as did junior midfielder Caitlin Moran and senior back Morgan Atanasio.

Against a challenging schedule that included seven nationally ranked opponents, McConnell and the Heron defense allowed the second fewest goals in the league (30 in 19 matches). McConnell started all 19 matches this season, producing eight goals and five assists for 21 points. She also notched two of William Smith’s three defensive saves this year and both came in one-goal games. McConnell scored a career-high four points against three opponents this season: Oswego, Manhattanville, and Nazareth. She was named the Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week three times this season.

Over the past four seasons, McConnell appeared in 78 matches, recording 24 goals and 10 assists for 58 points. She earned second team All-Liberty League recognition last season and is a two-time Liberty League All-Tournament selection.

Patrizio played in 17 matches, starting six. She finished tied with McConnell and O’Connor for third on the team with 21 points. Patrizio logged nine goals and assisted on three. She closed the regular season on a six-match points streak, scoring goals in each of the last four matches. Patrizio earned the Liberty League Rookie of the Week award three times.

Cappello is a three-time all-league selection, previously garnering second team recognition in 2011 and 2012. A starter in all 19 matches, she led the team in goals (14), assists (8), and points (36). Cappello logged a season-high seven points in her final regular season appearance on McCooey Field, scoring three goals and assisting on a fourth against Nazareth. She was named the league’s Offensive Performer of the Week twice.

Cappello is one of only five Herons to reach the 50 career goals plateau. She ranks fifth all-time with 51. With 15 career assists, Cappello has 117 career points, eighth on the all-time list.

A four-time first team selection, O’Connor started 14 of the 15 matches she played in, registering seven goals and seven assists. She opened the year with a career-high six points on two goals and two assists against Oswego. O’Connor missed four games in the middle of the season due to injury, but returned to the lineup and scored a key goal in the Herons’ 4-3 overtime win at Messiah.

O’Connor produced 29 goals and 23 assists in 75 career games. She is tied for 11th in career assists, one helper away from a spot in the top 10. O’Connor is a three-time NFHCA All-Region selection and a 2012 NFHCA second team All-American.

Moran is a two-year starter, playing in every match this season. She logged three goals, including the game winners against Ithaca and St. Lawrence, and added three assists. An honorable mention all-league pick a year ago, Moran has six goals and eight assists in 56 career matches.

Atanasio also started every match this year. She scored the game-winning goal against Geneseo and added a pair of assists against Nazareth and two more at Messiah. Atanasio had a defensive save in a one-goal win over Manhattanville.

In 78 career matches, Atanasio has three goals and nine assists for 15 points as well as five defensive saves.

William Smith finished the regular season with a 15-4 overall record. The Herons went 4-2 in conference play, tying for second in the standings. William Smith was the runner-up in the Liberty League Tournament, falling to Skidmore 4-3.

The Herons received an at-large bid into the 24-team NCAA Championship and will host SUNYAC Champion, New Paltz, in the first round at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at McCooey Field. Ticket prices are $5 for general admission, $3 for students, senior citizens, and military personnel with a valid ID, and children ages 3-12. Children under 3 are admitted free of charge.

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Lower Merion senior Justin McFadden waited at the top of the key as the final seconds ticked down. With the score tied at 43-43, McFadden began to drive the lane but had to spin at the last moment to try and create space from his defender. As he rose to take the short jump shot, he spotted teammate Jule Brown cutting toward the basket. Brown took the pass, calmly collected himself before converting the lay-up with 5.4 seconds left to give the Aces a 45-43 lead over township rival Harriton.

“The play was designed for me to drive the lane,’ said McFadden, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds. “As I began to drive I spun right and spotted Jule out of the corner of my eye cutting to the basket. I thought he had a higher percentage shot so I passed it and fortunately he converted the shot.’That basket turned out to be the eventual game-winner, as Harriton was unable to get a final shot.

http://www.gametimepa.com/mont-bucks/ci_24765154/boys-basketball-lower-merion-nips-harriton-final-seconds

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In a back-and-forth battle between two defending PIAA boys’ basketball state
champions, host Lower Merion fell to Imhotep Charter, 58-54, Saturday evening in
front of a packed Bryant Gymnasium.

The Lower Merion-Imhotep Charter contest was the third game of a Saturday
triple-header at the Bryant Gymnasium, the FamJuice Tip Off Boosters Classic, by
Scholastic Play-by-Play.

The Aces, who lost B.J. Johnson, Yohanny Dalembert and Raheem Hall to
graduation last spring, held a 28-25 halftime lead against Imhotep Saturday
night. Although Lower Merion was facing a height disadvantage against Imhotep
(who started three players 6-6 or taller), the hosts planned to make up for it
in other ways.

“We planned to shorten the game, do a lot of four corners,’ said Lower Merion
head coach Gregg Downer. “Our effort was good tonight, and we followed the game
plan well, but sometimes the execution wasn’t there.’

One of Lower Merion’s trademarks is a low turnover rate, but Saturday night,
a couple of the Aces’ top ballhandlers committed several costly turnovers.

On the positive side for the Aces, returning starter Justin McFadden scored
17 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists. Nick Jones tallied
15 points and Jule Brown scored 13 points and snared five rebounds en route
being named Lower Merion’s Player of the Game afterwards.

As a team, the Aces were 15-for-17 from the free throw line.

The lead changed hands a number of times. After Imhotep jumped out to a 5-0
lead, JaQuan Johnson (nine points, six rebounds) scored the Aces’ first point of
the season (on a free throw), then scored Lower Merion’s first basket of the
2013-14 campaign on an assist from McFadden. Just before the first quarter
ended, McFadden hit a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut Imhotep’s
lead to 12-10.

Nick Jones tied the game at 12-12, then the Aces took their first lead of the
night, 15-12, when Jule Brown hit a trey (with an assist from Johnson).

Midway through the second quarter, McFadden worked inside nicely to put the
Aces on top, 17-15, followed by a McFadden block and a Jule Brown drive to make
the score 19-15. A minute later, Jule Brown it a three to give the Aces a 22-17
lead.

When McFadden hit two free throws late in the second quarter, the hosts took
their biggest lead of the night, 28-21.

In the third quarter, McFadden was charged with two quick fouls (making four
for the night) and briefly left the game. Lower Merion lost its lead, but
battled gamely, and the score was tied 37-37 at the end of three periods.

McFadden later returned, and when Nick Jones made a great followup basket,
was fouled, and made his free throw, the Aces took a 47-45 lead — their last
lead of the night.

Imhotep’s Sean Lloyd, who had four fouls, drove in for a basket to give the
visitors a 49-47 lead, and Imhotep held a lead the rest of the way. For Imhotep,
Bail Thompson and Jakwan Jones each tallied 17 points, and Lloyd scored 13.
Eight of Jones’ points were in the fourth quarter.

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Sixers coach Brett Brown was the featured speaker at a packed, noisy Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School’s 9th Annual Maroon Madness benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer Wednesday evening.

The evening began at 6 p.m. with live music and entertainment outside the entrance of the historic Downs Gymnasium. At 7 p.m., the school community took a walk around the entire high school building, then headed into the gym for the evening’s basketball festivities.

Highlights included the introduction of the boys and girls teams, an intra-squad scrimmage, on-court fan contests, musical entertainment and raffles for LM/Nike gear. The first 250 guests to donate $5 to Coaches vs. Cancer received an event T-shirt and glowstick.

About 1,000 community members attended the event, which serves as the official start to Lower Merion’s winter athletics season and the school’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising drive. The Lower Merion community has raised nearly $50,000 in the past three years to benefit cancer research.

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