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The Haverford School – Malvern Prep rivalry is never short on drama. The Fords and Friars made sure to keep it that way in the PAISAA championship game.
Trailing by a goal in the final minute, Malvern forced a turnover on a double team to give itself one more crack at tying things up. The Friars got the ball up the field, then got the ball to All-American midfielder Jake Bickel. The Georgetown signee broke open for a clean look as the seconds away, fired a shot that seemed ticketed for the bottom corner to tie the game.
Colin Decker wasn’t interested in that idea. The senior Williams commit made a phenomenal save on the shot and launched it back the other way to start the celebration after the Fords cemented a 12-11 win over the Friars. It marked the first postseason championship for Haverford since its 2015 team capped off a perfect 26-0 mark.
Party Like It’s 2015
“When they were able to turn the ball over, we just knew that we needed to get one more stop,” Decker said. “Once they got the ball in Bickel’s hands, we knew that’s who they wanted with the ball in his stick. When he jumped, it just looked like he was going to shoot low and I was just able to get my stick on it.”
Incredibly enough, the title was Haverford’s first postseason title in 10 years. The Fords claimed regular-season titles in 2016, 2017, 2023 and 2024. They split this year’s championship with the Friars and Episcopal Academy before heading into the PAISAA tournament as the top seed on the strength of their nationally-ranked wins. Haverford had lost to some powerhouses, including Malvern and Culver (Ind.) in previous tournaments. Finishing the season by winning their last game was a big thing for the Fords, considering all of their players were in elementary school when the program last broke through in May.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” senior All-American LSM/defenseman Gavin Cooper (Big 4 HHH / Army) said. “For the last couple of years, we’ve been back and forth with them. Being able to win our final game is a storybook ending for us. Even though we went into the tournament as the No. 1 seed, we still felt like the underdog throughout the tournament and even the whole season. I just remember seeing guys in prior years in tears because they lost their last game.”
Coming Up Large in the Clutch
That feeling was one that reverberated throughout the Fords’ entire lineup. Their win wouldn’t have been possible without Decker’s end-of-game heroics, but it was Evan Large (Rutgers) and five-star sophomore Conor Morsell that carried the offense. Large popped off for five goals, while Morsell hit the 70-point plateau on the season thanks to three goals and two assists.
The two were instrumental in orchestrating a 6-0 run that flipped Malvern’s 9-6 lead into a 12-9 Haverford lead that the Fords never relinquished. Morsell had two goals in that run, including a superb tally on a dodge from X where he scored while falling to the ground. Large had a pair of showstoppers, one on a righty finish after he split a double and another on a nasty low-to-mid finish.
“I never won the last game in my three years before this, so going out with a win is an amazing feeling,” Large said. “The most pressure we felt was winning that last game, which we’d never been able to do. The seniors from previous years showed us great examples of how to lead and we tried to embody that and follow that.”
Four-star senior Harvard commit Logan Turley (Big 4 HHH) led the Friars with four goals. Three-star junior Cornell commit Danny Riely scored twice, set up two more goals and was an all-around force for Malvern. Four-star seniors Bickel and Owen Mears (Big 4 HHH / Duke), as well as four-star sophomore Danny Lucovich, each had three points for the Friars.
Ring SZN for the Fords
Ultimately, though, it was the Fords who finally had their May moment to remember.
“I’m so grateful for how it went,” Cooper said. “The wins, the losses, I couldn’t have asked for a better four years. There was a slight time in middle school where I wasn’t sure if I would stay at Haverford or leave. Looking back on it, I’m beyond grateful for the Haverford program and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Haverford School vs. Malvern Prep Standouts
Evan Large ’25, midfield, Haverford School (Pa.) – Rutgers
Large’s development over the past few years has been extremely impressive. He capped it all off with arguably the best and definitely the most timely big-game performance of his career. Large first broke into the Fords’ lineup as a sophomore as an outside shooter who wasn’t asked to initiate much. He can still sling it – you always need a defender camped out on his hands – but he also showed that could dodge some, too.
Large took advantage of a short-stick matchup at X on a first-quarter invert. He then blasted out a shot that ripped a hole in the net, always a sign that you’re a decent shooter. Large buried a stepdown on a Morsell feed, too, but it was his second-half goals that really stood out. A righty finish while falling down after breaking through a double team tired the game at 9 with nine seconds left in the third quarter. He then uncorked a spinback where he perfectly placed a low-to-mid crank to give Haverford a lead it never gave up.
Griff Meyer ’25, faceoff midfield, Haverford School (Pa.) / Team 91 Maryland – Virginia
Meyer finished his career in style with a 16-for-25 game against a talented Malvern tandem. The future ‘Hoo balances extremely quick hands with a ton of power, which makes him tough for opponents to read. He was instrumental in helping Haverford come back down 9-6 with a 6-0 run at the dot that coincided with a 6-0 Fords run as a team. Meyer has an excellent first step that allows him to get out the front door quickly. He also did a nice job of getting his wings involved and of countering Malvern’s speed vs. power duo.
Conor Morsell ’27, attack, Haverford School (Pa.)
Morsell is going to be a five-star in next week’s initial NLF 2027 rankings. The sophomore showed why in another game where he almost quietly racked up five points. His poise, composure and ability to execute under pressure is uncanny for an of-age sophomore. The lefty doesn’t get fazed by anything. He doesn’t have elite speed, but is able to beat defenders with his IQ and subtleties. Morsell had a very impressive pass to the back pipe from top-center that he easily could have shot. Instead, he opted for the easier dunk by Jack Rischitelli. His best finish of the night came on the 12-9 goal where he beat his man from X and scored while falling to the ground. He’s going to be an extremely rare four-year starter for the Fords and he was their top offensive player as a sophomore. Get used to hearing his name.
Danny Riely ’26, midfield, Malvern Prep (Pa.) – Cornell
Riely had a strong finish down the stretch for the Friars. He finished that off with an outstanding performance in the final, including a four-point game that felt like a lot more. He was noticeable in every aspect of the game. Beyond the points, he had a particularly impressive defensive sequence where he caused a turnover by leading his matchup close to the net and shoving him into the crease. Riely was also a presence on the faceoff wings with some impressive plays, including one where he snatched a Meyer pop out of mid-air and led things the other way. The newly-minted national champions have another good one on their hands.
Logan Turley ’25, midfield, Malvern Prep (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH – Harvard
The list of the best shooting midfielders in the senior class just might start and finish with Turley. The 6-2, 200-pound senior should NEVER be left unattended because hot damn, can he let it fly. He brought straight heat on a Bickel setup, then did similar things off of a Riely feed. Turley capped his Friar career with a tap-in rebound goal to bring it to 12-11. Turley was a major presence for the Friars for the past two years as a shooter. His game also evolved more as a senior. His passing took a giant leap forward, he looked quicker as a dodger and can still absolutely hammer the rock. Harvard brings back a ton on offense from a team that finished sixth in the country in goals per game, but Turley might have a chance to get on the field early with how much he’s improved.