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A year ago, Philly’s Inter-Ac League saw a rare three-way split for the league title as Malvern Prep, Haverford School and Episcopal Academy all shared the title. The Fords took down the Friars in the PAISAA championship to earn the title of the lone postseason championship.
In a span of three days, the debate as to who the team to beat in the Inter-Ac in 2026 was resoundingly put to rest. Surprise, surprise, Malvern’s still really good. The Friars took down the Churchmen, 11-7, Tuesday in the teams’ first of two regular-season meeting. The win put Malvern in a great spot in the race for the league title after it handled Haverford, 11-5, Friday.
Friars are Flying
“We always knows that it’s going to be a battle with them, so we went for it, we grind for it and we’re happy to win it. Eyes forward,” senior defenseman Dylan Novak (Big 4 HHH / Notre Dame) said. “A lot of season to go. Everybody’s focused on the main goal, which is obviously win the last game. Nobody wants to go home early, so we all have that goal in mind. We’re just working hard in practice and winning the games to get there.”
Novak’s fellow Irish commit Dan Riely got the Friars going offensively when he buried a hat trick in the second quarter to give the Friars a 4-3 lead at halftime. He showed off his shooting range on a pair of blasts off of Conor McCarthy and Joey Murphy setups, the latter of which coming on a Murphy sweep where the sophomore drew all of the defensive attention before finding Riely. Riely then showed off his hands in tight when he whacked a loose ball home hockey-style off a broken play with mere seconds left in the second quarter.
New-Look Malvern Offense is Humming
Riely’s overall game for the Friars has come a long way in the past year. He was relatively quiet until late in the season, and he was phenomenal in the PAISAA title game. Now, he’s showing off his overall game on a consistent level. Last month against Chaminade, he scored four times, including the double-overtime winner. Tuesday, he finished with three goals and a helper. Those performances are nods to his ability to elevate his play in big games. He’s also a part of a Malvern offense that is well-balanced, and the Friars can have anybody go off on any given day. It’s a different look than in 2025, when Malvern had several big national names like Michael Ortlieb (Big 4 HHH / Duke), Logan Turley (Big 4 HHH / Harvard) and Jake Bickel (Georgetown) at the helm. Replacing that production by committee has been key to the Friars’ success.
“Going into the season, (the offense) was the big question mark for Malvern lacrosse,” Riely said. “We knew the defense was going to be good. Offense has been ebbs and flows. … We’ve definitely picked up our pace in the past two games. Points are being scored by everybody on the field. Whoever touches it is contributing to the points. (Malvern OC) Coach Quinn (McCahon, a Big 4 HHH and Notre Dame alum) is doing a great job of instilling belief in everyone.”
It’s clearly paying off in spades for the Friars.
Malvern Prep vs. Episcopal Academy Standouts
Max Delvescovo ’28, LSM, Malvern Prep (Pa.)
One of the most well-known poles in the sophomore class, Delvescovo lived up to the hype in helping the Friars upend the Churchmen. I actually liked his mindset after he got beat by Rutgers signee Keegan Nash for the first EA goal of the day. Delvescovo quickly forgot about it and used it as fuel to make a bunch of positive plays for Malvern. He showed excellent timing and awareness by chopping down on a stick in time to stop a surefire cross-crease dunk. Later, he got his getback on Nash with nine minutes left with a beautiful check just below GLE when the Friars’ lead had been cut to 8-6. Delvescovo has a great frame and a terrific stick – he vacuumed up four ground balls in the win – but I also really liked his coverage ability. Even when he got beat by Nash, he was right there, and the goal was a great play by a battle-tested senior. Delvescovo’s got game-changing ability, and the fact that he’s been starting all year at a powerhouse like Malvern is a great sign for his future.
Conor McCarthy ’27, midfield, Malvern Prep (Pa.)
McCarthy’s one-goal, three-assist stat line stands out, but it was when and how he got those points that really drove the Friars’ offense at times. It was McCarthy that gave Malvern the lead for good when the lefty drove down the alley and ripped one to the far side while taking a hit. Less than a minute later, he set up a Jamie McCracken (Brown) stepdown. Forty-one seconds later, he did it again, this time on an invert before he found an open McCracken.
McCarthy tore his ACL in tryouts last year and wasn’t back until this year’s tryouts. That’s a long way back, especially on a team with so many offensive weapons. It would be surprising to see him stay uncommitted much longer.
“The first week back was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” McCarthy said. “I was kind of getting scared a little bit. I had to talk to my coach (Matt Mackrides) and just said, ‘I’m not feeling too great.’ He just said, ‘you’re fine, just ease into it,’ and I once I eased into it, I just got back into the flow. It’s just been a lot of fun.
“I would say I’m very versatile with my dodging,” McCarthy added. “I like to be a feeder, but also go to the goal when I can and beat my guy and score. I just like to help in all of the ways I can.”
Jackson Orcutt ’26, midfield / attack, Episcopal Academy (Pa.)
Orcutt was one of the bright spots offensively for EA for the second straight game. EA will sometimes float him to attack, but his calling card is being able to use his elite speed and quickness in open space from up top. When Orcutt gets going downhill, defenses move, and it opens things up around him. Give him a bit of space, and you’re in trouble. He got topside on a screen and unleashed an overhand bardown screamer to bring the Churchmen even at 3. Later, the future Tar Heel broke open in the open field and hammered one on the run. The 6-2, 180-pound Orcutt, also an all-state wide receiver, is as good as it gets athletically in Philly.
Thomas Ploszay ’26, goalie, Malvern Prep (Pa.) – Villanova
A first-year starter in the cage, Ploszay had one of his best performances of the season with 12 saves and a pair of ground balls. The Churchmen seemed intent on trying to beat him low, but the 5-9 Ploszay was up to the task with a number of impressive low saves. The best of his dozen stops came with 3:25 to go when he used his knee to deny a great look by fellow future Wildcat Parker Smith to effectively shut down any EA comeback. Earlier, he denied a 1v1 Reid Dennis look with his shoulder. Ploszay was locked in from the get-go, too, stopping eight shots in the first-half.
Liam Titus ’28, goalie, Episcopal Academy (Pa.)
Titus has been the go-to guy early for Steve Colfer‘s group as junior Trevor Cantlin recovers from an injury. A big-bodied lefty, Titus takes up some good real estate in the cage and uses his frame to get a piece of a number of shots. He turned away 11 shots fired his way, including a particularly impressive three-save sequence on Malvern’s opening possession, which lasted an eternity. It’s clear that Titus is gaining more and more confidence with every game in the EA cage.