Follow the NLF on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. CLICK HERE for a game story and standouts from Haverford School’s win over rival Malvern Prep. CLICK HERE for a game story and standouts from Radnor’s win over rival Springfield. 
When Mason Cook scored to give Loyola Blakefield (Md.) an eight-goal lead in the second half against former NLF No. 2 McDonogh (Md.) in last week’s MIAA tilt, the junior midfielder didn’t think that the Eagles had a comeback left in them.
“When I scored there, I thought there wouldn’t be a run,” Cook said. “At that moment, I was thinking that it’s going to be hard for them to come back.”
The Crabs 2024, Loyola junior and Loyola Greyhounds commit’s assessment was off, to say the least. The reigning MIAA champion Eagles put together a ridiculous comeback, tying the game on a goal from five-star sophomore Brendan Millon set up by four-star junior Notre Dame commit Luke Miller.
Instead of wilting, though, the Dons had one more trick up their sleeve. Cook inverted from behind the cage and missed a good look coming across the top side. Another shot nipped the pipe and bounced away harmlessly. Given one more crack at it with less than 15 seconds to go in the shot clock, Loyola didn’t miss. Cook got to the middle of the field and spied a wide-open Matt Burnam (Towson), who caught Cook’s pass and tucked it home for the game-winner in Loyola’s 14-13 MIAA win. The Dons handed McDonogh its first loss of the season, and the Eagles were one of five top-10 teams from last week’s first NLF rankings to fall. Loyola rises to No. 15 in this week’s NLF rankings.
Dons are Confident
“If it was anyone else on the crease, it would have been a shot, but he’s going to catch any feed I throw him,” said Cook, who has tallied 24 goals and dished out eight helpers for Loyola (7-3).
The win was Loyola’s fifth straight after the Dons dropped three straight to top-15 teams in Haverford School (Pa.), Georgetown Prep (Md.) and Hill Academy (Ont.). It’s a wide-open MIAA, as it almost always is, and Loyola’s got all the makings of a team that can be celebrating on May 19.
“We have an extremely high level of confidence right now,” said Cook, who finished with three goals and an assist against McDonogh. “Any team can beat any team. A win (today) against Gilman can guarantee us a playoff spot. We can’t come off cocky off of these wins and give one up.”
NLF High School Top 25
1. St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) (7-0)
The Friars got all they could handle on the road from then-No. 9 St. John’s (D.C.) before coming back to beat the Cadets, 11-9. NLF No. 3 ’23 Owen Duffy (Team 91 LI / North Carolina) continued his absurd start to the season with four goals and two assists for the Friars. Four-star senior Harvard commit Jack Speidell (Team 91 LI / Harvard) fired home a hat trick to go with an assist and junior goalie Sean Forde stopped 14 shots.
2. Culver (Ind.) (12-1)
The Eagles put the Midwest on notice by trouncing fellow Midwestern power Western Reserve Academy, 17-2. Senior Johns Hopkins signee Gabe Sorichetti racked up five goals and two assists, pushing his season stat line to 49 goals and 26 assists. Four-star senior Colin Vickrey (Princeton) and five-star junior Tade Wynn (West Coast Starz / Army) both stopped six shots, with Wynn pitching a second-half shutout.
3. Lawrenceville (N.J.) (10-1)
A battle of two top-6 teams went the Big Red’s way as Lawrenceville won on the road against former No. 4 Brunswick, 11-9. Senior four-star defenseman Quintan Kilrain (Crabs / Johns Hopkins) led the charge, and junior four-star goalie Timmy Piacentini (Cornell) shined in the cage. Senior Ford Collins and junior Ace Lumpris (Prime Time / Johns Hopkins) excelled at the SSDM spots. The Big Red then downed rival Hill School (Pa.), 16-8, on the strength of four goals and two assists from DJ Clark (Denver) and two goals and two assists from junior four-star Hunter Chauvette (SweetLax / Yale).
4. Salisbury (Conn.) (6-0)
The Crimson Knights welcomed senior five-star Brock Behrman (Team 91 LI / Notre Dame) back to the lineup. Behrman had three points in a narrow 9-8 win over Trinity-Pawling and exploded for four goals and three helpers in a 14-11 win against Avon Old Farms. Senior four-star Syracuse signee Trey Deere (SweetLax) erupted for six goals against the Winged Beavers. A showdown with No. 3 Lawrenceville looms on Saturday.
5. Brunswick (Conn.) (6-2)
Brunswick fell for the second straight week, this time in an 11-9 decision against Prep Nationals rival Lawrenceville. They rounded back into form by rolling past Massachusetts state champion St. John’s Prep, 17-10, as 11 different players found the back of the net. The Bruins have a chance for a ranked win tomorrow against No. 19 Taft.
6. McDonogh (Md.) (9-1)
The Eagles nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback after being down 11-2 to Loyola Blakefield (Md.) at the half, but couldn’t prevent the Dons from handing them their first loss. NLF No. 1 senior McCabe Millon (Team 91 Maryland / Virginia) recently came back from injury and put up five goals and an assist against Loyola. Freshman Hunter Metz (Crabs) scored a pair of late goals to help the Eagles get within striking distance. A rematch of last year’s MIAA title game with St. Mary’s (Md.) headlines today’s MIAA slate.
7. Haverford School (Pa.) (7-2)
The Fords are, in a word, buzzing. Haverford knocked off rival Malvern Prep, 10-6, in the teams’ Inter-Ac opener. Big 4 HHH 2025 defenseman Gavin Cooper had a phenomenal day in leading the defense, while four-star senior Ryan DiRocco (Army) and junior Brady O’Kane (Delaware) each potted hat tricks. The Fords then blew out NorCal power St. Ignatius Prep, 9-3, and Penn Charter (Pa.), 15-4. NLF No. 2 junior Ben McCarthy (Duke) was a perfect 13-for-13 at the faceoff stripe against St. Ignatius.
8. Manhasset (N.Y.) (6-0)
Liam Connor (Colgate) paired a hat trick with three assists and Aidan Haggerty (Villanova) snapped home four goals as the Indians knocked off Washington power Mercer Island, 12-5, to secure their spot in the top 10. Manhasset, which has a showdown with Cold Spring Harbor tomorrow, has yet to give up more than five goals this season.
9. Hill Academy (Ont.) (7-1)
Hill couldn’t quite hold off Taft‘s upset bid in a 15-13 shootout. Despite that, Hill still has a pair of top-15 wins over St. John’s (D.C.) and Loyola Blakefield (Md.) to its credit and squares off with rival No. 2 Culver on Sunday at the University of Michigan.
10. Belmont Hill (Mass.) (6-0)
The Sextants make their way into the top 10 on the strength of a 6-0 mark. They’ve gotten there thanks to an incredibly stingy defense led by five-star junior Finn Fox (Laxachusetts / Princeton), four-star senior Charlie Hazard (Laxachusetts / Johns Hopkins) and four-star junior Ben Wood (Georgetown). Belmont Hill’s only giving up five goals per game. Sophomore Preston Evans (Laxachusetts), junior Will Stewart (Villanova) and junior Ben DiBattista have combined for 35 goals and 25 assists in six games.
Rounding Out the Top 25
11. St. John’s (D.C.)
12. Chaminade (N.Y.)
13. Boys’ Latin (Md.)
14. Georgetown Prep (Md.)
15. Loyola Blakefield (Md.)
16. Mount Sinai (N.Y.)
17. Radnor (Pa.)
18. Malvern Prep (Pa.)
19. Taft (Conn.)
20. Academy of the New Church (Pa.)
21. St. Mary’s (Md.)
22. Bayport-Blue Point (N.Y.)
23. Fairfield Prep (Conn.)
24. Northport (N.Y.)
25. The Woodlands (Texas)
