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The hierarchy in Philly’s Inter-Ac League never changes.

Every year for, like, forever, you can count on one of Malvern Prep or Haverford School to take home the league’s championship. There have been close calls – generally led by Episcopal Academy – to break up the two-team party at the top of the league. None have prevailed.

The smart money this year says that it’ll be the Friars or Fords once again. It helps that they’re the league’s lone two all-boys schools, which means that there are lot more spots available in the school. EA, which boasts phenomenal girls’ sports, can’t duplicate that. Generally, the Churchmen have boasted top-end talent that can hang with just about anyone. They simply have rarely had the depth to continually run with Haverford or Malvern. It’s a simple numbers game.

Numbers game or not, EA looks like a team that could make things interesting once league play starts in a few weeks. Four-year defensive starter, Georgetown signee and consensus top-35 recruit Evan MacFarland is easily the team’s best player. Despite that, there’s plenty around him. The Churchmen showed off their depth in a 14-5 rout of Pittsburgh’s Shady Side Academy on Wednesday. The Bulldogs, playing their second game in less than 24 hours after beating Academy of the New Church (Pa.), showed early signs of fatigue and trailed, 12-0, at the half.

Churchmen’s Depth Shines

EA got goals from six scorers, led by junior Fairfield commit Bo McMenamin. Juniors Keegan Nash (Rutgers) and Parker Smith (Army) each tallied hat tricks. Junior four-star recruit Jackson Orcutt (Georgetown) doled out three assists, while freshman defenseman Connor Song scored his first career goal.

“We’ve definitely got a lot of strength in this offense,” McMenamin said. “We just have to focus on moving the ball. Everybody’s gonna eat. Everybody’s gonna get goals. It’s really exciting to know that my teammates have my back and there’s a lot of trust and confidence in my teammates to score goals. I know it’ll come back to me as well.”

McMenamin was the party starter for the Churchmen. He scored on a rebound early, then wired one home off of an Orcutt setup. Later, he showed off his bounce and burst by crushing a matchup down the alley for a bouncer. McMenamin finished off his first-half flurry by cranking home a stepdown off of another Orcutt feed. McMenamin’s not big, but he can beat defenders in short spaces with his quickness. His shooting range seems to have extended a bit since last year, too.

Plenty of Defensive Weapons, Too

On defense? Pick your poison. MacFarland is the truth. Senior Penn State signee Paul Bruder would be a No. 1 at most other schools. Junior defenseman David Brickman (Fairfield) caused a couple of turnovers, and Song can defend even better than he can score. With a balanced offense and a defense chock-full of quality players, there’s belief that the Churchmen can earn their spot at the big-boy table with Malvern and Haverford.

“I think we’re really buying into the core values of this team,” MacFarland said. “Coach (Steve) Colfer‘s done a really good job of getting the freshmen and sophomores into the team and buying into what we think. ‘We choose hard,’ has been the phrase of the year, and guys are stepping up all over the field.”

A Wake-Up Call for Shady Side

For Shady Side, battling two of the state’s premier private schools in less than 24 hours was certainly a daunting task. They ran out of gas quickly against the Churchmen, but for the Bulldogs, it’s more about getting the experience against some top Philly teams. Shady Side has sights set on competing for a PIAA Class AAA title, and games like this will only help in the long run.

“It’s definitely a good lesson coming out here,” senior Cornell commit Seamus Riordan (Big 4 HHH) said. “We don’t play this type of competition out West. It’s definitely a good wake-up call for what we need to work on and shows the younger guys how much faster the game is.”

Episcopal Academy vs.
Shady Side Standouts

Evan MacFarland ’25, LSM/D, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) – Georgetown

One of the top defensive prospects in the senior class, MacFarland makes it look easy. He’s a very athletic, versatile pole that can play anywhere on defense. He’s very clearly the leader on the defensive end for the Churchmen and his defensive teammates look to him to figure out what to do. MacFarland glides in the open field, is a threat to score and showed his usual great stickwork with some impressive ground balls. He can also cover, though, and it makes him an intriguing fit for the Hoyas’ defense when he gets to campus.

Keegan Nash ’26, midfield, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) – Rutgers 

Nash looks to have gotten noticeably quicker since last year. He had a split dodge where he left a defender’s ankles somewhere near the top of the box. While he didn’t score on the play, it was impressive to see him do something that he couldn’t quite do last year. He’s always been able to finish, though, and he did that in style for the Churchmen. The future Scarlet Knight finished with three goals and an assist, including a bardown low-to-high screamer.

Seamus Riordan ’25, midfield, Shady Side (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH – Cornell 

Shady Side couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half, primarily because the Bulldogs never had the ball. When possession tilted closer to 50-50 in the second half, Riordan was Shady Side’s go-to weapon. He showed the time-and-room accuracy that you want out of an Ivy League recruit with a rip from the wing. Swartz also had a nice assist on a cross-crease feed and later added another goal for the Bulldogs. It’s clear that Shady Side was overwhelmed with EA’s overall talent, but Riordan is a top-100 talent that belongs at the top level.

Connor Song ’28, defense, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 

It’s very early to anoint anyone in the freshman class, but Song looks the part of a future ACC recruit. He didn’t look out of place at all on a defense loaded with upperclassman Division I commits. The freshman buried his first career goal in transition after being left wide open. Song looked exceptionally comfortable in coverage and was a nuisance for offensive players who tried to test him.