Haverford withstands another challenge, remains at No. 1 in MaxPreps Xcellent 20 National Boys Lacrosse Rankings

Haverford (Pa.) hasn't exactly done it the easy way. The Fords started the season at No. 1 and that's where they have stayed.

But it's not like they haven't had to pass some big tests.

The latest came on Saturday, as the Fords, playing their second matchup against the nation's No. 2-ranked team this season, pulled away for an 11-6 win against Conestoga (Pa.), a school located about a 15-minute car ride from their campus (MaxPreps' photo coverage here).

The score was similar to when Haverford beat then-second-ranked Darien (Conn.) 11-5 on April 16.

Perhaps the most interesting outcome of a game occurred at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, N.Y., where West Islip (N.Y.) goaltender Kyle Turri scored on a spectacular goal in overtime to give the then-No. 4 Lions a 7-6 win against the then-No. 3 Patriots.

Long Island was also the site for the granddaddy of all high school lacrosse rivalries, the 120th edition of the Woodstick Classic between two-time defending Class C state champion Manhasset and 2010 Class B state finalist Garden City.

This year's game, played on Saturday before an overflow crowd, was magnified in importance because Manhasset has moved up to Class B, meaning either the Indians or Trojans won't get out of Nassau County.

If the game proved to be just Round 1, then it was a round that went decisively to Garden City, which dominated defensively in picking up a 10-6 triumph and snapping a two-game win streak for Manhasset in the series.

MAXPREPS XCELLENT 20 NATIONAL BOYS LACROSSE RANKINGS

1. Haverford School (Pa.), 16-0: Brendan McGrath scored three goals and Zach Rego and Carl Walrath each scored twice in the aforementioned win over then No. 2 Conestoga (Pa.). (Last week's ranking: No. 1)

2. West Islip (West Islip, N.Y.), 11-0: The Lions, who have now won 32 straight, last lost when they dropped the 2010 season opener to Sachem North (N.Y.) in overtime. (Last week's ranking: No. 4)

3. Conestoga (Berwyn, Pa.), 12-1: Brad Lord had two goals and Conner Frisina had a goal and an assist in the loss to Haverford (Pa.). (Last week's ranking: No. 2)

4. Ward Melville (East Setauket, N.Y.), 9-1: Goalie Connor Ryan and defenders Zach Zanone, James Cashin, Andrew Aicher and Sean Finnigan spearhead the Patriots' stingy unit. (Last week's ranking: No. 3)

5. Garden City (N.Y.), 9-2: The close defensive trio of senior Division I recruits Stephen Jahelka, Brian Fischer and J.P. Burnside came up big against Manhasset. (Last week's ranking: No. 11)

6. Darien (Conn.), 8-2: Junior midfielder Tim Murphy scored in overtime off a feed from Case Matheis, who had two goals and five assists, as the Blue Wave picked up a huge 9-8 overtime win over two-time defending CHSAA champ St. Anthony's (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 5)

7. Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.), 10-1: Ryan Lukacovic, a sophomore sensation for the Flyers, had two goals and five assists in a 14-8 win at Yorktown (N.Y.), snapping a three-game losing streak in the series against the Huskers. (Last week's ranking: No. 8)

8. Summit (N.J.), 13-0: Sonny Round had three goals and Rob Williams, Will Weber and Jules Godino starred on defense as the Hilltoppers downed Delbarton (N.J.) 9-5 to extend their win streak to 58 games. (Last week's ranking: No. 14)

9. Deerfield Academy (Mass.), 8-0: Seniors Jimmy Bitter, William Swindell and Robert Osgood serve as captains for the Big Green. (Last week's ranking: No. 6)

10. Manhasset (N.Y.), 9-1: Prior to the Woodstick Classic, the Indians got five goals from Matt Tompkins in a 10-7 victory against Darien (Conn.) in a game between defending state champions. (Last week's ranking: No. 7)

11. Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.), 10-0: Jordan Evans had four goals and five assists and Deke Burns had six goals in a 13-3 win over Cortland (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 9)

12. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), 13-2: The Eagles have scored exactly 10 goals in four of their last five games. (Last week's ranking: No. 12)

13. Calvert Hall (Baltimore), 13-1: The Cardinals' lone loss was against McDonogh (Md.), snapping an 11-game win streak. (Last week's ranking: No. 13)

14. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.), 9-2: Games against Holy Trinity (N.Y.) and Iona Prep (N.Y.) await the Friars prior to their May 10 rematch against CHSAA rival Chaminade (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: No. 10)

15. Smithtown West (N.Y.), 8-2: The Bulls got strong play in the faceoff X from Craig Madarasz and three goals and two assists from both James Pannell and Eric Joseph in a 15-8 win at Sachem North (N.Y.). (Last week's ranking: Not ranked)

16. St. Andrew's (Boca Raton, Fla.), 16-1: The Scots, in search of a fourth straight state title, started postseason action with a 23-4 win against Barron Collier (Fla.). (Last week's ranking: No. 15)

17. Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.), 11-2: The Patriots lost for the second time this season to No. 1 Haverford, falling 9-3. (Last week's ranking: No. 16)

18. Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), 14-1: Back-to-back 7-6 victories, including one against then-No. 19 Cherry Creek (Colo.) ,highlighted the Raiders' week. (Last week's ranking: Not ranked)

19. La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.), 13-3: Two of the Canyons' losses came to strong out-of-state teams and they have wins over in-state powers Rancho Bernardo, Torrey Pines and Foothill-Santa Ana on their resume. (Last week's ranking: Not ranked)

20. St. Mark's (Dallas), 16-1: The Lions hope to avenge a 7-6 overtime loss to Coppell (Texas) when the teams meet again on May 7. (Last week's ranking: No. 20)

Dropped out: Sachem North (N.Y.), No. 19; Brunswick (Conn.), No. 17; Cherry Creek (Colo.), No. 19.

Joe Lombardi writes the "Lax with Joe" blog at LaxLessons.com and is an analyst for the MSG Varsity Television Network. He is also the primary author of the new edition of "Lacrosse for Dummies," which was released last year. He may be reached at joe@laxlessons.com.