Rams Pick Up Wins Against Byram Hills and Rye Country Day

****The Alumni Game and Family BBQ is scheduled for Sunday, June 12th at the Prep. We’d love to see a great turnout in the first year back from the two year COVID hiatus and the sooner we know numbers the better. To help with organizing and swag ordering for those playing, please register through the google form here.****

Fordham started the week off with a tough loss to rival Iona Prep 18 - 6. The Gaels are ranked #24 nationally by US Lacrosse Magazine and locally #1 by Lohud.com and their deep roster of college bound talent overmatched the Rams. Iona went up 6 - 0 before the Prep got its footing, playing mostly even in the second quarter to a 10 - 3 halftime score. Six straight by Iona in the third quarter put the game out of reach and things got chippy on the Iona side in the fourth quarter with a bunch of late hit and slashing penalties, including one that left a Ram player in concussion protocol. Unfortunately, this type of behavior has been happening way too often lately and prompted Mike Dougherty at Lohud.com to highlight it (here).

The Rams rebounded in their next game by beating Byram Hills 13 - 7 in a back and forth one goal game until the fourth quarter when the Prep defense clamped down on the Bobcats. Jack Freel ‘23 (Manhattan) notched 10 points in the game on three goals and seven assists and his output looks to be the most points in a game in program history……at least as far back as our stat archive goes. So we’ll give him the program record. If any alums know differently, let us know. The ten points were the most since Thomas Marra ‘18 had nine (6G/3A) in 2018 against Kellenberg (recap).

The Prep got its second win of the week yesterday against Rye Country Day 14 - 6 on Senior Day, honoring Hanson Marshall ‘22 (Scarsdale), Jack Loughney ‘22 (Mount Kisco), Noah Aylesworth ‘22 (Yonkers), Joseph Paladino ‘22 (Eastchester), Timmy Anderson ‘22 (Larchmont), John Rausch ‘22 (Yonkers), and Ryan Huacuz ‘22 (Bronx). Unfortunately the game couldn’t be videoed so it’s difficult to provide a full recap, but those that were on the sideline in the rain saw the Rams execute a solid game from start to finish. Lewis Moore’ 23 (New Rochelle) had five goals in the game and has eight over the past two games while Jack Freel ‘23 tallied six more points (2G/4A) in the win.

Fordham faces Long Island Lutheran at home on Tuesday. The Crusaders are 8 - 6 including losses to common opponents Iona Prep and Stepinac, and wins against common opponents St. Dominic, Hackley, and Kennedy Catholic. The Prep last played Long Island Lutheran in 2008 and were 11 - 2 winners. On Saturday the Rams head over the Hudson to face St. Joseph’s Metuchen (NJ). Fordham and St. Joe’s will be playing in the first game of the NY - NJ Lacrosse Showdown tripleheader along with Stepinac/Mount Kimberley Academy, and Iona Prep/St. Joseph’s Regional. The Falcons are currently 8 - 7 against various New Jersey public and private opponents.

The coaching staff will once again be holding its lacrosse summer camp Tuesday 7/12 to Thursday 7/14 and it is open to rising 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. Spread the word as it’s a great opportunity for future Rams to meet and learn from the staff, check out our facilities, and see all that the Prep has to offer. You can find the details here

Thank you to all who donated equipment for our equipment drive this week. The kids at Bronx Lacrosse and CityLax will make good use of the equipment and we appreciate your generosity to help “grow the game.”

Byram Hills Recap: W 13 - 7

The Rams struck first in the first minute and a half when Jack Freel ‘23 fed a cutting PJ Cuningham ‘24 (Bronx). The Bobcats evened the score at the 7:32 mark but another nifty feed from Freel ‘23 found Lewis Moore ‘23 who buried the lefty rip into the back of the net. Trey Lalonde ‘25 (New Fairfield) kept the lead at 2 - 1 with three solid saves before Byram Hills snuck one in late in the quarter to tie it up. The Bobcats took the lead, 3 - 2, with just under ten minutes to go but Hudson Pifer ‘23 (Croton-on-Hudson) lit the lamp to tie it back up off a high-to-high rocket just inside the restraining line. Byram Hills took the lead again with 5:32 remaining in the half until Hudson Pifer ‘23 notched his second of the day off another Jack Freel ‘23 assist. The Rams regained the lead at 1:54 when Jack Freel ‘23 kept it himself on a man up opportunity and scored from up top. A Byram Hills score with under a minute to go made it seem like it would be 5 - 5 at the half but Jack Freel ‘23 scored his second of the day to give the Rams the 6 - 5 lead after two quarters.

The Prep took its first two goal lead a minute in when a cutting James Davis ‘24 (Rye) scored from up top off a pass from Jack Freel ‘23 at X. The Rams extended their lead to 8 - 5 when Rory McGrath ‘24 came up with a scrappy ground ball and dumped it to Jack Freel ‘23 who flicked it over to James Davis ‘24 on the crease for the goal. A man-up goal by the Bobcats cut the Prep lead to 8 - 6 at the 5:41 mark but Jack Freel ‘23 made it 9 - 6 at 2:42 when he drove from X and scored off an inside roll just above GLE. Byram Hills answered immediately off the ensuing faceoff to make it 9 - 7, where it stayed at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was all Rams as the Prep long poles of Will Muccia ‘23 (Rye), Jack Powers ‘23 (Manhattan), Alex Gibson ‘25 (Scarsdale), Matt Battista ‘23 (Manhattan), Michael Semprevivo ‘23 (Port Chester), Jack Lucchese ‘24 (Somers), and goalie Trey Lalonde ‘25 shut out the Bobcats. Fordham picked up four goals in the quarter including two from Lewis Moore ‘23, and one each from Charlie English ‘23 (Port Chester) and PJ Cunningham ‘24, making it a 13 - 7 final.

Stat Line: Freel ‘23 3G/7A, English ‘23 1G/3A, Moore ‘23 3G, Pifer ‘23 2G/2A, Davis ‘24 2G, Cunningham ‘24 2G, Gies ‘23 10GB/67% FOW, Lalonde ‘25 14 saves

Iona Prep Recap: L 18 - 6

Iona broke the ice just over a minute into the game and followed it up three minutes later to take the 2 - 0 lead. A great save by Trey Lalonde ‘25 started a Charlie English ‘23 clear and penalty at midfield giving the Rams a man up opportunity but the Gaels goalie made two solid saves to stop the Rams. The Prep defense slowed down the Gaels offense, notching a couple takeaways but Iona dominated possession and notched two more to take the lead to four at the 2:31 mark. The Gaels snuck one more in with a second to go as the quarter ended. An early Iona goal at the start of the second quarter made it 6 - 0 before Charlie English ‘23 found Lewis Moore ‘23 who ripped a shot from up top to get the Rams on the board. The Gaels extended the lead to 8 - 1 but the Prep answered at 5:01 to make it 8 - 2 when Charlie English ‘23 uncorked a high-to-high shot past the Gaels keeper. Iona responded on its next possession putting its lead back to seven, but the Rams got a two man-up opportunity and Lewis Moore ‘23 buried a worm burner making it 9 - 3 with 2:31 left. One more by Iona in the last minute gave the Gaels the 10 - 3 lead at the half.

Six straight by Iona made it 16 - 3 until the Rams stopped the streak on a James Davis ‘24 goal with a minute and a half to go. PJ Cunningham ‘24 then buried a rebound off a Jack Freel ‘23 shot to give the Rams their fifth tally of the day with 8:30 left in the fourth. Following a Gaels goal, Lewis Moore ‘23 capitalized on a Rams man-up situation to register a hat trick and take the score to 17 - 6. A late goal by Iona under a minute to go made it a 18 - 6 final.

Stat Line: Moore ‘23 3G, English ‘23 1G/1A, Cunningham ‘24 1G, Freel ‘23 2A, Davis ‘24 1G, O’Leary ‘23 1A, Pifer ‘23 1A, Lalonde ‘25 14 saves