Rams Win Inaugural Duffy Cup, Head to Miami To Face Belen Jesuit and Christopher Columbus

The Rams played only one game this past week after the St. Dominic's game was canceled at the last minute (the issue was on the St. Dom’s side).  The only game action for the Prep was the inaugural Battle of the Bronx for the Duffy Cup versus Cardinal Hayes.  Sloppy play, a bunch of penalties, and a hot Hayes goalie made it a 4 - 4 game at the half, but Fordham owned the third quarter, outscoring the Cardinals six to zero and putting the game out of reach.  The Rams took the victory with a final score of 14 - 8.  James Spring ‘24 (Bronxville) put the team on his back going 15 for 20 on faceoffs, tallying five goals and an assist, and picking up 13 ground balls - quite the stat line!  The steady rain did not put a damper on the festivities and this new tradition.  Kevin Duffy ‘99 put it best when presenting the trophy to Coach Coughlin, “this is going to be a fun, Bronx battle that we can continue for years to come.”  The Duffy Cup in honor of John Duffy P’95, P’95, P’99 and the Duffy Family.  John is a Hayes alum, as well as Prep parent, sending three sons (two lacrosse players) to the Prep and has been a long-time supporter of both schools and athletic programs. You can find video of the trophy presentation and some photos of the game (here).

Congrats to Ryan Bracchitta ‘27 (Scarsdale) and Drew Pagen (Rye) on registering their first career goals in the Hayes game.

This weekend the Rams headed down to Miami for their annual Spring trip and will be facing Belen Jesuit tomorrow and Christopher Columbus High School on Wednesday before coming back north to face Greenwich Country Day on Saturday.  Lacrosse season starts earlier in Florida so Belen has 16 games under its belt, going 10 - 6.  The Prep is 3 - 0 all-time versus the Wolverines, including last year’s 15 - 3 win in the NYC Jesuit Classic and victories in 2019 and 2013.  Columbus is currently 9 - 7 and this will be the first meeting between the two teams.  Greenwich Country Day is 0 - 1 with a 15 - 8 loss to fellow New England Prep West foe Millbrook School.  This will also be the first game between the Rams and the Tigers.

Congratulations to Stephen Zupicich ‘19 who was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List (here) for his stellar play for Villanova this season.  Zupicich currently leads the nation in caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game. The Tewaaraton Award (aka the Lacrosse Heisman) annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States.  Congrats as well to Lewis Moore ‘23 on scoring the game winner in overtime for Oberlin in its 8 - 7 victory over Sewanee (recap).

Cardinal Hayes Recap:  W 14 - 8

Hayes stormed out of the gate scoring twice in the first four minutes to take a 2 - 0 lead until the Prep responded with James Spring ‘24 feeding across the crease to Dima Athanson (Mamaroneck) who beat the Hayes goalie.  The Rams tied it up with five minutes to go in the quarter and sloppy play by both teams and some nice saves by the Cardinal goalie kept it knotted up after one and deep into the second quarter.  Hayes took advantage of a man up situation with 7:20 left to break the stalemate, but Spring ‘24 took the ensuing faceoff and sprinted downfield depositing a shot stickside low to tie it again 3 - 3.  Hayes took the lead again with 3:41 remaining until a Cash Berner ‘27 (Rye) save and clear lead to a textbook clear and fastbreak between Carter Remhild ‘25 (Manhattan) and Sebastian Zarkowski ‘25 (Hastings-on-Hudson), who found and Athanson ‘26 to tie it up 4 - 4, where it ended at the half.

Both defenses wouldn’t give anything for the first five minutes of the second half until Spring ‘24 ripped a shot top corner from 15 yards out to give Fordham the lead again 5 - 4.  Spring ‘24 then won the ensuing faceoff, taking it himself again straight to the cage to put the Rams up two.  The Prep went up three with 5:32 left in the quarter with a nifty behind the back score by PJ Cunningham ‘24 (Bronx) and extended it to 8 - 4 two minutes later off a Ryan Bracchitta ‘27 tally.  Drew Pagan ‘26 (Rye) made it five unanswered at the 2:34 mark and then found Spring ‘24 up top to rocket one in with one second left in the quarter making it 10 - 4.  The Rams kept the pressure on in the fourth, scoring two quick goals, before the Cardinals finally answered at the 7:10 mark to cut the Prep lead to 12 - 5.  Another from Cunningham ‘24 gave the Rams their biggest lead of the day 13 - 5 before the Prep took its foot off the pedal and Hayes scored three straight in the last three minutes.  Hudson Marciano ‘24 (Eastchester) scored in the waning seconds for a 14 - 8 final.

Stat Line:  Spring ‘24 5G/1A/15FOW (85%), Cunningham ‘24 3G/2A, Athanson ‘26 2G/1A, Pagen ‘26 1G/3A, Bracchitta ‘27 2G, H. Marciano ‘24 1G, Nalepka ‘25 1A, Zarkowski ‘25 1A, Berner ‘27 8 saves

Bethlehem Central Recap:  W 11 - 7

The Rams took an early 1 - 0 lead on their first possession off a PJ Cuningham ‘24 score and took it to 2 - 0 four minutes later when Cunnignham ‘24 returned the favor feeding Sebastian Zarkowski ‘25.  Zarkowski ‘25 netted his second shortly after, sweeping down the alley before Bethlehem got on the board to make it 3 - 1 at the end of the first quarter.  A nice clear into a fast break gave the Eagles a quick goal three minutes into the second quarter but Fordham continued dominating possession and Zarkowski ‘25 found Dima Athanson ‘26 on the GLE who snuck in a low angle shot.  On the next possession Cunningham ‘24 drove from up top and dumped it over the Bethlehem goalie to take the lead to three, 5 - 2.  Cunningham ‘24 tallied a hat trick three minutes later on a low-to-low shot with 3:30 remaining in the half but Bethlehem answered on the next possession to get within three goals.  A save by Cash Berner ‘27 set up a Ram possession which resulted in Cunningham ‘24’s fourth of the day and the Prep took a 7 - 3 margin into the half.

Both teams traded goals early but the defense of long poles Jack Lucchese ‘24 (Somers), Sean McCuin ‘25 (Bronxville), Paddy O’Driscoll ‘24 (Manhattan), Jakob Gilbert ‘26 (Bedford), and keeper Berner ‘27 kept the Eagles in check as Cunningham ‘24 netted his fifth.  A Bethlehem score at a minute remaining made it 8 - 5 before James Spring ‘24 handcuffed the Eagles goalie and snuck in a bouncer with seconds left in the third quarter giving the Prep a 9 - 5 lead.  Spring ‘24 dominated the faceoff X all game, going 17 for 21, and in the fourth quarter gave possessions to the Rams leading to additional Zarkowski ‘25 and Michael Nalepka ‘25 (Greenwich) goals and a 11 - 5 Rams lead.  A man up opportunity with five minutes to go allowed Bethlehem to cut the lead to five and another tally with just under three minutes remaining made it 11 - 7, which was the final.

Stat Line: Cunningham ‘24 5G/3A, Spring ‘24 1G/2A/17FOW (81%), Zarkowski ‘25 3G/2A, Nalepka ‘25 1G, Athanson ‘26 1G, Pagen ‘26 1A,  O’Driscoll ‘24 3GB, Berner ‘27 8 saves