Schedule for Katie Samson Festival Released

The schedule for the 12th annual Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival slated for April 28 at Radnor High has been released – and there are plenty of marquee games in what is typically the largest scholastic tournament of the year.

The event features 27 boys' and girls' high school lacrosse games and benefits the Katie Samson Foundation, which raises money and awareness for spinal cord injury research and development. The Katie Samson Foundation has raised over $1,000,000 since it was formed in 2001.

The top boys' game is the rematch between Haverford School, the No. 1 team in the nation last year, and two-time defending Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association champion Conestoga (25-1). Haverford School went a perfect 23-0 last year and dealt the Pioneers their only loss of the season last year at Katie Samson, 11-6. At the time, the teams were ranked 1-2 in the nation and the game drew well over 2,000 people.

Other top games include: Inter-Ac League power Malvern Prep vs. New Jersey prep heavyweight Lawrenceville School; PIAA state finalist St. Joseph's Prep vs. Central League power Radnor; Central League runner-up Garnet Valley vs. South Jersey power St. Augustine Prep; Ches-Mont power Downingtown East vs. 2008-09 state champion La Salle; state qualifier Downingtown West vs. New England prep power Brunswick School (CT); and Inter-Ac power Germantown Academy vs. Lehigh Valley Conference champion Emmaus.

The top girls' game features a game between what figures to be two of the top-ranked teams in the nation as defending PIAA champion Garnet Valley faces Virginia powerhouse St. Stephens and St. Agnes. Garnet Valley lost only one senior from a team that went 24-3; St. Stephen's and St. Agnes went 31-2 and features junior superstar attack Carly Reed (153 goals in 2011, 237 career goals).

Other top girls' games include 11-time Catholic League champion vs. state qualifier Harriton; state semifinalist Great Valley vs. Inter-Ac power Notre Dame; four-time Central League champion vs. host Radnor and seven-time Inter-Ac champion Episcopal Academy; and state qualifier Upper Dublin vs. two-time defending Friends Schools League champion Friends' Central.

12th Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival
Satusday, April 28, at Radnor High

Boys' Games
Conestoga vs. Haverford School
Downingtown East vs. La Salle College
Downingtown West vs. Brunswick School (CT)
Emmaus vs. Germantown Academy
Springfield-Delco vs. Episcopal Academy
Garnet Valley vs. St. Augustine Prep (NJ)
Harriton vs. Archbishop Carroll
Hatboro-Horsham vs. Archbishop Wood
Haverford vs. Shipley School
Malvern Prep vs. Lawrenceville School (NJ)
Penn Charter vs. The Hill School
Radnor vs. St. Joseph's Prep
Bayard Rustin vs. Cardinal O'Hara

Girls' Games
Abington vs. Germantown Academy
Boyertown vs. Baldwin School
Conestoga vs. Mt. St. Joseph's Academy
Downingtown East vs. The Hill School
Garnet Valley vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School (Va.)
Great Valley vs. Notre Dame Academy
Harriton vs. Archbishop Carroll
Haverford vs. Agnes Irwin School
Methacton vs. Springside School
Penncrest vs. Shipley School
Radnor vs. Episcopal Academy
Unionville vs. William Penn Charter School
Upper Dublin vs. Friends' Central School
Henderson vs. Villa Maria Academy

2011-09-27