July 1, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Deerfield puts together another big year

by Mike Zhe/

Rob Pannell recorded 99 points in leading Deerfield to a 14-1 record.

Rob Pannell recorded 99 points in leading Deerfield to a 14-1 record.

With longtime Loomis Chaffee mentor Jim Wilson stepping down, no coach in Western New England Division 1 has a longer current tenure than Chip Davis of Deerfield Academy.

And, in his 19 years there, Davis has never had a player put up more points than attack Rob Pannell did this spring.

Pannell, who will play at Cornell next year, racked up 46 goals and 99 points. That broke the modern-day school mark of Rob Lyle, who scored 88 points in 1995 before moving on to Brown.

He also won the Stewart Lindsay Award as the most valuable attackman in Division 1.

“He can shake people,” Davis said. “He’s got a great change of direction. It makes him the most dangerous guy on the field because he’s totally unpredictable.”

Pannell is one of three Deerfield teammates heading to Cornell, along with midfielders Chip Daugherty and J.J. Gilbane.

Those three — plus four other players committed to Division 1 colleges — helped Deerfield earn a share of its second straight Western New England title and sixth in the last seven years.

One year after running the table and going 15-0, the Big Green had to settle for a 14-1 mark that included a 9-8 loss to Avon Old Farms. They finished tied atop the standings with New York’s Trinity-Pawling.

“It’s interesting,” Davis said. “I’d have to pick last year’s team in a (head-to-head) matchup. But looking back, I was impressed to see that this year’s team outscored last year’s team.”

Pannell, a postgraduate student, was a big reason for that. His maturity showed as clearly as his talent, as he got off to a fast start and never let up.
“His best trait is he is unflappable,” Davis said. “He never lost composure.”

A high school All-American during his senior year at New York’s Smithtown West High School, Pannell will join a Cornell team that was seeded eighth in this spring’s NCAA tournament but lost on its home field to Ohio State in the first round. The Big Red lose nine seniors from that team.

Deerfield’s defense did not allow an opponent to score 10 goals all season. It was anchored by defenders Peter Procida (Harvard), Mike Morris and John Rose, and Lehigh-bound goalie Conor Murphy.

Long sticks Ben Dennis and Cal Kennedy will play at Vermont, while faceoff specialist Mike Marchassalla is off to Ohio State.

After losing three starting defenders from last year’s stingy squad that allowed fewer than four goals a game, Davis entered the year with legitimate concerns about his defense. But when everything was completed, the Big Green had given up just 6.4 goals a game.

Deerfield showed a knack for emerging in close games, as wins over Loomis Chaffee (12-9) Hotchkiss (7-6), Phillips Exeter (10-7) and Northfield Mount Hermon (12-8) illustrated.

“I’m real happy with it,” Davis said. “We lost 21 seniors after 2007. Winning the league championship was less of an expectation than it was last year.”

HONOR ROLL

? In Connecticut, Loomis Chaffee won its final eight games to finish 11-5 and grab a share of the title in the Founders League. The final two wins in that string were one-goal nail-biters against Avon Old Farms and Hotchkiss, and effectively erased memories of an 0-2 start. Bucknell-bound Charlie Streep scored the last goal of the season with 3.8 seconds left against Hotchkiss, snapping a 6-6 tie. Defender Tom Harris earned All-American honors. “In 49 years of lacrosse at Loomis, this year’s team may have been the most satisfying to coach,” said longtime coach Jim Wilson, who is stepping down.

Fans watching Avon Old Farms this spring were pretty much assured of one thing: Games would be exciting. The Winged Beavers went 11-5, with 10 of those games decided by one or two goals and two going to overtime. The highlight was a 9-8 win over Western New England Division 1 champion Deerfield Academy, and the team finished 4-3 in the Founders League.

? In Rhode Island, Portsmouth Abbey ran the table in the Eastern Independent League, going 8-0 for its first title since 2005, and finished 14-2 overall. On the final day of the season, EIL MVP Harry Holden and Tyler Ross each notched their 100th career points.

? In New Hampshire, Brewster Academy captured its fourth straight Northern New England title, going 13-2 and staying unbeaten in Lakes Region League play. Midfielder Damon Edwards and defender Robert Koger earned All-America honors for the Bobcats, and Carter Bender finished with 45 goals and 82 points. As an added bonus, some team members got to see alum Stephen Keogh score a highlight-reel goal in Syracuse’s win over Johns Hopkins in the NCAA championship game in Foxboro, Mass.

A 13-4 record for Phillips Exeter included statement wins over Loomis Chaffee, Noble and Greenough, Brewster and Avon Old Farms. The 10-9 win over Nobles lasted six overtimes, making it the longest game in school history. Leading scorer Nick Laster earned All-America honors, with teammates Ted McKenna and Eddie Williams joining him for selection to the East-West All-Star Game.

Hebron Academy won a third consecutive Maine prep title and finished 13-3. Nazareth College-bound midfielder C.J. Estes led the way offensively with 45 goals and 40 assists on his way to earning first team All-Northern New England honors. Junior Burke scored 37 goals, Bobby Thoits added 30 and Malik Garvin chipped in 26.

? In Massachusetts, Governor’s Academy crafted what was believed to be the first undefeated season in its 72-year history, going 17-0 to win the Independent School League outright. Captains David Doggett, Mike Shakespeare and Jeff Muscatello were part of a senior class that went 47-3 over the last three seasons, sharing two other ISL titles.

Few teams played as rigorous a schedule as Salisbury School, and the Crimson Knights acquitted themselves nicely. Their 14-3 mark was blemished only by losses to Western New England powers Deerfield Academy (12-6) and Trinity-Pawling (12-11), and Avon Old Farms (9-8).

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