BOYS LACROSSE: Mason Smith scores 8 goals, La Salle gets past Ridley in PIAA-3A quarterfinals

WEST GOSHEN – The only thing hotter than the temperatures in Saturday afternoon's PIAA-3A quarterfinals was the scoring touch of La Salle boys lacrosse's Mason Smith.

The sophomore attacker finished the opening half with four straight goals – the first three in the personal run coming in just a span of 57 seconds – as the Explorers went into the break with an 8-2 lead over Ridley.

"It's crazy," Smith said. "I just think as a team we just played together and I just found different spots in their defense and I was just clicking. And I just think that's how the whole game went. But it's all my teammates, man."

The Green Raiders scored the first two goals of the third quarter, but only nine seconds after they had cut the margin to 8-4 Smith found the back of the net to blunt any momentum Ridley had built.

Smith added two more tallies in the fourth to finish with eight on the day, as La Salle claimed an 11-5 victory at West Chester East's Harold I. Zimmerman Stadium, knocking out Ridley in the quarters for the second straight season.

"I give all credit to my teammates," Smith said. "We came out with high energy the whole game and I just think my teammates just found me in spots and I just finished the ball. It goes down on the my defense to start, Roman (Ippoldo) was making great saves, Danny (Kuriger), Coop (Heilig), Chase (Heron), our LSMs, they're getting the ball out quick and Toby (Zweiback) and Will (Trymbiski) were just finding me, even the middies and I just think it was a great day."

Trymbiski, Brady Brevic and Michael vanBastelaar also added a goal for the District 12 and Philadelphia Catholic League champion Explorers (20-3), who for the fourth consecutive year advance to the state semifinals.

Tuesday, La Salle faces District 1 champ Springfield (Delco) – a 15-8 winner over Downingtown West – in a rematch of last season's semi won 9-5 by the Cougars on their way to claiming the state title.

"We got to come back tomorrow, we got to have a good practice and then Monday another good practice," said Smith, whose father Rick was the former head coach at North Penn. "And we're just ready to battle. They're a great team, we're a great team so it's going to be another great battle and we're super excited for the opportunity to make it back to the state championship."

While Ridley's road once again ended with the Explorers, Green Raiders coach Steve Hill saw growth from his side as it gave a stronger performance that in 2025 when it lost 19-3 on the same field.

"They absolutely hammered us last year, it wasn't even competitive," Hill said. "So the way we came out this year with a bunch of sophomores and juniors, they're going to feel this one, they're going to take it and be better from it next year."

Brody Bair scored twice while Jake Busza, Tyler Reynolds and Jason Rubincam each chipped in a goal for Ridley, which finishes with an 18-7 overall record.

"We're getting there," Hill said. "I feel like each year we've gotten better. This is my third year, we've continued to improve, unfortunately we've ran into them the past two years in the quarterfinals. But that comes down to getting a little further in the district, we lost in the semis in the district for two years so those little things are going to make a difference."

La Salle took an early 2-0 lead after goals from Trymbiski then Smith before Bair put the Green Raiders on the board at 8:26 in the first quarter. A Brevic tally at 6:53 put the Explorers back up two but Busza scored off a drive at 3:10 to make it 3-2.

The Explorers, however, collected all five goals in the second quarter – vanBastelaar finding the back of the net 41 seconds into the period before Smith capped the half with his four-goal burst.

"You play a 3-2 first quarter and then a five-nothing second quarter and that kind of kills you," Hill said. "And it was a lot of transition, fast break. I thought sixes, we were good all day both sides of the ball. Their defense is phenomenal, they got a goalie going to Cornell, you know what you're facing. But I felt our kids battled and competed the entire game."

Smith extended La Salle's lead to 5-2 – posting up a defender as he came from behind the net then sent a shot in at 7:56. Forty-five seconds later, Smith scored off a Zweiback assist. Twelve seconds after that, Smith struck again thanks to a Zweiback helper and it was 7-2 Explorers.

"Just finding spots in their defense and different defenses and just attacking their guys," Smith said. "Our middies and attackmen, they dodge and they slide off me and I either make the one more (pass) to Will or Toby or I score the ball."

Smith notched his fourth of the quarter – and fifth of the half – as he received a pass from Dylan Malone, turned and fired a shot just before taking a hit that connected at 3:16, sending La Salle into halftime up 8-2.

"It's just kind of like how the game comes to you," Smith said. "Started off with a few transition goals and I thought as we settled in, they shorty-ed me so I knew I could take advantage of that and I kind of got to my five at five area where I like and I kind of made one move and I either passed the ball and I shot it. So it was just kind of how the day went.

A Reynolds goal 27 seconds into the third quarter followed by a Bair tally on the man advantage at 7:33 pulled Ridley to within 8-4. But Smith quickly answered, scoring at 7:24 for the last goal of the quarter. In the fourth, Smith drove through the defense for a goal at 11:10 to make it 10-4.

Rubincam's strike at 10:02 had Ridley down five but La Salle keeper Ippoldo came up with a few stops and with 2:02 remaining Smith came around the net to score his eighth of the afternoon.

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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 5:04 PM.