Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/3/16
From Press Releases
The Israel men’s festival team, playing under the “IPLL All-Stars” banner, defeated English-conglomerate-club Oxbridge 5-1 on Monday to win the 2016 European Festival at Szent István University in Budapest, Hungary.
Ashdod’s Noah Hirshorn and Zach Penfil (Garnet Valley, Penn) each scored twice, while Be’er Sheva’s Jake Reiner (40:00, 2 saves, 1 GA) earned the win in goal to lead the “festies” to their third win over the English squad.
Barak Netanya’s Jonah Biblowitz added a single, while Be’er Sheva goaltender Jeff Handman picked up a long pole to solidify the All-Stars on the defensive end.
The blue-and-white were a perfect 7-0 over the four-day event, which culminated in Monday’s finale. Israel men’s national team assistant coach Pete Ginnegar steered the Festies from the bench.
The festival also featured developing national teams from Bulgaria and Croatia.
Israel’s roster featured all-stars from the Israel Premier Lacrosse League, including Theodore Bergman (Haifa/2015), Dane Bradley (Ashdod), Ken Donsky (Haifa/2015), Jordan Hirsch (Be’er Sheva), Benjamin Holback (Ashkelon/2015), Logan Kupferman (Barak Netanya), Frantisek Klima (Ashdod), Ian Mills (Kiryat Gat), Nate Rottenstrich (Be’er Sheva) and Sacha Stout (Tel Aviv/2015).
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Penfil named Offensive Player of Year
Ashdod LC midfielder Penfil (Garnet Valley, Penn) was named STX Offensive Player of the Year. Penfil led the league in assists with nine, and was second in overall scoring with 22 points. He also honored as the league’s top faceoff man, earning a spot on the first-team All-Israel squad as a faceoff specialist.
Ashdod’s Max Gradinger was named Bank Hapoalim Defensive Player of the Year. Gradinger and the Ashdod defense allowed just 48 goals all season (6.8 goals against per game), good for second in the league. Gradinger was all over the field for Ashdod, forcing turnovers and even contributing offensively, with nine goals and two assists.
Kiryat Gat LC’s Brandon Mager was presented the Sticks For Kids Sportsmanship Award in recognition of his overwhelming commitment to the development of the sport of lacrosse in Israel. Mager played hard-nosed defense all season, while maintaining the highest level of respect for the sport. Mager and his teammates impacted over 2,000 Israeli youth in Kiryat Gat this summer, a huge chunk of the small Southern city.
Ashdod midfield Lidor Ashtamkar was named IPLL Rookie of the Year, in recognizing the top Israeli high school “call up” player. The 15-year-old scored three goals and three assists for Ashdod this season, leading all U-19 players.
Kiryat Gat’s Ivan Cohen was honored as the IPLL Coach of the Year. Kiryat Gat’s roster was the league’s most diverse, with athletes from Israel, Germany, Turkey, and the United States. Despite an 0-5 regular season record, Kiryat Gat improved each game, culminating with a shocking quarterfinal win over Ashdod LC. Cohen is credited with cultivating a positive energy and family atmosphere with his team, allowing them to be competitive all season despite holes on their roster at key positions.
First Team All-Israel
Forward
Caleb Brodie, Ashkelon
Drew Gallant (Penn Charter), Barak Netanya
Drew Saltzman, Ashkelon
Midfield
Ian Kadish, Be’er Sheva
Yochanan Katz, Haifa
Mitch Turley, Kiryat Gat
Defense
Chris Friedman, Haifa
Max Gradinger, Ashdod
Jacob Hymowitz, Be’er Sheva
Goal
Kiryat Gat, Dan Kaufman
Faceoff
Zachary Penfil (Garnet Valley, Penn), Ashdod