Two-time Cavalier captain Rory Friel returned in May 2006 as an offensive and man-up assistant for the Cabrini lacrosse team, nearly a year to the day after collecting his diploma – and Cabrini’s Male Athlete of the Year award (among all sports).
As a four-year starting attackman (2002-05), Friel collected 82 goals and 92 assists, putting him sixth on Cabrini’s all-time list in goals, second in assists and fifth in total points (174). Just ahead of him in fourth is his brother Mike (1995-98), who piled up 95 goals and 90 assists for 185 total points.
Friel helped the Cavaliers win four Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) championships and earn their first four NCAA tournament bids, earning all-PAC recognition for himself his final three seasons.
Friel made first-team all-conference as a sophomore in 2003 after leading the Cavaliers in both goals (35) and assists (27). He capped the year with three goals and three assists as the Cavs stunned host Widener 13-8 for their first-ever NCAA tournament win.
As a freshman in 2002, Friel wound up third on the Cavs in assists (15) and fifth in goals (23), including two key goals in a hard-fought 6-3 win over Wesley in the PAC title game.
Friel, a Ridley Park (Pa.) native, started at Ridley High for three years and captained the Raiders’ state championship team as a senior in 2001. He struck for 36 goals and 30 assists that year, making second-team all-Central League and honorable-mention all-Delaware County.
In the fall of his senior year, Friel won those same honors in football as a two-way starter at quarterback and outside linebacker. He started for three seasons at linebacker (1998-2000), helping Ridley go 8-3 each year, and served as team captain in 2000.
Friel, who was born July 31, 1982, earned his B.A. from Cabrini as an English major in 2005 and launched his coaching career as an assistant with the Springfield (Delco) High JV team in the spring of ’06. With Friel guiding the offense, Springfield went 12-3.
Friel is working on a master’s degree in special education at Cabrini.
