Brian Ruppel and Cardin Stoller have seen many Under Armor All-America Lacrosse Boys Senior Games over the years, both well aware of what draws the most attention in the prestigious summer show: Goals.

In last year’s competition, the North and South teams combined a mind-boggling 50 of them.

As the goalkeeper tandem representing the South in the 17th annual game – Ruppel earned All-Metro first team honors by The Baltimore Sun in his final season at Catonsville and Stoller claimed second team honors for Boys’ Latin – they are excited and honored to be part be part of the event.

Most importantly, they feel prepared for the heavy workload ahead.

The game is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 PM at Johns Hopkins’ Homewood Field and will be broadcast live on ESPNU. The South, which came off a 28-22 win last year, has a 9-6 lead in the overall series. No game was not played in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Latin’s Cardin Stoller of Boys, left, and Brian Ruppel of Catonsville, who will form Saturday’s goalkeeper tandem to represent the South team in the 17th annual Under Armor All-America Lacrosse Boys Senior Game, are excited and honored to be part of of the event.
(Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun)

“It’s kind of an offensive show, so it’s going to be tough with a lot of great shooters. But there are also a lot of great defenders, so it will be fun,” said Ruppel, a Maryland commit. “There are definitely a lot of shots coming my way, but I’m just going to do what I can to talk to my defense and make as many saves as possible to keep my team in there and hopefully the South side will come out with a win.”

Stoller plans to take a simple approach and stick to what selected him.

“Playing against the best guys in the country, that’s the fun of it. It’s going to be a challenge,” he said. “I just want to play my game, try not to do anything too crazy and stick with what has worked for me – nothing too flashy.”

Ruppel and Stoller capped off high school careers with sensational senior years that warranted selection for the big summer competition.

For a second season in a row, Ruppel led Catonsville to the Baltimore County crown and a trip to the state tournament. Maryland’s bet stopped 140 shots while allowing just four goals per game in Comets’ 18-1 season. He is the fifth public school player from the area to be named an Under Armor All-American.

Boys Latin goalkeeper Cardin Stoller (99) celebrates after a win at St. Mary’s on May 3. Stoller, a Rutgers commit, turned away 222 shots to lead the Lakers (14-3) to first place in the regular season and the semifinals of the MIAA A Conference Tournament. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

A Rutgers commitee, Stoller picked up where he left off in his junior year when he helped lead Boys’ Latin to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference title, turning 222 shots for the Lakers (14-3) lead to first place. -place finish in the regular competition and the semifinals of the competition tournament.

Inside Lacrosse’s director of high school recruiting and content Ty Xanders, a St. Paul graduate, said the pool of goalkeeper talent gave the selection committee plenty to consider.

“When it comes to the 2022 class, I would go so far as to say that this is the best goalkeeper class I have evaluated in my 12 years. I think that’s pretty obvious with the amount of depth there is,” he said. “In this class, because there are a lot of kids who have the opportunity to start three or four years in college and that’s even harder in a era of fifth year transfers, so it really speaks volumes about these two, goalkeepers in particular, that they were just a bit better than other talented guys.”

The 44 players selected to play in the game – 22 on each roster – will be announced in four waves over the spring months. Stoller was mentioned in the fourth and final wave. The phone call he received informing him that he had made the team proved to be the icing on the cake for his senior season.

Catonsville goalkeeper Brian Ruppel saves against Hereford during the Baltimore County Boys’ Lacrosse Championship game. Maryland’s bet stopped 140 shots while allowing just four goals per game in Comets’ 18-1 season. (Steve Ruark/Baltimore Sun Media Group)

“They only need four goalkeepers, so to be one of them is quite special for me,” he said. “I remember watching the game last year and thinking to myself how great it would be to play in that game. So that was a goal for me this year, to try and get that recognition and get a chance to compete with the best league in the country. ”

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Ruppel and Stoller took well-known paths to become first-class goalkeepers. Both started out as forwards, but during their respective high school years playing for club teams, coaches were looking for someone to put in the goal. It wasn’t long before both were sold because of the position and the challenges it presented.

On Saturday, playing in front of a live national television audience, the duo will have the chance to make a difference against the best in the country in a bid to keep the South team rolling.

“I just like it so much because you have such a huge influence on the outcome of the game,” said Ruppel, who also played goalkeeper for the Catonsville football team. “There are so many aspects to the position. I just love being the last line of defense and being able to make game-changing moves.”

Under Armor All-America Boys Lacrosse Game

At Johns Hopkins Homefield Field

Saturday, 8 p.m.

TV: ESPNU