Boys Lacrosse: Ries’ heart and soul driving Springfield forward

RIDLEY TWP. >> Matt Ries’ short frame makes him tough to pick out of a crowd. But once you find him, the stark difference between him and his fellow high schoolers stands out. His compact stature is packed with muscle, more like a coach’s than the average high school lacrosse player’s. He exudes uncommon maturity for his age, whether he’s organizing teammates for a game of bowling on a Sunday evening or sorting players in the box as they shuttle on and off the field. And there’s something ineffable about his demeanor, a seriousness that gives way to outbursts of humor that his friends revere. Whether he and his teammates are bonding on a laid back evening or engrossed in battle on the field, Ries’ presence is significant. Within the Springfield community, he’s embodied the bonds that unite the town’s core of families and the outpouring of support that it is capable of.

“That’s probably the strongest kid I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Springfield midfielder Zac Methlie said Sunday. In the eight months since the loss of his father, Ries’ situation epitomizes the family spirit that has carried Springfield to such heights, from last spring’s District One title to a second straight PIAA tournament appearance that starts Wednesday with a trip to Lake Lehman High School to meet District 2 champion Delaware Valley.

“We always talk about family on our team, and the guys really, really stick together and buy into that philosophy,” coach Tom Lemieux said. “… That’s just great for our community. And this is a really great place to be.”

Ries and his family have leaned on the community to a degree few could’ve imagined. It began last September when Ries’ father, John, passed away unexpectedly. That tragedy sent shockwaves through the community, which rallied to the side of Ries, his mother Missy and younger sister Laura, a sophomore at Cardinal O’Hara. The response from neighbors and family friends was instantaneous. They arranged homemade meals to be delivered four days a week for months, tapering off just a few weeks ago. They offered their time and homes to Laura and Matt for any kind of distraction to help them cope, even if it was for just a few hours.

“Springfield is a really small place, and the kids all grew up with each other, whether it was from first grade or kindergarten,” said Barb Spence, a close friend of the Ries family whose sons James (junior) and Jack (freshman) are on Springfield’s lacrosse team. “When anything happens to anyone, everyone takes it to heart.”

“All the kids on the football team and lacrosse team have been like a second family, so it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be,” Matt Ries said. “All the kids on the team are looking out for me.”

Sports became Ries’ refuge. He’d spend his days engaging in any kind of athletic activity he could scrounge up enough teammates for. James Spence, one of Ries’ oldest friends, would have him over for fiddle lacrosse in the backyard, pickup hoops games, touch football, anything that got them out and laughing another day away.

“It just took our minds off of everything,” James Spence said. “And it really kind of just gave us all something to look forward to for the weekends and just have fun with and kind of lose track of everything that happens in life.”

Ries’ most vivid memory in the aftermath of his dad’s passing was the Cougars’ next football game, the day of a funeral that drew hundreds of mourners from the town to support his family. Garnet Valley romped past the Cougars, 34-18, on a windy, rainy evening. But the game meant more to Ries than the scoreboard could tabulate.

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After losing his father unexpectedly, Matt Ries (25) has poured everything he has into athletics at Springfield. The Cougars open the PIAA boys lacrosse tournament Wednesday against Delaware Valley. (Digital First Media/Pete Bannan)