By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/4/09
Radnor senior attacker Sam Ellis has committed to play next year at Princeton
University.
Ellis, an Academic All-American pick last year for the District 1 Class AAA champions, said the academic reputation at Princeton made the choice easy.
“For Princeton, there isn’t anything not to like,” she said. “Academics was always my first priority. It was a bonus to get a great academic school and a great lacrosse school.
“I loved the campus, I loved the coaches and it’s close enough to home that distance is not an issue for my parents to come see me play.”
Ellis, who is a member of the National Honor Society, is considering a career in environmental studies.
For now, though, Ellis is concentrating on helping the Red Raiders repeat as Central League champions and take a shot at the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state championship.
Radnor went 23-0 last year in a magical season that ended with a come-from-behind, 15-11 win over Bayard Rustin in the district finals. This years team, though, suffered from mass graduation; and Ellis is one of only four seniors.
Still, Radnor figures to be a major factor.
“We have a lot of juniors that are really good,” Ellis said. “we only have four seniors playing; it’s weird because we had so much senior leadership last year with our nine seniors.
“This year we’re focusing on bonding. We’re going to Florida (for Spring Break) and I still think we can pull out a season like last year if we put our minds to it.”
Ellis said she’s excited that the PIAA is offering a state tournament for the first time. In the past the District 1 champions were considered by many to be “mythical” state champions. Now there is one class and all 153 schools are in the running.
“Now, no one can have doubt,” she said. “You can’t have people saying, ‘They didn’t beat this team’ or ‘They didn’t play that team.’ We’ll get the chance to see the competition and play everyone we’re supposed to play to have a real state champion.
“Everyone is going to be out to get us,” she added. “We’ve got to play our best game every time out and put it all out on the field. We’re going to work hard and do everything we can to make it to states.”
