By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/8/09

Downingtown West rising senior attackman Eric Sanders has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Albany.

Sanders, a 6-foot-6 lefthander, said a major reason he chose to play for the Great Danes was their coach, Scott Marr, a tall left-handed attackman who starred for Johns Hopkins in the early 1990s.

“The biggest thing for me was Scott Marr,” said Sanders,” a second-team All-Ches-Mont League pick last year. “He was a lefty attackman at Hopkins. He’s really looking forward to working with me one on one. We have similar styles, but he said I am faster than he was.”

Sanders, an Honor student, is looking to major in nanotechnology.

“I could go into anything I want with that background,” he said. “I could go into medicine or I could repair muscle tissue; the possibilities are endless.”

Albany has been a regular title contender in the American East Conference, reaching the league finals seven straight years until 2009 when it fell in the semifinals. Albany was 7-7 overall last season.

“It has a really nice campus,” said Sanders. “They have a nice facility, with indoor turf and outdoor turf for games. They have a huge weightroom and more indoor turf for work on agility.”

Sanders collected 28 goals and 24 assists for a Whippets team that went 12-8 and advanced to the second round of the District 1 playoffs last year. Also a member of the Duke’s Lacrosse Club, he played for the Chester County team that earned a bronze medal in the recent Keystone State Games.

Besides Sanders, Downingtown West has two others that have committed to Division I colleges: defenseman/LSM Tyler Rankel and attackman Ryan Higgins (both Robert Morris). Seniors can sign National Letters of Intent beginning with the early signing period Nov. 11-18.

“I think we should have a great year,” said Sanders. “We return a lot of our defense, our goalie, and our whole attack. We just have to be dedicated in the off season.”

Tags: Downingtown West