By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/13/09

La Salle senior defenseman Shane Pierce has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s University.

Pierce has been a member of a La Salle team that won the last two state championships, claiming the final Keystone Cup title in 2008 and the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association crown in 2009.

Pierce, who plays club lacrosse for LB3, chose Mount St. Mary’s for its small campus, focus on academics and coaching staff. He plans to major in business or biology.

“I like the fact they have a small campus and how they give individual attention to academics,” he said. “Coach (Tom) Gravante is real personable and I also liked the assistant coaches.”

Gravante has made national headlines for being a cancer survivor and supporting cancer awareness programs. He was featured on Phillylacrosse.com after coaching last month at the Third Annual Nick Colleluori Classic at Ridley.

Pierce is one of many new faces that are expected to take a key role when the Explorers shoot for a third straight state title. The team lost a number of key starters, especially on defense.

“We lost a lot of kids, but other teams lost a lot as well,” he said. “It was a big graduating senior class. But we have two amazing juniors (attackman Kevin Forster and midfielder Jack Bogorowski) that already committed and a bunch of seniors going D1.

“We are going to be a threat. It’s going to be a great season; I can’t wait.”

Forster has committed to Maryland and Bogorowski has committed to Johns Hopkins. Also for La Salle, senior midfielder/face-off specialist Anthony Cognetti has committed to St. Joseph’s and this week midfielder Patrick Resch committed to Dartmouth.

Tags: La Salle