By Paul Edwards
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/16/10
Malvern Prep senior midfielder Ryan Creighton has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I lacrosse at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Creighton was an Inter-Ac League First-Team pick last year when he helped the Friars tie Haverford School for the league crown.
The Friars lacrosse program has a strong connection to UNC. Next fall the North Carolina roster will feature five former Friars, including fellow senior Andrew O’Connell (goalie)l. hree Malvern grads, sophomores Chris Layne and Matt Conte, and freshman Conor Steidle are on the Tar Heels’ current roster.
“It’s going to be great to have the other four Malvern guys down there with me next year,” said Creighton, who plays club lacrosse for Team HEADstrong.
The school’s entire package is what appealed to Creighton. “It has great athletic and academic traditions,” he said.
Creighton is considering studying business, but is still undecided on a major. He chose the Tar Heels over Ohio Sate, Notre Dame, Fairfield, and Johns Hopkins.
As a midfielder, Creighton is strong on both sides of the field. He cites his leadership qualities as his greatest attribute, but is always looking to improve. “I have a lot of things I need to work on, moving forward,” he said.
Creighton is excited about the upcoming season for the Friars and is blunt about the team’s overall goal. This year Haverford School is nationally ranked and Episcopal Academy, Penn Charter and Germantown Academy are all legitimate challengers, but Creighton and his teammates have high expectations.
“The Inter-Ac is always tough, but it is our goal to win; we have high expectations,” Creighton said.
Creighton wishes to thank his family, especially his two older brothers (Mike, a Notre Dame senior), and Chris (a Villanova sophomore) for their support throughout the recruiting process. He also wishes to thank his former Malvern teammates and future UNC teammates, and his former high school coach, John McEvoy.
“It was great to talk to my brothers throughout the whole process because they went through it themselves,” Creighton said.
