By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/15/10
Malvern Prep senior long stick midfielder Jack Morgenthaler has made a commitment to play Division I lacrosse at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.
Morgenthaler was a contributor last year on a Friars team that shared the Inter-Ac League championship with Haverford School. He was picked to compete for Team Philly in the adidas All-American Classic last summer and plays club lacrosse for Rebel Elite.
Morgenthaler, a High Honors student who plans to study Economics, noted that his uncle, Greg Morgenthaler, is an assistant athletic director at Annapolis and that he has visited the Naval Academy many times.
“It’s been my dream forever to go there,” Morgenthaler said. “The campus is amazing; it’s right on the water and the opportunities that any of the academies give you are outstanding.
“I love the leadership qualities you gain from being in the Naval Academy. It has a great tradition and all the people are hard-working.”
Morgenthaler joins Malvern Prep teammate TJ Hanzsche as a Navy recruit. Two other Philly seniors, Wissahickon LSM Beau Gomez and Central Bucks East face-off specialist Seam Reilly also have committed to Navy.
Four other Friar seniors have committed to Division I colleges: face-off specialist Drew Kennedy (Johns Hopkins), midfielder Keith Dreyer (Air Force), attackman Mike Dougherty (St. Joseph’s) and midfielder Vince Travaglini (Massachusetts).
Morgenthaler is excited about the 2011 season and believes that, even though Haverford School figures to enter the year as the league favorite, the Friars will challenge under first-tear coach David Metzbower.
“I am real excited about our new coach,” Morgenthaler said. “Having talked to him only once, I can really see his enthusiasm. He is going to make us work hard and I think we’ll really come together as a team. I think we’ll prove a lot of people wrong again next year.”
Morgenthaler wished to thank Rebel Elite mentors Harry Sankey (head coach) and Matt Lefchik and former Malvern Prep’s John McEvoy (head coach) and Paul O’Grady for helping in the process.
