Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/23/10

Three Philly boys have recently committed to Division I colleges.

St. Joseph’s Prep senior defenseman Connor Dent has made a verbal commitment to play at Bryant University while Hawks teammate Rob Watts (attackman/midfielder) and Unionville long stick midfielder Rich O’Neill have committed to play at St. Joseph’s University.

Dent missed much of the 2010 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but returned late in the year as St. Joe’s reached the Catholic League finals and earned a ranking in the top 10 of the Pennsylvania Media Rankings.

Watts played a key role at attack and midfield for the Hawks, who finished 12-8 overall and had several key wins over ranked teams, including Long Island power St. Anthony’s. He also played in the adidas All-American Games during the summer.

O’Neill was a First Team Ches-Mont League pick in 2010 for Unionville, which reached the District 1 playoffs. O’Neill was named the No. 6 LSM in the nation by ESPN RISE, which also was listed him as the nation’s No. 30 senior overall.