By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/11/11
Avon Grove senior attackman Damian Sobieski has committed to play Division III lacrosse at Cabrini College.
Sobieski scored 43 goals and added 22 assists this year and earned First Team All-Ches-Mont League in helping the Red Devils (17-4 overall) place second with a league mark of 9-2 while reaching the District 1 quarterfinals.
Sobieski, who played club lacrosse for Black Bear Select and Team 302 Elite, plans to study Secondary Education and minor in coaching.
Cabrini won its 11th straight Colonial States Athletic Conference championship this year, finishing 13-6 reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament under coach Steve Colfer.
“I chose to play lacrosse at Cabrini for a couple reasons,” Sobieski said. “No. 1, I like coach Colfer. He’s a real down to earth guy to talk to and I like the way he coaches. They have had a lot of success with him coaching and I want to be apart of that.
“The location is perfect, too. It’s not very far so my parents can come watch me play, and I also like being close to home.”
Sobieski will be joined by Avon Grove teammate Anthony DiNenno (face-off specialist/midfielder) as a Cabrini recruit.
Sobieski said that although his team fell short of its goals of winning a league title and reaching the state tourney, the season was a success.
“I am very proud of what our team accomplished this year,” he said. “No other lacrosse team at Avon Grove has gone as far as we did this year.
“There were some up and downs, but how you respond after the downs is what defines you and I think we responded pretty well to the losses. We didn’t make it to states, but we went the farthest any team can go without making it to states and that’s something our team is proud of.
“I think that the reason we were and will be so successful is that we are getting kids involved at younger ages. They are learning the fundamentals at a younger age and it’s really paying off.
Sobieski also wished to thank head coach Eric Jackson and his staff for developing a program that has begun to establish itself as a consistent District 1 power.
“Coach Jackson is all about fundamentals,” Sobieski said. “He also coaches based on discipline. We were a very sound team when we listened. He would always beat that into our heads at practice.
“The coaching at Avon Grove is fantastic. We have great coaches that know what they are talking about and are good at coaching. That is why I believe this is only the beginning to Avon Grove lacrosse. There will be many years to come of great lacrosse out of Avon Grove.”
