By Scott Johnston
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/7/11
In his four years as a high school player, Christian Messler helped put the Emmaus lacrosse program on the map.
Beginning in 2012, he’ll try and do the same in a different role – with Emmaus’ biggest rival.
Messler, a 2003 graduate of Emmaus, was recently approved by the Parkland School Board to become the school’s next boys’ lacrosse head coach.
“I’m very, very excited for the opportunity,” said the 26-year-old by phone earlier this week.
Messler takes over for Geoff Chenworth, who spent the past three seasons leading the Parkland program. The 48-year-old Chenworth had compiled a 36-20 overall record (64 percent winning percentage).
“We are extremely happy to have Christian on our staff,” said Parkland athletic director Jeff Geisel. “I know him from his playing days at Emmaus and feel confident that he will bring the same enthusiasm and skill to our program that exemplified him as a player at both the high school and college levels.”
Messler spent the past two seasons serving as an assistant at Muhlenberg College in Allentown and prior to that served as an assistant at Franklin and Pierce College, a Division II school located in southwestern New Hampshire.
As a player, Messler started all four years at Emmaus and was a standout long stick midfielder and defenseman. He was named a three-time all-league performer for the now defunct Penn Valley Lacrosse League (PVLL).
Upon graduating from high school, he stayed close to home and attended nearby Muhlenberg from 2004-07. He played in 39 games as a defenseman and occasional face-off wing. He graduated with a degree in history in 2007.
Messler inherits a Parkland program that finished 13-6 overall this past season and was 7-5 in the LVC. The Torjans advanced to the LVC and District 11 semifinals before losing to Allentown Central Catholic on both occasions.
Parkland lost a number of talented seniors off of this year’s squad including four-year varsity standout Kurtis Kaunas (134 goals, 99 assists) who will play at nearby Lehigh University; midfielders David Cecchini and Andrew Bungert; face-off specialist Dave Emrick and defenseman Jarrod Bulger, Matt Bashore and Devin Jepson.
