By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, posted 11/27/09
Conestoga senior midfielder Ryan Lord has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Maryland.
Lord was an All-Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association and first-team All-Central League pick this year for a squad that went 24-2 and reached the finals of the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championship game after winning the first District 1 crown. He also was a second team All-Phillylacrosse.com selection.
He will join teammate and defenseman Casey Ikeda at Maryland, where he plans to major in business. He also is interested in medicine.
“I picked it because I loved the coaches and I liked the school,” said Lord, whose father Rob played at nearby Johns Hopkins. “I liked the lacrosse at other schools, but none of them had lacrosse like Maryland.”
Lord is one of seven Pioneers that have signed with or committed to Division I colleges. The others are Ikeda, goalie face-off specialist Ryan Buttenbaum and attackman Matt Smith (Lehigh), Peter Zonino (Hobart), attackman Austin Rogusky (Loyola) and midfielder Jason Klunder (Drexel). Several other Pioneers will play at the Division III level.
Lord also plays club lacrosse for Mesa Fresh 2010 with many members of the Conestoga team. With a large group of Pioneer returnees, as well as a strong junior class that features Benn Karr (committed to Ohio State) and Brian Dailey on defense, the expectations will be very high.
“I’m so excited, mainly for the team,” Lord said. “I have been playing with them my whole life. It’s so much fun to play with them, and we have one more season.
“We’re not saying we’re going to win it (the state title), but with the players we have, we have (a chance).”
