By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/22/09
La Salle junior attackman Kevin Forster made a verbal commitment tonight to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Maryland.
Forster was a starter for the Explorers in their two-year run as state champions in 2008 and 2009 and this summer was listed as the No. 7 Young Guns Rising Junior recruit by Inside Lacrosse Magazine.
Forster chose Maryland over Division I powers North Carolina, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, and Virginia. He will be the first of his family to choose a school besides Penn State; brother Rob graduated from PSU in 2008 and Jack is a redshirt sophomore while Randy – also a member of the two state title teams – is a freshman at University Park.
Forster is the second Philly junior to commit to an Atlantic Coast Conference school. Penn Charter attackman Joey Sankey (No. 13 Young Guns choice by Inside Lacrosse) committed to North Carolina during the summer.
Forster, who said he did look at Penn State, will join former teammate and freshman Niko Amato (goalie) at Maryland. Amato was a two-time All-American for La Salle’s state-title teams and the 2008 Phillylacrosse.com Player of the Year.
“I visited there (Maryland) twice, once over summer and once in the second week of September,” said Forster. “I just couldn’t pass it up. It is amazing down there.
“I liked the campus and the kids were great. I just liked the way the team was together; they all hung out together. Niko is a really good friend and I look forward to playing with him again. He helped me out along the way.”
Forster said he also was impressed with Terrapins coach Dave Cottle and his staff. Forster also noted he never felt pressured to make an early decision.
“Their staff was really good about it,” he said. “They said, ‘Look everywhere you want. You make the right choice in the end.’ I had all the time I wanted.”
Forster, who scored just under 30 goals in 2009 and earned second-team All-Catholic League and All-Philllyacrosse.com Honorable Mention honors, also starred for the Duke’s Lacrosse Club. He also played on the Philly Boys’ Under Armour Underclassmen team that finished third this summer.
Currently he is a two-way starter for the undefeated La Salle football team, playing wide receiver and free safety.
Next year’s La Salle team will face many challenges. The Explorers lost nearly their entire starting lineup to graduation, including four All-Americans. But Forster is confident La Salle will remain a power.
“The starters were great and all, but I think we have a few guys that can step up to the challenge and get it done,” he said.
Forster understands he will be a marked man at attack.
“I think we have other players on offense as well,” he said. “It should be fun to see what we can do. We’ll have a chip on our shoulders, as expected.”
Forster looks back on the past two years with pride. The Explorers claimed the final Keystone Cup championship in 2008 after dramatic wins over Haverford School and Malvern Prep in the final Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association playoffs. Last year La Salle toppled Conestoga to avenge an early-season loss and claim the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association title.
“It’s been an amazing ride and it’s been awesome just to play with the talent level of the guys on the team,” Forster said. “We’ve had great coaches and it all came together really well and turned into two championships. I couldn’t ask for more.”
Maryland (10-7) reached the NCAA quarterfinals last spring, bowing to eventual national champion Syracuse 11-6.
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