Men’s recruit: La Salle’s Knarr will head to Georgetown after coming back from knee surgery for chance at another crown

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/19/09

La Salle senior long stick midfielder Tyler Knarr has signed a letter of intent to play next year at Georgetown University.

Knarr, an All-American last season, chose the Washington D.C. college for its coaching staff and location.

“The coaches at Georgetown are awesome,” Knarr said. “It’s a cool location and it brings academics and a lifestyle together. It’s a prestigious school and there’s a ton of stuff to do around D.C.”

Knarr, who is undecided on a major, has recently returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his season last year in late April. Due to the injury, Knarr had to watch from the sidelines when the Explorers won the final Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (EPSLA) and Keystone Cup championships.

He has only played several weeks after extensive rehabilitation and admits he has a way to go before being full strength, mentally and physically.

“I played one indoor game before the break before the season,” he said. “I have been able to train completely, and do all the work to get back into physical shape.

“I have done the stick work, but I guess I (have to catch up) on the feel for the game, knowing where to be and having game sense. I’ve kind of gotten throw into it quickly.”

Knarr said it was much easier to swallow missing the end of the year in 2008 because the team kept winning. He said the EPSLA semifinal and final wins over Haverford School and Malvern Prep were the most exciting games he’s ever seen.

“I still felt like a part of it because they included me in everything,” he said. “I was so excited when they won. We had kind of a little recession when we had the loss to Germantown Academy.

And then it was like a Phoenix rising. They came back and kind of surged when they needed.”

Knarr understands that La Salle now faces a major challenge every time out since it is ranked first or second in every poll in the nation.

“We try to just take it in stride,” he said. “Nothing will come easy, of course. The media is kind of making us the team to beat, so that’s more of a challenge and won’t make it any easier.”