By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/10/10
Recent Lower Merion graduate Nile Thompson (midfielder) has committed to play Division III lacrosse at Ursinus College.
Thompson was a Central League Honorable Mention pick this year for the Aces, helping them finish fifth in the District 1 tournament with an overall record of 14-10.
Thompson plans to study business and economics at Ursinus for head coach Jamie Steele, who has landed a large number of Philly players for 2010-11. The others include Lower Merion teammate Ari Weisband (defenseman), Malvern Prep’s Scott Hueber (attackman), Dylan Spangenberg (midfielder) and Michael Irvine (defenseman), Bishop Shanahan’s Jordan McGinty and Jim Stanley (midfielders), Conestoga’s Dan Cohen (defenseman), Springfield-Delco’s Jordan Demcher (attackman) and Pennsbury’s Shawn Caven (midfielder/face-off specialist) as well as Mechanicsburg’s Ercol Acri (Team HEADstrong club/midfielder).
“I chose Ursinus because it’s close by and it’s a good academic school,” said Thompson, who was named a Phillylacrosse.com Honor Roll Underclassmen pick in 2009. “There are a lot of guys coming from Philly.
“Coach Steele was very diligent through the recruiting process and I think the program is on the upper swing.”
The Bears went 8-5 last year and got off to a 7-0 start, their best ever.
At Lower Merion, Thompson and the Aces endured a tough 0-5 start, but rebounded to win 14 of their next 19 until dropping a tough 12-11 decision to Emmaus in the first round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championships. The Aces also lost to Emmaus in the first round of states in 2009.
“I think we rebounded nicely,” Thompson said. “We started to jell together as team in the middle of the season after getting a couple unlucky breaks and losing a few by a goal or two in the beginning.
“It was disappointing to lose in the first round of states to the same team that beat us last year. But we finished strong.”
