By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/27/10
Four years ago, West Chester defeated Conestoga Youth, 8-6, in the finals of the Chester County Lacrosse Association summer recreation league U15 championship game.
Today, a remarkable number of players those two teams are either playing in
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- Conestoga
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- West Chester
college or have committed to play in college. No less than nine of these players became scholastic All-Americans and a bulk of the Conestoga team led Conestoga High to a state title and a runner-up spot in the past two years.
Also, many key players of the 2009 Delaware state title team from Salesianum School played on the West Chester team. Several players from West Chester also played on Malvern Prep’s co-championship teams in the Inter-Ac League.
The West Chester team featured nine players that are playing Division I lacrosse or have committed to play Division I lacrosse. Three more are playing Division III lacrosse. The Conestoga team featured 11 members currently playing or committed to play Division I lacrosse, and four more are playing Division III lacrosse. One more is playing club lacrosse.
In all, at least 28 will play college lacrosse, many at the Division I level. Also, seven members of the Conestoga Wombats were scholastic All-Americans, while four from West Chester were All-Americans. Two more from Conestoga were Academic All-Americans.
The players and coaches listed below are seen in the two pictures:
West Chester:
Front Row (left to right) – Blair Bonner, W.C. East, committed to St. John’s; Ryan Creighton, Malvern Prep, freshman playing at North Carolina; Bobby Hill, Malvern Prep, freshman playing at Virginia, two-time All-American; Dan Rodgers, Salesianum School, freshman playing at Drexel, All-American; James Brandolini, Malvern Prep; Max Siskind, Henderson, freshman playing at Towson; Chase Flamond, Henderson.
Second Row (left to right) – Steve O’Hara, St. Joseph’s Prep, freshman playing at Notre Dame, All-American; Andrew Salvitti, Salesianum School, freshman playing at Dickinson; Alex Costanzo, Henderson; Matt Beren, Henderson; Garret Flazinski, Tatnall School; Mike Dougherty, Malvern Prep, committed to St. Joseph’s; Ethan Heisman, Henderson, post-graduate at Hill Academy, Canada, choosing a D1 college; Kevin Holleran, W.C. East.
Third Row (left to right) – Matt Beigel, W.C. East, freshman playing at Cabrini; Ryan McGinn, St. Joseph’s Prep; Anthony Panicelli, Henderson; Luke McGreevey, Bayard Rustin; Dan Diggin, Bayard Rustin, freshman playing at FDU-Madison; Ryan Kilpatrick, Salesianum School, committed to North Carolina, All-American; Tyler Lauletta, Henderson; Ryan Brewer, Henderson.
Fourth Row – Assistant coach Jules Siskind, Head Coach Eric Carruthers, assistant coaches Matt Bonner, Jim Holleran.
Conestoga Youth Wombats
Front row (left to right) -Cal Bailey, Conestoga, freshman club player at New Hampshire; Austin Campbell, Conestoga, freshman playing at Denison; Jason Klunder, Conestoga, freshman playing at Drexel, Academic All-American; Peter Zonino, Conestoga, freshman playing at Hobart; Ben Ross, Conestoga, freshman playing at Franklin & Marshall; Chase Growney, Episcopal Academy, freshman playing at Trinity; Matt Smith, Conestoga, freshman playing at Lehigh; Jackson Place, Episcopal Academy, freshman playing at Bucknell, All-American; Peter Bowers, Conestoga, freshman playing at Tufts.
Back row (left to right) – Coach Rob Lord; Austin Rogusky, Conestoga, freshman playing at Loyola, All-American; Ryan Buttenbaum, Conestoga, freshman playing at Lehigh, All-American; Zach Jacobs, Conestoga, freshman playing at Haverford College; Brad Herzlich, Conestoga, Academic All-American; Casey Ikeda, Conestoga, freshman playing at Maryland, All-American; Tanner Scott, Conestoga, committed to Duke; Brian Dailey, Conestoga, committed to Duke, All-American; Ryan Lord, Conestoga, freshman playing at Maryland, All-American; Bryson Craft, Episcopal Academy, freshman playing at UMass, All-American; Coach Scott Growney, coach Tim Ross. Missing are coaches Pete Zonino and Carter Trudel.
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