By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/8/10
Central Bucks East senior midfielder Ryan Whitney has made a commitment to play Division I lacrosse at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Whitney missed all but one game of the 2010 season with a broken wrist, but returned for the Patriots’ Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament loss to Springfield-Delco in the first round of states. Whitney, who plays club lacrosse for Twist, was first spotted by Army coaches last fall and then again this summer.
He plans to study pre-law and engineering.
“I visited West Point three times,” said Whitney, who was a member of the National Jr. Honors Society. “The first time, I fell in love with the campus, the idea, the coaching staff and everything about the academy.
“The second visit I got to see a game and meet the guys. That made me like it even more. The third time I got to see a little boot camp and basic training, to see it all from a different point of view. Everything about it is amazing – the buildings, the campus and everyone up there has the same attitude, of wanting something a little bit better.”
“I like the idea of going to the military; it’s always been there in my mind. I always thought of ROTC and West Point is a great opportunity.”
Whitney is optimistic the Patriots will again be a force in the Suburban One Continental Conference. East, which tied with Hatboro-Horsham last year for the title and has won four straight crowns, returns a solid nucleus for 2011.
Others who have committed to Division I schools include face-off specialist Sean Reilly (Navy) and defenseman Weston French (Siena).
“We have a heck of a team,” Whitney said. “We have a bunch of guys returning that started last year; almost the whole defense and all the midfielders. We’ll definitely make a good run.”
