By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/28/10
Conestoga junior attackman Bradlee Lord has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Maryland.
Lord scored 17 goals last year for the Pioneers, who won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) championship and finished 24-2. Lord also plays club lacrosse for Mesa Fresh 2012 and competed in the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association Showcase in June.
At Maryland, Lord will be reunited with his older brother, Ryan, a freshman midfielder at Maryland. Another recent Conestoga grad, Casey Ikeda, is a freshman defenseman at Maryland.
Bradlee Lord, an Honor Roll student, is leaning toward majoring in business and finance. He said he was most impressed by the team’s camaraderie and Maryland’s first-year coach, John Tillman, the former coach at Harvard.
“Everybody on the team does everything together,” he said. “A freshman isn’t considered a freshman; he’s respected like a senior. The bonding is amazing, and I know for a fact that bonding off the field helps chemistry on the field.
“And with coach Tillman moving in, I like how he speaks and where the (program) is going.”
Lord said his brother’s presence was a factor, but only one factor.
“Even if my brother wasn’t there, I probably would have gone,” he said. “He gave me another perspective and he is someone that would not lie. He said the school was everything he wanted it to be. His being there was the smallest reason for me picking it, but it’s also amazing to be going to school with my brother.”
Lord is the second Pioneer junior attackman to commit to a Division I college in the past week. Connor Frisina recently committed to Massachusetts. Lord is the second member of Mesa Fresh 2012 to commit to Maryland today – the other is Garnet Valley junior defenseman Ryan Lehman.
Lord said the Pioneers welcome the challenge of defending their state title despite the loss of a brilliant senior class.
“I think we are capable,” he said. I know for a fact we have the caliber of players. Our senior class is not as deep as last year’s, but it has top players and the junior class is strong.
“We have great chemistry and the biggest thing we have going is our fitness. I don’t think anyone works out together like we do.”
Lord wished to thank Conestoga coaches Brian Samson (head coach) and Brody Bush and Mesa Fresh coaches Peter Rohr, Marty McGregor and Rob Lord, his father.
