By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/21/10
Springfield-Delco senior defenseman Scott Parke has committed to play Division III lacrosse at Neumann University.
Parke was a key contributor for a team that reached the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association semifinals last year and finished 19-6 overall.
Parke plans to major in Communications and is thinking of becoming a sports journalist.
“I wanted to stay local and I have a lot of friends going there so it was the obvious choice,” said Parke, who will compete with Neumann in the Colonial States Athletic Conference.
Parke said the Cougars are primed to take a run at the Central League title this year, as well as competing for District 1 and PIAA glory. Last year Springfield-Delco was ranked in national polls for a time and it returns a number of key players, including six (Colin Keegan, Josh Cavanaugh, Austin Kaut, Brendan Nave, Joe Addona and Joe Venit) that have signed or committed to Division I colleges, one (Larry McLaughlin) that has signed with a Division II school and one more (Jordan Demcher) than has committed to Division III colleges.
Conestoga, the defending league and District 1 champion, is ranked eighth in
the nation according to the Under Armour/Inside Lacrosse Preseason Power Rankings. The Cougars fell twice to the Pioneers last year – including a 9-4 defeat in the state semis – but Parke is confident his team will be ready for the challenge.
“I am really excited about the season,” Parke said. “I think we need contributions from everybody on the field, including the juniors and the sophomores.
Depth was something people we didn’t have enough of last year, so we need to show that this year. But this team has been playing together since second grade and we all kno each other so well. That helps out on the field.”
