By Jake Adams
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/4/11
Downingtown West senior attackman Brad Shenberger has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s.
The team captain scored 21 goals and recorded 11 assists last season and was named Honorable Mention in the Ches-Mont League. He helped the Whippets tie Downingtown East for their first league crown.
Shenberger, a consistent High Honor Roll student and member of the National Honor Society, chose Mount St. Mary’s because of the school’s academic record and the relationship coach Tom Gravante’s has with his players.
“Coach Gravante was one of the nicest coaches I ever talked to,” Shenberger said. “He was really considerate and he cared for all his players. He wasn’t like many other coaches I talked to.”
Shenberger, who plans to go into pre-med in Biology or Biochemistry, was also impressed with the team and how they seem to balance lacrosse with academics.
“I met the whole team,” Shenberger said. “They all were just nice kids and I just got to interact with them.”
Three of Shenberger’s teammates have already signed or committed to play Division I college lacrosse. Senior goalie Dustin Keen has signed with St. Joseph’s while junior midfielder Eric Rankel has committed to Robert Morris and junior defenseman Mike Paoline has committed to St. John’s.
So far Downingtown West is 3-0 as it gears for the starts of the Ches-Mont schedule. He believes the team can make it further in the state championship after falling in the second round each of the past three seasons with a junior heavy team.
“It’s a lot different than last year,” Shenberger said. “We have really good chemistry; we have a really balanced team. Last year we had maybe four or five people putting up points and goals, but this year we have between eight and ten. Everyone’s doing a lot of scoring; everyone’s doing a lot of passing.”
