By Charles Kruzits
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/19/11
Downingtown West junior defenseman Mike Paoline has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at St. John’s University.
Paoline was a Second Team Ches-Mont League pick in 2010 when the Whippets won a share of their first league crown. He also plays for the Duke’s Lacrosse Club.
Last fall Paoline received accolades at two recruiting events. He had the hardest shot on Day 2 of the F4 Showbine when he fired on at 102 MPH. He also made the Gait Fab 40 Team at the Philly Showcase.
A member of the National Honor Society, he plans to focus in the area of science for a major.
“I got on campus for my first visit and fell in love,” Paoline said. “I met the coaches and players and got a good feeling this is a place I belong.”
The location of the campus on Long island intrigued him and was a big reason for the commitment. Paoline also considered Penn and Mount St. Mary’s.
“I felt comfortable in Queens, I like the city of New York,” he said. “It’s similar to Penn, but it’s more suburban and I liked that a lot.”
At St. John’s, Paoline will be joining former West teammate Connor Mullen, a freshman midfielder. Another Downingtown West grad, Charlie Holenstein, is a Red Storm junior attackman.
Paoline is one of four Downngtown West players to commit to Division I programs. Goalkeeper Dustin Keen has signed with St. Joseph’s, junior midfielder Eric Rankel has committed to Robert Morris and senior Brad Shemberger has committed to Mount St. Mary’s.
Downingtown West finished the 2009-2010 season 17-3, and Paoline admits that losing the senior class will be tough to replace.
“We lost a strong senior class but I think we can do better,” Paoline said. “A lot of us have played together since the seventh grade so we are a close knit group.
“We have a great chance of taking the league and we’re aiming for making a run in the state playoffs.”
