Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/14/11
From Press Releases
Marquette University head coach Joe Amplo announced today the first recruiting class in the history of the Golden Eagles’ varsity men’s lacrosse program.
Amplo’s inaugural class is comprised of 25 student-athletes — including 12 college transfers – who have signed a National Letter of Intent or an Acceptance of Admission form to attend MU this fall. One of the players is Springfield-Delco long stick midfielder/defenseman Dan Mojica.
“The thing that stands out to me the most is their genuine excitement about Marquette and what exists here, and their ability to be a part of the first group of guys to start this program,” Amplo said. “That is definitely something we can build on when we talk to our next set of recruits.”
Amplo and his coaching staff welcome a broad range of talent from across North America in 2011, including players who have demonstrated different styles of play at a variety of positions.
Ten different states and two Canadian provinces are represented in Marquette’s first recruiting class with a geographic footprint ranging from Long Island, N.Y. to as far west as California and north to Calgary, Alberta.
“There is an exciting challenge in front of us because we are first at Marquette University and we get to represent that,” said Amplo. “The thing I talked to this group about specifically is that we have to build a culture — intellectually, academically, and athletically.
“They are going to set the standard for Marquette men’s lacrosse and be accountable to maintaining that standard.”
The class includes 13 incoming freshman, six sophomores and six juniors, all of whom will redshirt in 2011-12. MU will play its first men’s lacrosse season in the spring of 2013 as an NCAA Division I independent. Marquette will then become a full member of the Big East Conference in men’s and women’s lacrosse beginning with the 2014 season.
MU announced the addition of varsity men’s and women’s lacrosse in December 2010, and Amplo was named MU’s head men’s lacrosse coach on Feb. 4, 2011. He has since been joined by top assistant coach Stephen Brundage and assistant coach John Orsen.
Amplo, formerly the associate head coach at Hoftra University, and his coaching staff will continue to recruit through the 2011-12 academic year. The average men’s lacrosse roster size at the NCAA Division I level is nearly 45 student-athletes.
2011-2012 Marquette University Men’s Lacrosse Roster
Name Pos Yr Hometown High School Previous College
Steve Abba D So Niskayuna, NY Niskayuna Hofstra
Bryan Badolato A Jr West Islip, NY West Islip Sacred Heart
Matt Barry D So Rolling Meadows, IL Saint Viator Denver
Tyler Burhans G Fr Bayville, NY Locust Valley
Michael Burke A/M Jr Caledon, ON Hill Academy Hofstra
Liam Byrnes D Fr West Islip, NY West Islip
Cullen Cassidy M Jr Potomac, MD Landon School Hofstra
Grant Dressen G Fr Wayzata, MN Blake School
Ben Dvorak M So St. Charles, IL St. Charles North Bellarmine
Nick Fotsch D Fr Sausalito, CA St. Ignatius Prep
Charley Gargano D Fr Brightwaters, NY Bay Shore
Tyler Gilligan M Fr Whitby, ON Hill Academy
B.J. Grill D Fr Bridgewater, NJ Bridgewater-Raritan
Connor Hewett M So Westfield, NJ Westfield Franklin & Marshall
K.C. Kennedy M Fr Bloomfield Hills, MI Brother Rice
Matt Melnyk M Jr Calgary, AB Bishop O’Byrne Presbyterian
Tyler Melnyk A Jr Calgary, AB Central Memorial Presbyterian
Dan Mojica D Fr Springfield, PA Springfield-D
Jerry Nobile D Jr Bay Shore, NY West Islip Hofstra
James Ravaret M So Glen Ellyn, IL Glenbard West Hofstra
Travis Shelhorn D Fr Farmingdale, NY Farmingdale
Andrew Smistad M So Calgary, AB Central Memorial Presbyterian
Alex Utt D Fr Terrace Park, OH Mariemont
Kyle Whitlow A Fr Coldwater, ON Hill Academy
Greg Willey M Fr St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep
