By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/24/14
Spring-Ford High School senior defenseman Alex Rivers has made a commitment to play Division III lacrosse at Gwynedd Mercy University.
Alex Rivers log:
High School: Spring-Ford High School
Graduation Year: 2014
Position: Defense
College Choice: Gwynedd Mercy University
Club Affiliation: Baggataway L.C.
Major lacrosse honors: Top 205 Summer and Fall 2012, Philly Showcase 2011 and 2012
What will you major in/study? Nursing
Why did you choose Gwynedd Mercy? “I chose Gwynedd Mercy University for several reasons. I had several other college visits, sat in on different college classes, and stayed overnight to get to know the different teams and watched them practice. Gwynedd Mercy’s reputation for academic excellence is second to none. I knew that I wanted to go to a great school that was close to home and offered small class sizes. Gwynedd Mercy has one of the highest ranked and successful nursing programs in the tri state area.
“I really appreciated the time that Coach(Dana)Lindstrom spent watching me play and made me feel welcome and very much a part of his teams’ future. They had a great season last year, and his goal for the future is not to just win the Colonial States Athletic Conference, but go to the NCAA Finals. The new athletic stadium recently built is awesome. I am very excited to be a Griffin!”
Outlook for your High School team? “We had a talented group of seniors graduate last year. This years’ team is very dedicated and motivated. The seniors have led several off season voluntary drills and workouts since the summer, to be ready to make a run at a 4th consecutive PAC 10 Championship, and move on far into the Districts.”
Additional Comments: “I would like to thank Coach (Rich) Hvazda and Coach (Neil) Pettinelli for getting me interested in the game. Thank you to my youth coaches-Coach (Mick) Delvechio and the “great” Coach (Nick) Falcone. Thank you to my high school coaches, Coach (Dan) Monzo, Coach (Kyle) Lambert, Coach (Brian) Capone, and Coach (Kevin) Czapor for helping me in the off season in the weight room. A special thank you to Coach (Kevin) Donnelly for pushing me hard everyday, to help me realize my fullest potential. Your advice and support in the recruiting process was greatly appreciated. Thank you to my Baggataway coaches- Coach (Ray) Kendrick, Coach (Kevin) Wallace, and Coach (Tony) Verna. A special thank you to Baggataway’s Joe Karpinski and Brian (Doc) Dougherty for the opportunity the past few years to play for one of the top all star lacrosse organizations in the tri state area, against some of the best lacrosse players in the country. Your advice and support in the recruiting process was also greatly appreciated.
“Most importantly, I would like to thank my entire family for all their support, especially my mom and dad for their constant support and encouragement on and off the field. You both have helped me make my goal and dream of receiving a great education and playing NCAA lacrosse possible.”
Other schools considered: Alvernia University, Immaculata University, Widener University
Maplezone Sports Institute, the official sponsor for Phillylacrosse.com boys’ recruits, congratulates Alex Rivers. MSI is located on Conchester Highway (Rt. 322) in Garnet Valley, offering lacrosse and sports performance training for boys and girls. From summer and fall club teams to camps, clinics, tournaments and leagues, let MSI be your one stop training facility. Visit us at maplezone.com/lacrosse or contact jmurray@maplezone.com.
