By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/20/14
Garnet Valley 2016 attackman Ty Moschella is focusing more on academics as considers colleges so competing Sunday at The Match was the ideal fit.
“I came to get some great exposure from D3 programs,” said Moschelal, of the HEADstrong L.C. “It’s well set up; I like the different game styles they incorporated. I definitely think I want to go to college for college and not lacrosse. School is my main concern, but I definitely want to play lacrosse in college.”
The Match, run by Heritage Lacrosse, drew nearly 150 players from as far as California to The Hill School in Pottstown. The event featured positional instruction and a recruiting discussion as well as 7V7 short-sided (similar to box) games and full-sided games. More than 25 Division III coaches attended and today an All-Match team will be released.
“There is a lot of great talent here, but I think I am doing great.” said Moschella. “I have been keeping up with the talent and hopefully the coaches are giving me some looks.”
What are your strengths?
“I’m definitely more of a feeder from X so I like taking my shorty or pole behind and drawing a slide and finding the open man,” said Moschella.
Others that impressed coaches:
Rett Canon, Mercersburg Academy (PA), of Dallas, Texas, 2017 attackman, Sentry Bulldogs
Why did you choose to attend The Match?
Canon: “I go to boarding school and there’s not a lot of opportunities to go to showcases. My coach suggested I go because I am interested in Division III schools. I liked this because it makes it easier (for coaches) to pick and select certain kids. When you have a lot of kids looking to go D1 it makes it harder to get teams to look at you.”
What are your biggest strengths and areas of need?
Canon: “I think I move off ball really well and I can finish,” he said. “Definitely I need to get bigger and I also need to work on off hand as much as possible.
“I need that off ball work so I can get an open chance to shoot. I also need to work on passing and trying not to get into double coverage situations. I have definitely improved because today I have been more physical than in the past and I got some good groundballs.”
Ian Maurer, Central Bucks East (PA), 2016 goalie, Bucks Select
Why did you choose to attend The Match?
Maurer: “What brought me out to The Match was the exposure to college coaches and the up-tempo playing style of not only short-sided games but also full-field games. It was good competition. I think I did well. The short-sided games are more difficult for a goalie because you’re facing more more close-in shots. You got to adjust to that.”
What type of school are you looking for?
Maurer: “I’m really just looking for a good school with a balance of academics and lacrosse – I’d just like to play!”
Ben Bala, The Hill School (PA), 2016 midfielder, Twist Black
Why did you choose to attend The Match?
Bala: “I came here to get exposure for a lot of D3 schools. I haven’t played any box games and I thought that would be fun; it was a little up-tempo, with quicker transition and a lot more off-ball movement.”
How was the competition and how did you adjust to the level of play?
Bala: “The competition was pretty good. The short-sided games were a lot quicker since there were no face-offs after each goal, so it was a lot faster transition. if you stood still off ball, it would get picked off. You had to move off ball and communicate a lot and finish in the crease.”
Griffin Dunkle, Amherst Central (N.Y.), 2016 attackman, Crush Nationals
Why did you choose to attend The Match?
Dunkle: “It was an opportunity to play in front of a large group of Division III coaches and play against high-level players. There were a lot of strong players so it was a lot more fast paced. You had to move the ball more and go harder.”
What type of school are you looking for?
Dunkle: “I guess I am looking for a smaller school, just what Division III schools tend to be. The lacrosse aspect helps me prioritize and will help keep me on track in college.”
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