Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/28/17
From Press Release
Eight is the most common number in describing Yale Lacrosse’s Class of 2021. That’s how many high school All-Americans there are in the group preparing for a career in the Ancient Eight.
Eight is also the number of high school captains, multiple-sport athletes and states represented among the newcomers to head coach Andy Shay’s squad, one that will defend an Ivy League regular season and tournament championship next spring.
The 12 freshmen include five midfielders, three defensemen, two attackman, a FOGO and a goalie. They have the brawn, averaging six feet and 189 pounds, and they have the brains; there are seven National Honor Society members.
Chris Hladczuk
Attack
5-11, 172
La Salle – Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
At La Salle College High School: All-League honors all four years… Two-time Academic All-American… Helped guide team to league championships in 2014, 2016, and 2017… Won district championships in 2014, 2016, and 2017… PIAA State Finalist in 2016… Started all four years.
Prior Teams: Dukes Lacrosse Club… PA All Star Box Lacrosse Team (2016 Captain)
Personal: Pronounced ha-LAD-zik… Received the St. John Baptist de La Salle Founders Scholarship, which helped him receive a full academic scholarship to La Salle… National Honor Society… Congressional Bronze Medal Award for Service… AP Scholar Award… Mom, April, played lacrosse and field hockey at Lafayette… Dad, Steve, was a swimmer at Lafayette.
Chris Fake
Defense
6-1, 200
Hun School – Allentown, New Jersey
At The Hun School of Princeton: Under Armour All-American and USA Today All-American in 2017… First-Team All-League, First-Team All-State, and team MVP in 2017… Captain of the 2016 and 2017 teams… All-American, USA Today preseason All-American and the Huns Male Student Athlete Award Winner in 2016… First-Team All-League and First-Team All-State honors in 2016… All-Phillylacrosse South Jersey 2016-17 … Won the league championships in 2015 and 2016… State champions in 2015… Four-year varsity starter… New Jersey Sophomore of the Year, received All-American honors, and made All-Inter AC Tournament Team in 2015.
Prior Teams: Bluestar from 2015 to 2017… Tristate from 2010 to 2015.
Personal: Cum Laude Society… National Honor Society… All-MAPL Academic Team… Played for the football team for three years… First-Team All-League honors in football as a junior and senior… Team defensive MVP as a senior… Won the league championships three straight times while only losing one game… Captain in football senior year… Dad played football at Albany and rugby at SUNY Buffalo.
Will Cabrera
Attack
6-0, 200
Lawrenceville School – Scarsdale, New York
At The Lawrenceville School: New Jersey All-State honoree in 2017… Finished senior season with 47 goals and 48 assists… Helped guide team to a New Jersey Prep A-State championship in 2017.
Prior Teams: Predators Lacrosse in 2016… Superstar Lacrosse from 2013 to 2015… Long Island Express from 2009 to 2012.
Personal: Played water polo in high school… Brother in law, Russell, graduated from Yale in 2011… Fourth child of immigrants… Father attended Harvard Business School after living in Florida… Attended three high schools in two countries over a five-year period… Participated in the Ontario Math Competition in 2015… Honor student during seven semesters.
Donald Ahrens
Defense
5-11, 185
Old Brookville, New York
At North Shore High School: All-County and an Academic All-American in 2017…Guided team to Big Four spot at Hofstra… All-County and Long Island Showcase Nassau County Top 20 Team in 2016… All-County Honorable Mention in 2015… A captain during his senior year.
Prior Teams: True Blue from 2012 to 2016… For The Love of the Game in 2016… Blue Chip in 2014.
Personal: Last name pronounced AIR-ens… Senior Class Salutatorian… Member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Language National Honor Society… 2017 Battalion Chief John Paolillo 9/11 Memorial Scholarship… Played ice hockey and helped team to the 2016 Town of Oyster Bay Championships… Hockey captain during his senior year… Uncle attended the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies… Mother and aunt both played field hockey and lacrosse at Dartmouth… Uncle played ice hockey at Princeton… Father attended Harvard.
Christian Cropp
Midfield
6-1, 200
Tequesta, Florida
At The Benjamin School: All-American and First-Team All-Region/District in 2017… Palm Beach County First-Team, Palm Beach County All-Academic Team… CBS 12 Athlete of the Week in 2017… Helped guide team to state semi-finals in 2016 and 2017… Captain in both the 2015 and 2017 seasons… First-Team All-Region/District in 2015… Four-year varsity starter.
Prior Teams: Palm Beach Storm… Palm Beach Revolution… South Florida FCA… Florida Kings.
Personal: Fellowship of Christian Athletes President… Student Council President… Cum Laude Society… Honor Council… National Honor Society… Golf team for four years… Captain of the golf team as a senior… Helped coach youth lacrosse teams for Palm Beach Revolution and South Florida FCA… Congressional Gold Medal Award… Julian Reynolds Career Athlete of the Year… Went on an outward-bound expedition for 15 days in the Sangre De Cristo (Colorado) wilderness.
Luke Eschbach
Midfielder
5’11, 195
Saint James, New York
At Smithtown High School East: Scored 33 goals and had 59 points as a senior… Scored 30 goals and had 55 points as a junior… Finished career with 83 goals and 151 points… Helped guide the team to county championships in 2014 and 2015… Team captain for his senior season.
Prior Teams: Tenacious Turtles… Gladiators… Team 91… Outlaws.
Personal: Pronounced ESH-bock… National Honor Society and Italian Honor Society… New York Scholar Athlete all four years in both soccer and lacrosse… Advanced Regents Diploma with mastery in science and math… All-Conference in 2015 and All-County in 2016 for soccer… Was named captain for his senior season… Cousin, Mike Devito, played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets… Cousin, Joe, plays lacrosse for Sacred Heart.
Griffin Gharrity
Midfield
5-10, 170
Greenwood Village, Colorado
At Cherry Creek High School: Helped guide team to a state championship sophomore and senior seasons… Academic All-American senior year… Scored 42 career goals and had 50 career points.
Prior Teams: 3D Lacrosse… Team Colorado… Named an Under Armour Under Class All-American for Southwest Region.
Personal: Perfect unweighted GPA… Received Jack Benson/Fred Engel Award for Most Outstanding Social Studies Student… Faculty Honor Award in Activities for Speech and Debate… High Honor Roll throughout high school… Both parents graduated from the University of Michigan… Started a non-profit that teaches lacrosse to children with disabilities.
Jack Mattei
Face Off
6-0, 175
Indianapolis, Indiana
At Cathedral High School: Won state championships in 2016 and 2017… US Lacrosse All-American in 2016 and 2017… Three-time First-Team All-State Face Off Honoree… Was a First-Team All-State Midfield honoree… Scored 106 goals and had 230 points … Was named captain during his junior and senior years.
Prior Teams: Sting… 2016 Midwest Under Armour All-American… Was named to the True National Team.
Personal: Four-year class president… AP Scholar… Cathedral Scholar… Taught himself how to play faceoff middle… Wants to help coach young lacrosse players in Indiana… Played in a tournament run by head coach Andy Shay.
Steven Reilly
Midfield
6-0, 200
Levittown, New York
At Division Avenue High School: All-County and Academic All-County honors in senior year… Academic All-American and Honorable Mention All-American senior year… All-County and Academic All-County honors junior year… All-Conference his sophomore year… Captain of the team in his junior and senior seasons.
Prior Teams: True Blue
Personal: Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction… National Honor Society… Math National Honor Society.
Jack Starr
Goalie
6-1, 185
Washington, D.C.
At St. Albans School: Started all four years… Captain as a senior… All-League honors… Team MVP as a senior… Leader in total saves and saves per game in the D.C. area as a senior.
Prior Teams: Virginia Lacrosse Club from 2012 to 2017… Was also a captain.
Personal: Four-year member of Academic Honor Roll… Citizenship Award… Four-year member of the Headmaster’s List… Also a member of the soccer and ice hockey teams… All-IAC team twice as a soccer goalie… All-State in 2016 as a soccer goalie… Helped guide soccer team to an IAC Championship in 2015 and 2016, and a DCSAA State Championship in 2015… Father was a captain of the Williams College ice hockey team… Mom was a figure skater at Middlebury College… Uncles, Jim, Joe and Mike, combined for five national ski-jumping championships and two-time Olympians… Cousin, Matt, was captain of the U.S Men’s National Volleyball Team and won a bronze medal in Rio.
Brian Tevlin
Midfielder
5-11, 175
Livingston, New Jersey
At Seton Hall Prep: All-American and All-USA Today Second-Team senior year… US Lacrosse First-Team All-State and Second-Team All-Metro his senior year… Academic All-American… Helped his team win the Essex County Championships all four years… Non-Public A Finalist… Played varsity all four years… Set record for most points (97) in a single season… Captain during his junior and senior seasons.
Prior Teams: Building Blocks Lacrosse from 2011 to 13… Leading Edge from 2013 to 2017… Helped guide Leading Edge to an undefeated season and a championship in 2016… Was named top midfielder for the summer with Leading Edge.
Personal: National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Math Honor Society… 4.0 GPA all four years… Was also a member of the track team and spent three years on the varsity soccer team… All-County, All-Conference, and All-State in soccer… Helped guide team to two Non-Public A Championships… Was a captain during his season season.
Griffin Thomas
Defense
6-1, 205
Norwalk, Connecticut
At Deerfield Academy: Helped team to a New England Championship junior season… All-New England Defensemen senior season.
Prior Teams: Long Island Sting (3 year captain)… Connecticut Chargers
Personal: 12-Time Honor Roll student… Member of the wrestling and football teams… Helped guide the football team to a state championship sophomore year… Captain of the wrestling team for two years… 5-time National Prep Wrestling Championships Qualifier… Father, Bret, played tennis at SMU.