Men's Lacrosse to Welcome 10 Newcomers

Photo courtesy of Gil Talbot.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Chris Wojcik, the Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Lacrosse, has announced that 10 student-athletes will be joining the Crimson for the 2011 season.

Wojcik, who is entering his first season at the helm, will welcome four midfielders, three defenders, two attackmen and one goalkeeper to the fold, including seven student-athletes who earned US Lacrosse All-America honors.  The newcomers also represent five states, most notably New York (five) and Massachusetts (three).  One student-athlete hails from Minnesota, while another is a native of New Jersey.

Ryan Alden/Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna/Defenseman
Four-time letterwinner in lacrosse and three-time letterwinner in football at Niskayuna High School … Two-time captain of lacrosse team and captained football squad as a senior … US Lacrosse All-American … Three-time NYS Suburban Council first team in lacrosse … Two-time member of Adirondack Empire State Games … Attended Nike Blue Chip Lacrosse camps in 2008-09 … Two-time team defensive most valuable player … Selected for US Lacrosse High School Senior Showcase in Orlando in July 2010 … Four-time NYS Scholar-Athlete … US Lacrosse Scholastic All-American in 2010 … Holds Niskayuna single-season ground ball record with 198 … NYS Class A Section II All-Purpose Player of the Year in football in 2009, playing quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back … NYS High School Football Association Class A Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010 … National Football Foundation Capital District Chapter Scholar-Athlete Award recipient … NYS Suburban Council first team wide receiver in 2009 and second team defensive back in 20008 … Selected to NYS Section II Exceptional Senior Game … National All-Scholastic Football Team in 2010 … Scored 19 touchdowns as a senior …  National Merit Scholarship Commended Student … National Honor Society … National Merit Scholarship Commended Student … Earned Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences … AATSP National Spanish Exam Award.

Daniel Eipp/Groton, Mass./Groton Dunstable/Midfielder
Played varsity lacrosse, basketball and football as a senior at Groton Dunstable High School after transferring from Westhill High School … Captain of Groton Dunstable lacrosse team in 2010, playing midfield and attack … Earned US Lacrosse All-America accolades as a senior … Received Mid Wach A conference and Worcester Telegram & Gazette most valuable player honors in 2010 … Lowell Sun All-Star in lacrosse and was named to the publication’s second team in basketball, while playing shooting guard … Also played tailback and defensive back at Groton Dunstable … Two-time all-league midfielder at Westhill … Member of the National Honor Society.

Gabriel Mendola/Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca/Midfielder
Was a four-year starter in lacrosse at midfield and three-year starter in hockey at defense at Ithaca High School … Captained lacrosse and hockey squads as a senior … Two-time All-New York State Public High School Association honoree in lacrosse … Earned Faceoff Man of the Year honors, as well as all-tournament honors in 2008 … Won 84 percent of faceoffs as a senior … Wendy’s Heisman Award recipient … Academic All-American … Three-time all-conference selection in hockey and was a member of the squad’s state championship team in 2007 … Earned Princeton Book Award.

Brian O’Toole/Long Beach, N.Y./Salisbury School/Midfielder
Attended the Salisbury School for one year after graduating from Long Beach High School in 2009 … Earned five varsity letters in lacrosse as a midfielder, five in basketball as a point guard and three in football as a running back … Captained all three teams as a senior at Long Beach … Ranked No. 3 incoming college freshmen in 2010 Inside Lacrosse Supplemental Rankings … Received the Richard T. Flood Athletic Medal as best overall athlete at Salisbury School … All-American finalist as a senior at Long Beach … Three-time All-Nassau County in lacrosse … Member of the gold-medal winning Empire State lacrosse team representing Long Island in 2008 … Recipient of the Career Achievement Award for most outstanding achievement on an interscholastic team at Long Beach … Sherman Brown Memorial Award winner for demonstrating ability to be a team leader on and off the field … Won the Spartan Ideal at the 23rd annual “Bunky” Reid Robeson Classic for academic and athletic excellence … Winner of the Bowler Lacrosse Award at Salisbury and earned All-New England honors as a point guard in 2010 … Helped Salisbury win the New England championship by going undefeated in league play and earn a No. 7 national ranking by Inside Lacrosse … Two-time Academic all-county in lacrosse at Long Beach, as well as academic all-conference in basketball as a senior.

Joe Petrucci/Far Hills, N.J./Delbarton School/Defenseman
Earned two varsity letters in lacrosse and three in football at Delbarton School … Captain both squads as a senior … Received US Lacrosse All-America honors … All-Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference and All-Morris County first team as a defender … Earned first team all-state honors, as well as The Star Ledger all-state third team accolades … Named Morris County All-Scholar Athlete … Helped lacrosse team reach state finals as a junior and win conference championships in 2009 and 2010 … Received all-state, all-league and all-county first team honors in football as a running back and free safety … Two-time Commitment Award recipient … Named National Football Foundation Morris County Scholar Athlete in football … Led team in tackles, rushing yards, receiving yards and interceptions as a senior … AP Scholar with honors … Awarded Delbarton Medal for Achievement in classics.

John Rose/Locust Valley, N.Y./Deerfield Academy (Mass.)/Defenseman
Played four years of varsity lacrosse, hockey and soccer at Deerfield Academy … Captained lacrosse and soccer teams during senior season … Three-time All-New England in lacrosse … Competed in Senior East/West All-Star Game … Under Armor and US Lacrosse All-American as a senior … Helped Deerfield compile a 65-3 record during lacrosse career, as well as win three New England titles … All-New England selection in soccer in 2009 … Two-time All-Western New England choice in soccer.

Eric Slingerland/Beverly, Mass./Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.)/Midfielder
Earned four varsity letters in lacrosse as a midfielder and four in soccer as a forward at Phillips Exeter Academy … Captained both teams as a senior … Two-time US Lacrosse All-American … Under Armor All-American in 2010 … Three-time Eastern All-New England selection … Recipient of the Robert W. Kesler Award in 2008 and 2009 for most spirit and dedication … Team’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior … Selected to the New England Senior All-Star Game … Holds Phillips Exeter Academy career record for most points by a midfielder (154) … Ranks fourth all-time in career points, as well as holding the single season record for most points by a midfielder (61) … New England Prep School Athletic Council Most Valuable Player in soccer in 2009 … New Hampshire Prep All-Star first team in 2009 and 2010 … Boston Globe All-Scholastic in 2010 … Selected to the Olympic Development Regional Pool in 2007 … Owns school record for most career goals (44) and single season record for goals (16) … Recipient of the Harvard Book Prize.

Carl Zimmerman/Homer, N.Y./Homer/Attackman
Earned three varsity letters in lacrosse as an attackman and midfielder, four in hockey as a forward and two in soccer as a defender at Homer High School … Captained all three squads as a senior … US Lacrosse All-American … Three-time All-Onadaga High School League selection in lacrosse … Two-time team MVP … Owns school’s all-time scoring record with 188 goals and 267 points … Set school’s single-season record with 73 goals in 2008 … Earned all-league honors in hockey in 2009-10 … Class valedictorian … Member of the National Honor Society.