Posted by Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

Back with a Brett vs. article. This week I was asked to take on FOOD. I am a bit of a "foodie" so that was easy. Showing a little love to my brother's resturant Cap City, and some tips on how to tackle dieting and eating healthy.

For most of my readers you should not even worry about it. Honestly, it is never too early to learn the correct way to eat.

Tune in next week as our fitness and nutrition expert Jimmy Borrel helps you get ready for Thanksgiving and the holidays. 

Brett vs. FOOD 

By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

St. Paul's School in Maryland had it's largest class to sign Division 1 lacrosse. Coach Rick Brocato mentioned that four of his players have been on St. Paul's campus since they the age of two.

"Two of these guys are 16 year vets," he mentioned, "while another two of them are thirteen year vets." 

Thats a pretty amazing number from the always powerful high school program. Coach Brocato has 17 returning seniors headlined by Midfielder Pat Powderly, who signed his letter to play ball for Syracuse.

Check the video out here to hear from some of St. Paul's best about their college choice's. 

By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

Ty, Miles, and Lyle Thompson are heading to Albany, N.Y. The Thompson brothers (Miles and Lyle) are two of the top recruits in their respective classes and with Miles signing his National Letter of intent to Albany. Lyle verballed to play for Albany in the fall of 2011. Along with the brothers cousin Ty Thompson from Salmon River High School also signed with Albany.

The two Seniors Ty and Miles will fit in nicely with that 1-4-1 look that Albany is known for. Both are slick off ball and could occupy the middle of that 1-4-1 and create major issues for the teams they see. Speaking with coaches around the league it sounds as though Albany has landed another Merrick Thomson and Frank Resitaris, players who have been successful in the past.

What makes this signing even more special is that the best player in the Junior class is coming with his brother and cousin. Lyle Thompson will bring a dimension that Albany has not had in the past.  He is a big time player at every level and a full scholarship guy at any school.

What is going to come of the Great Danes grabbing these guys?

I think it depends on how they produce. If they can get on the field early (which they all should) they can attract a lot of kids who want to play alongside of them. Albany produced a bunch of players lately and these three will make a big splash and some great stories.

When asked about playing against the Thompson boys one coach mentioned, "One this is for sure, they should be fun to watch."

Check out the coverage here from Inside Lacrosse.

By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

Check out some of the "hot off the press" National Letter of Intent signings. Jack Reilly just put his name on the line at noon yesterday making it official that the Hopkins Blue jays landed the best athlete in the class. 

UNC has absolutley put together an incredible class.. Mark McNeill might be as strong an athlete as Reilly and continues to develop at a steady rate. If the time is put in McNeill who, Inside Lacrosse has as the No. 3 recruit, may end up being the top player in the class. Will Campbell from Worthington Kilbourne is an absolute man amongst boys and with Duncan Hutchins signing with UNC, the Tar Heels have the a bright future between the lines. TJ Kemp from McCallie, Tenn., can absolutley shoot the rock so look for him to make his way on the field on extra man early.

Hopkins and Syracuse are right around the same level, on Inside Lacrosse the have Hop as No. 2 and Syracuse as No. 3. I believe that the top of Hopkins recruiting class is better than 'Cuse, but there is a lot of talent for 'Cuse from top to bottom.

Kevin Interlicchio is another player who has a chance to be a repeat All-American at Johns Hopkins and will spark the Blue Jays on offense. The pipeline to Dublin-Jermoe, Ohio, continues with Eric Ruhl, which will make three players on the Jays roster. Something that is pretty unusual for an Ohio team. The big gun in that class is Jack Reilly, he is just flat out a space eater and the type of kid who is going to learn whatever it takes to blow up at the next level. Dave Pitremala has some talent to get Hopkins back to the top. It doesnt take him all that long to do it as we have seen before.

Maryland and Virginia just did what they always seem to do. Maryland got some talents players with that get to work mentality that Maryland seems to carry. Yesterday, Maryland added to their roster, Geoff Shannon of Inside Lacrosse reports that Peter Boyle also committed, staying in state to play for Dave Cottle. I also love Quinn Haley from Queen Anne's Md. He is a tough attackman that can turn the corner and I believe will fit in will with the squad in College Park.

Virginia will post another athletic class with Scott McWilliams, Rob Emery, and Pat Harbeson leading the way. The two St. Anne's Belfield boys, Austin Geisler and Owen Van Arsdale, will be contributers as well and with the glaring hole being a goalie for the future Austin "A-Money" Geisler will have a chance to step up down the road.

Ohio State coach Nick Myers landed some good talent as well in his mission to bring the Buckeyes into the national spotlight after departure of Joe Breschi to UNC. Look for Adam Trombley to help the Buckeyes out on attack and Calvert Hall goalie Greg Dutton will be solid between the pipes whenever his time comes for OSU. Check out some others on the IL Big Board.

Inside Lacrosse has it laid out here. 

By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

Carl Walrath is a two sport star for Haverford School (Pa.). The Midfielder/Attackman is also stars on the gridiron and is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing on the season. He hopes to pass the benchmark this weekend. Haverford's football team is 7-3 with a tough overtime loss to Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia, Pa.) this past weekend.

Walrath verbally committed to Dom Starsia and the Virginia Cavaliers. He looks to end his football season strong before gearing up with a cast of talent at Haverford for big lacrosse season.

Staying grounded and dedicated is something you hear often when discussin Walrath.

"My Parents are my mentors. They both work extremley hard and have taught me a lot of important lessons in dealing with life and sports," he said giving credit to his parents. 

This is why Walrath may be one of the up and coming stars on a team full of them.

When asked if he thought about playing football anywhere in college it was simple, "Playing football in college would be amazing, but lacrosse is the better choice for me." 

As Walrath closses in on his 1,000 yard season, the Fords punctuated with a win over Malvern with a last second field goal. The win marked the first time the Fords beat Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pa.) since 1992. His eyes are not on the linebackers in front of him, but with his teammates heading to play lacrosse with him like Matt Wlaters to 'Cuse, Conor Kelly to Notre Dame and Goran Murray to play  at Maryland.

it's hard to not be excited for the Phiily based team that plans on impressing this spring in a tough league.

ESPN RISE looks forward to following Walrath and his team and keep checking back in as we see how Havefords season winds down on the gridiron and gears up for lacrosse season.

By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

As promised our stars from top to bottom share with you the shoes you'll want to look into. I personally must say shoes are about as important as anything in sports, so take time, get what fits best, just make sure you get a good pair. And as far as style, well thats all on you. Send us a link to your favorite pair to me here. Email:Brett Hughes

Brendan Mundorf
Denver Outlaws/Team USA/ UMBC Alum
A: Classic Timberland work boots, great to just kick around.
 
Connor English
Unviersity of Virginia
A: Favorite pair of shoes has to my lime green high dunks
 
Frank Price
Holy Springs, NC.
UVA
A: My favorite pair of shoes by far are my combat boots.  Comfortable and reliable, cant beat em.
 

Quinn Haley
Queen Anne's, MD.
Maryland
A: My go to shoes for the last few years were hardly shoes, SANUK light canvas slip-ons.
 
 
Jake Haley
Queen Anne's
Georgetown
A: My favorite pair of shoes are probably my brown reefs I've had since freshman year.
(too hard to call on athletic shoes)
 
John Urbank
Chaminnade
Georgetown
A: I am a flip flop guy when it comes to shoes. My favorite pair of flip-flops is Sanuks. They're made in like Hawaii or somewhere. Really comfy.
 
Tyler German
Midfield
UVA
1.My grandparents own a condo in Ocean City, so our usual vacation spot is staying there for a few weeks in the summer.

2. My favorite pair of shoes ever... um I'm gonna have to go with my red, white and blue Gilbert Arenas shoes that I had my best basketball game in.
 
Bruce Pirie
Indian Hills, N.Y.
Bryant
A: My favorite pair of shoes ever were skate shoes. Brown/ tan high top IPath Grasshopper's. If they still made them I'd have 10 pair in all colors.
 
Mark Brashears
Broadneck Highschool, MD
Undecided
A: Clarks Wallabees

Tanner Ottenbreit
Regis, CO.
UVA
A: My favorite pair of shoes are the Charles Barkley Series Air Force Ones (White/Blue)
 
Pete Rosetti
Collegiate, VA.
Georgetown
A: White Nike Air Force Ones... not even debatable there.
 
Tobey Armour
Choate Rosmary Hall, CT.
Johns Hopkins
A: Favorite shoes would have to be all black Nike air max...greatest shoes ever
 
Jack Reilly
Christian Brothers Academy, N.Y.
Johns Hopkins
A: Favorite pair of shoes ever - certainly not this ortho boot I'm in right now but when I was about 5 or 6 I had a rocking pair of sneakers with flashing lights in the heels - they were mad cool - wish they had those in size 16's.  
 
Zach Rogers
Palos Verdes, CA.
Providence
2. My favorite pair of shoes are my green Vans
 
John Hardesty
Upper Arlington, OH.
Ohio State
A: Nike Pumps
 
Paul Harrison
Dematha
Drexel
A: Probably this pair of Nike Dunk SB's that are hemp that I got from Journeys, they are pretty nasty.
 
Josh Matanin
St. Paul's MD.
Undecided
A: The best pair of shoes I have ever had are the Nike Hyperdunks.  They are really comfy and they're really light.  I like the way they look and I can wear them on the basketball court as well.

By Brett Hughes, Senor Editor

It was a good Halloween weekend of lacrosse at the Hawaii Invitational with great pictures and costumes coming back from the Islands.
 
This week we asked some of our past and present RISE UP BOYS and pro laxers about their own get-away favs, and in part two tomorrow we ask their favorite shoes to kick it in. With the weather starting to get cold and grey we asked our boys where they love to go and relax… everything from campfires to the Bahamas, our boys have their own ways to unwind.
 
We also welcome in a newcomer to the ER Lax blog, UMBC alum, current MLL star and recent TEAM USA selection Brendan Mundorf. The Mundorf has steadily made himself one of the top attackman in the world and continues to get better every year.  This summer will be one of the keys to team USA reclaiming the world title from Canada.
 
We also welcome back an original RISE UP BOY, Connor English. The Long Island star ended with a bang claiming MVP honors. He hasn't skipped a beat posting a five goal and one assist scrimmage earlier this fall for the Virginia Cavaliers. Connor will be fighting for a starting spot as a freshman for the Cavaliers joining good company, who did the same before him, Conor Gill, Steele Stanwick, Matt Ward, John Christmas, Danny Glading, to name a few.
 
Brendan Mundorf
Denver Outlaws
1.  I love to hang out outside.  Any bar/restaurant with an open air feel or large patio is awesome.

Connor English
Unviersity of Virginia
1.Favorite vacation spot def has to be Bermuda, its so nice their and my spot around town to relax is the turf I just go up and shoot and it calms me down

Frank Price
Holy Springs, NC.
UVA
1. Not really one spot, but I love hanging around a bonfire.

Quinn Haley
Queen Anne's, MD.
Maryland
1.We do big family vacations with all our cousins on the southern tip of Hatteras Island, NC where the land is so skinny you can see water all around you, and no big crowds so you can get a little crazy and enjoy the nice surf or takeover the beach with an epic ultimate frisbee game.
   
Jake Haley
Queen Anne's
Georgetown
1.  For a regular hangout, I like Greenwood Creek - just off of Eastern Bay -  with a great atmosphere for swimming, crabbing, fishing, and water sports, or just chillin on a pier.    
 
John Urbank
Chaminnade
Georgetown
1. My favorite vacation spot is probably Cape Cod. My aunt has a house out there right on the beach. Also the seafood is awesome.
   
Tyler German
Midfield
UVA
1.My grandparents own a condo in Ocean City, so our usual vacation spot is staying there for a few weeks in the summer.

Bruce Pirie
Indian Hills, N.Y.
Bryant
1. My Vacation spot is Beach Haven Long Beach Island. It's the REAL Jersey Shore, not that slimy seaside...I mean seaside that people typically think of. It's a beautiful, calm island my family has been going to for over 40 years, and if you asked anyone from my family where their favorite place to relax is, it would be Ramapo Lane Beach Haven, LBI.
 
Mark Brashears
Broadneck Highschool, MD
Undecided
1. My favorite place to vacation would definitely be the Bahamas. All the people were so chill and relaxed and the beaches and water are so nice.

Tanner Ottenbreit
Regis, CO.
UVA
1. No favorite vacation spot but I love going up to Vail in the summer time to just relax with friends and family and play some lacrosse.
 
Pete Rosetti
Collegiate, VA.
Georgetown
1. I would have to say that my favorite vacation spot is Duck Village on the Outer-Banks of North Carolina and my favorite place to relax in town has to my basement.

Tobey Armour
Choate Rosmary Hall, CT.
Johns Hopkins
1. Block Island...go there in the summer...chillest spot ever.
 
Jack Reilly
Christian Brothers Academy, N.Y.
Johns Hopkins
1. Favorite place to vacation/relax - I enjoy chillin on the beach in Chatham, MA every August.
 
Zach Rogers
Palos Verdes, CA.
Providence
1. My favorite vacation spot is Kaanapali Beach on Maui because of the great
weather and pristine water.  Shaved ice at Whalers Village is super legit.
 
John Hardesty
Upper Arlington, OH.
Ohio State
1. Cruisin' anywhere in the Caribbean!
 
Paul Harrison
Dematha
Drexel
1. About every year my family and some family friends go down to Corolla Light in the Outer Banks for a week, there are some sick houses down there right by the beach and there is a pool and different types of shops right there in the main complex... Its a pretty chill place.

Josh Matanin
St. Paul's MD.
Undecided
1. My favorite vacation spot is Deep Creek Lake.  When I'm there, I don't have to worry about anything.  I can just relax and get away from the world.  At the same time there is so much to do.  I could go out on the lake or I could go up into the mountains.  I could have a bonfire with friends or just sit back and watch a movie. Deep Creek Lake is just a great way to get away and relax.

What do you want to ask our RISE UP BOYS Email me Brett Hughes.

Posted by Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

Geoff Shannon of Inside Lacrosse brings some good news for five schools in his latest recruiting roundup.

I think the big winner this week is Ohio State, with recent news of Luke Treece from Upper Arlington, Ohio, and now another in-state Blue Chip player Kyle Bernlohr have helped the Buckeyes' class.

Treece, who I have seen multiple times because he is a star from my alma mater will bring not only good skills, but he has the potential to grow in college and become a solid Division 1 player.

Brenlohr might be one of the best goalies in the class. I think where Ohio State wins with these two players is the idea of protecting its boarders. Ohio may not have the number of Blue Chip players that Maryland or New York, but they do have enough to field a pretty strong team if they can keep kids like Treece and Bernlohr in state. Coach Myers will continue to grow the Buckeyes and we will be hearing more and more form them, when they find out how to keep all these guys along with a Will Campbell and others we may see the "Bucks" deep in the playoffs.

Check out the other recruits and where you will be seeing them in years to come on the recruiting roundup. 

Welcome back to the RISE UP BOYS, fall is underway and some of our boys have moved on to college and are enjoying fall all workouts and preparing for spring lacrosse. We have added some new faces from all over the country to our team and every week will have one of our MLL All Stars check in and answer the same questions as our boys on the RISE. In week one we have Kyle Harrison, the Face of STX and NIKE Lacrosse, owner of Playmaker Lacrosse, and lead counselor on the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps by ESPN RISE. He is on the road all the time with USA tryouts and promoting his new K18 line so our questions are perfect for the Johns Hopkins legend.

	ESPN RISE
	Kyle Harrison

Patrick Harbeson (Annapolis, MD)
DeMatha Catholic High School
UVA
Midfield

What are you doing this fall?
This fall I am playing football... our team is 6-0 and working hard for the best season possible. As of right now, our team is ranked 10th in the nation according to ESPN RISE FAB 50. We have a common goal of winning our league championship (WCAC), and if possible going undefeated. This is only possible through hard work, becuase we play in one of the toughest leages which 'anyone can beat anyone'. Personally this season has been a blast, it's my senior season and it has been fun playing for a team that has so much potential. Aside from football this fall, I am alsoworking on sharpening my stick skills and mentally preparing myself for the offseason and ultimatly the spring season.

Ipod Top 5
No Particular order
1. We Be Steady Mobbin', Lil Wayne ft. Gucci Man
2. Almost Famous, Young Berg
3. Mary's Song, (Oh My My My), Taylor Swift
4. Imma Star, Jeremiah
5. Congratulations, Drake

Frank Price (Holly Springs, NC)
Holly Springs HS
UVA
LSM/D

What's going on this Fall?
This fall I've been working out at a cross fit gym four times a week, speed and agility training twice a week, hand to hand combat classes twice a week and my travel lacrosse team just started practice
 
iPod Top 5:
1. Big Green Tractor- Jason Aldean
2. Gettin you home- Chris Young
3. Jokerman- Bob Dylan
4. Born in the USA- Bruce Springsteen
5. Bartender- Rehab

Quinn Haley (Grasonville, MD)
Queen Anne's
Maryland
Attack

Whats going on this fall?
Just Football!

iPod Top 5
It's always changing, but for now I'd say
1. Chiddy bang, Kids remix
2. Kid Cudi, Up up an away
3. Super Mash Bros, I Bleed Purple and Gold
4. Matt and Kim, Daylight
5. Ray Barbee, Find Enjoyment
If am getting pumped up I like stuff like the Gladiator theme music they played at Sean taylor's tribute, and if there's dancing going on, I like all the Super Mash Bros.

Paul Harrison (Silver Spring, Maryland)
DeMatha Catholic High School
Drexel University
Defense/ LSM
 
Whats going on this Fall?
We are doing a lot of work this fall with DeMatha, lifting 3 times a week as a team and getting in stick work and 6 vs 6 practices once to twice a week. I am also playing in a  fall league with most of the DeMatha guys which is full games every Sunday. Once November starts I will be playing in tournaments with DeMatha and my club team Blackwolf.

Ipod Top 5:
1. Californication- Red Hot Chili Peppers
2. Young Forever- Jay- Z
3. That Was a Crazy Game of Poker- O.A.R.
4. Wonderwall- Oasis
5. 'Till I Collapse- Eminem

Josh Matanin (Ellicott City, MD)
St. Pauls School for Boys
Undecided: I have visited UNC, Duke, Georgetown, Navy, Towson, and plan on looking into many more. So I do not have a List of Top Schools yet.
Defense/ LSM

What's going on this fall?
I am training every day to gain an advantage on the field.

Ipod Top 5:
1. Remember the Name- Fort Minor
2. Are You Gonna be my Girl- Jet
3. Headstrong- Trapt
4. Till I Collapse- Eminem
5. By the Way- Red Hot Chili Peppers

John Muti (Mountain Lakes, NJ)
Mountain Lakes
Navy
Goalie

What's going on this fall?
I am playing football for the Mountain Lakes Herd. We are having another successful year with an 5-0 start.

Ipod Top 5:
1. Say Yeah- Wiz Khalifa,   
2. Gangsta- Maino,   
3. Bubble Toes -Jack Johnson
4. Somewhere Over the Rainbow- Israel Kamakawiwo'ole    
5. Make Her Say- Kid Cudi ft. Kanye West and Common

Jake Haley (Grasonville, MD)
Queen Anne's
Georgetown University
Goalie

What are you doing this fall?
Football! Queen Anne's is 6-0 and looking for a 2A state championship after making it to the semis last season.

iPod Top 5
1. Living the Dream, Super Smash Bros
2. Kids MGMT Remix, Chiddy Bang
3. Young Forever, Jay Z
4. Skinny Love, Bon Iver
5. Mr. Pitful, Matt Costa

Mark Brashears (Annapolis, MD)
Broadneck High School
Undecided
Midfield

What's going on this fall?
I am on the Golf team and working out!

Ipod Top 5:
1. Juicy- Notorious B.I.G.
2. Young Forever- Jay Z
3. Hello Seattle- Owl City
4. Congratulations- Drake
5. Drop- East Clubbers
 
Kodie Englehart (Coronado, CA)
Coronado High School
Vermont
Midfield

What are you doing this fall?
I am QB for our Islander Football Team and playing Indoor Lacrosse on Saturdays

Ipod Top 5: 
1. Can't Be Touched -Roy Jones Jr.
2. I Rock Skinnines, Fresh Boyz
3. Ambitions As A Ridah -Tupac
4. Man I Miss My Dawgs -Lil Wayne
5. Let Me Clear My Throat -DJ Kool

Michael Ehrhardt (Westbury, NY)
Chaminade High School
Maryland
Defense

What are you doing this fall?
I am playing wide receiver for Chaminade's Football team.  
 
iPod Top 5:
1. Replay-Sean  Kingston
2. Glory Road- Bruce
3. All the Above- Maino
4. Time to Pretend- MGMT
5. You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift

Craig "Goodie” Goodermote (Holtsville, New York)
Sachem East High School
Marist
Goalie

	ESPN RISE
	Zach Rogers

By Brett Hughes

Fall ball is heating up for high school ballers all over. For those of you in season be it football, cross country, golf, water polo...etc., that does not mean you should stop getting better at lacrosse. I'm not telling you to bring your long pole to practice to help you with your cover 2 assignments.

Instead head out to see some top college, pro, and even National Team games coming up over the next month and a half. As we saw in San Francisco, that showcase drew almost 5,000 and the fans got a chance to see UNC and Brown square off.

The COLORADO LACROSSE SHOWCASE: The Denver Outlaws are set to take on the Denver University Pioneers. This game should be great for the community recently ranked by Inside lacrosse as the No. 1 lacrosse town in America. The Stars will all be there for the Outlaws as Jesse Schwartzman, Kyle Harrison, Lee Zink, Brendan Mundorf, Max Seibald, Brian Langtry, and the rest of the Outlaws take on a college team on the rise. This also marks the first time the DU community will see legendary coach Bill Tierney in action on the DU sideline. The former Princeton coach is arguably one of the best to ever walk the sideline. These MLL vs NCAA games are always great as the MLL guys who do not practice everyday want to show why they are the best players in the world, and the NCAA guys just want to knock off the guys on top. These are great oppurtunity to watch great lacrosse and even meet some of the guys you may model your own game off.

Team USA SET TO TAKE ON NAVY, MARYLAND, AND UVA: If you are anywhere near Annapolis, Md., this Sunday go catch one of the four games slated to take place on two different fields. These games will be white hot, as the fellas on Team USA never want to lose, and they have a chip on their collective shoulder. From llast year, the 40+/- players on the Blue and White teams are still fighting for a roster spot when Team USA heads to Manchester, England this summer. Coach Dave Pressler will be continuing to evaluate these players and you can imagine the intensity these teams will bring. On the other side of the ball these teams happen to be playing three strong NCAA opponents. Navy, Maryland and Virginia will all be incredibly hard to beat. 

Players to watch when you go: USA: Kyle Harrison (hometown kid, dodges better than anyone), Max Seibald (works as hard as anyone on any field), Eric Martin (plays all over the field and always gives middies issues), Joe Walters (might be the best shooter in the game), Paul Rabil (the best offensive midfielder in the game), Kevin Levielle (as creative as the get), and Ryan Boyle (every team needs a QB, he is seen as one of the best and a hometown) 

NCAA: Max Schmidt (D), Dan Groot(M), Ryan Young(A), Shamel Bratton(M), Steele Stanwick(A), Ken Clausen(D), Brian Carrol(M), Tim Paul(A). Keep your eyes on these boys and many more. 

Team ENGLAND vs HOFSTRA: On October 17th The Hofstra Pride are set to take on Team England who just suffered a loss to Loyola this past weekend. These games are great because it is a chance for Hofstra to get excited about playing someone new, and you will see a Team England giving all the have to get their squad ready for Manchester this summer. 

The fact is you do not have to be playing to get better, find a player pay attention to what he does with the ball in his stick and what he is doing when the ball is spinning around. If you want to be one of the best, just get out and learn from them! 

Posted By Brett Hughes

Our friends at Inside Lacrosse have reported that Mike Daniello, a top 10 recruit, has gone back on his verbal committment to Joe Breschi and the UNC Tar Heels, on Sept. 28th. Daniello has now decided to join former high school teammate and friend, Jamison Pickel, on the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays roster. 

Read more about Mike Daniello and his decision here. 

By Brett Hughes
 
Penfield (Rochester, N.Y.) High School senior Tucker Nelson recently decided to play for the Marist Red Foxes over schools like Johns Hopkins, Fairfield, UMBC, and more. The recruiting process was pretty simple and unlike most of the roads we have covered in the past. It happened while watching his dad coach, because Coach Nelson is the head man at Marist.
 
The 5-foot-10, senior attackman was Penfield's leader in points last season. He posted crazy balanced numbers going 35, 35. He also helped the Western Empire team and added his balanced game to an already talented Nike Rochester club team. Now, its all about family as Tucker Nelson will suit up for his father next year.
  
Name: Tucker Nelson
Position: Attack
High School: Penfield
Club: Nike Rochester
Grade: 12
 
ESPN RISE: So you decided to play for your father at Marist, to some that may make all the sense in the world… others maybe not. Why did you decide?
Tucker Nelson: I decided to play for my dad because it's always been a life long dream of mine to be coached by him, and he's got a very proven track record.
 
ER: So having a father as a coach, I can't imagine you didn't have a stick in your hand from the beginning?
TN: Yes, I was pretty much born with a lacrosse stick, not a day goes by where my father and I do not discuss some aspect of lacrosse.

ER: I assume you know your father pretty well, what is going to be an upside to playing for him?
TN: Knowing what he expects from me at all times is definitely a bonus.
 
ER: And what about a negative?
TN: I guess knowing the fact that I will be treated like every other player, and that I don't get special treatment, just for being a coach's son. Which isn't a real negative anyway.
 
ER: Well before you settled on Marist did you look around or entertain ideas to other schools? Even any other schools you liked?
TN: Yes, but not very in depth… UMBC, Ohio State, Johns Hopkins, Fairfield.
 
ER: Not a bad list, so I assume your father knows a couple things he would like to see his son/future attackman work on before you get to the Red Foxes locker room. What do you think some of those may be?
TN: There are a few aspects, number one has to be the weight room. As attackmen most of us don't love it in there and just keep brining a great attitude to everything everyday.
 
ER: Are you close with the team? Do you have some friends who are already on the squad?
TN: Yes, my best friend is a freshman for the Foxes. Connor Rice, the kid is sick.
 
ER: What are your feelings on the mascot?
TN: I love the Red Fox.
 
ER: Well that's the Fox's name?
TN: To be honest I have no idea. I've heard it does, but I can't recall a name.
 
ER: It's Shooter my man, you are going to need to know these things!
TN: Yeah, next time I'll do my homework.
 
ER: So sell me on Marist for a second. It's not a school on the biggest stage always. What would a recruit want to know about Marist?
TN: Marist has a beautiful campus and a top 20 ranked library. We also have a great stadium for lacrosse that is going to be amazing playing in.

ER: Any other Nelson boys coming up that your dad is going to have his eye on?
TN: Yes, my two younger bro's, both are going to be very talented. The first Nelson midfielder of all time is in 7th grade right now (Jake) and my other brother is a grade below him and is another attackman. It's fun to watch them because they play so well together.
 
ER: Be honest with us… if you decided to play somewhere else your dad would have grounded you or something right?
TN: (Laughs) I think he would have taken my cell phone away for a few months. It would have definitely affected our tight relationship; I honestly couldn't imagine what it would be like to play anywhere else.
 
ER: Okay, I noticed your birthday was on New Years Eve. Awesome or not so much?
TN: I love being born on New Year's Ever. It's an awesome feeling to have all those gifts in such a short period of time (Laughing). I would have to say it's a great thing.
 
Coach Nelson is continuing to bring in talented players every year and Marist remains a team on the climb and looks to improve on where they ended last year with a 10-9 loss to Manhattan. But this is about to become a family affair and we hope to see good things from Tucker Nelson this fall for Penfield as he prepares to make the college jump.

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By Brett Hughes

Haverford's Matt Walters gave his verbal commitmment to defending NCAA Champion Syracuse University, this coming just a week after teammate Carl Walrath verbally agreed to play midfield for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Both middies bring athleticism. Walrath took the No. 20 young gun recruit title from Inside Lacrosse, and Waleters showed his multi-demnsional athleticism this past summer at the Under Armour Underclass Showcase for the Philadelphia team.

Check out more from our friends at Lax Power on Matt Walters and Carl Walrath.

Posted By Brett Hughes

More and more of the top players are finding homes in the early fall. Three Juniors in Eric Chadderdon (Ohio State), Tyler German (Virginia), and Junior Jordan (Johns Hopkins) have all made decisons.

Virginia lands a monster in Tyler German who can score and create from he midfield. The Queen Anne's junior will team up with the Haley brothers (Quinn and Jake) for a dangerous coast to coast team.

Check out Geoff Shannon's "Recruiting Roundup"

By Brett Hughes

From the sounds of it, one of the biggest and most well known lacrosse tournaments will be back on in 2010. The New York State Empire Games are expected back and set to be held in Buffalo New York July 21st-25th. This is great for the lacrosse community and New York sports as a whole. Fred Smith tells the Buffalo News "I have no reason to doubt it, I have no reason to do anything but move full speed ahead."

Although it is not set in stone, i believe everyone from coaches, players, even fans, and officials, are pulling for this event that has hosted 32 tournaments to be resurrected to bring the "high school Olympics" back to New York.

By Brett Hughes

Bryant has landed Bruce Pirie of Indian Hills High School who is an amazing player but also cut from the football mold and comes ready to work. Bruce has been a 2x MVP at Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps and brings an enthusiasm and work ethic that is very rarely matched. His recruiting path has been longer than most and while peers were signing and committing to top colleges, he remained in the weight room and on the field waiting for a college to take a "chance” on the kid from Indian Hills. Finally, not long ago Coach Pressler or Bryant in Providence gave the call that Bruce had been waiting for.

Bruce is on the gridiron as I write this and no doubt going full speed, we look forward to what hearing more about Bruce and his season in this years RISE UP BOYS.

Name: Bruce Pirie
High School: Indian Hills High School
Position: F/O Mid/Def Mid
Grade: Senior

ESPN RISE: How long have you been playing Lacrosse?
Bruce Pirie: I've been playing lacrosse for 7 years now.

ER: Who first introduced you to the game?
BP: My big cousin Mike Burns who is a Senior Midfielder for UNC.

ER: What's been your best memory so far in lacrosse?
BP: This past high school season we won our last game of the year, the League Championship, in OT 11-10. Best part was we had lost to that team (Mahwah High School) earlier in the season by with .6 seconds left in regulation by the same score, 11-10.

ER: Do you Play any other sports? If so what and what position...
BP: I am a captain on my football team. Running Back and Safety

ER: Favorite type of music and best concert you've been to?
BP: I like all music to be totally honest. I listen to Hip-Hop mostly but I'll throw on some Jack Johnson, Dave Mathews, or some heavy rock every once in a while. It all depends on what mood I'm in and what I'm about to do. John Mayer doesn't get me pumped of a Lax Game ya know!
 
ER: Who is your favorite Lacrosse player of all time?
BP: John Glynn from Cornell. I love the way he works.

Posted by ESPN RISE STAFF 

Long Island, NY – The Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp (NELC) came back to Long Island for the second year in a row.  With Long Island being well known for some of the Nation's best High School Lacrosse, the staff was anxious to see the top players in the area.  Not only does the staff want to observe the young laxer's stick skills they are also interested in observing their athleticism.  NELC allows for the laxers to showcase their athletic talents as well as their lax skills within the high paced 4 hour camp.  As Max Seibald, the current Tewaaraton Award winner says, "To be a high level Lacrosse player today, you can't get away with just being a wizard with the stick, you need to be an athlete.  I credit the work I put forth in my training to having a huge impact on my career.”  NELC is able to include this into this unique camp because they bring with them Chris and Doug Gizzi from Zone Ready, a top shelf performance training company.

Here are the top 3 "Lax-letes” who caught the staff's attention with their tremendous athletic skills:

#1. Jack Reilly receives the top athlete award.  Even with an impressive frame and build, Jack moves with the fluidity of a basketball player.  His feet are quick and efficient to place his body in a position to win.  As Doug Gizzi, from Zone Ready said, "His feet are constantly getting back to the ground, it makes a swoosh sound as he moves.”

#2. Craig Goodermote – YES!  Goalies can be athletes too.  This guy has freakish hand speed and lower extremity dexterity.  He gets his body in front of the ball more often than not because of his superb starting speed.  ESPN Riser's Brett Hughes has been quoted, "I believe Craig may have an extra arm and/or leg.  But until officials rule extra appendages illegal, he can still play with the other kids.  Best goalie I've seen this year!”

#3. Alonzo Holcombe is very twitchy and has great recovery speed.  It's like he is reeling someone in when he gives chase.  Awesome shakes and the perseverance to match.  As Chris Gizzi, from Zone Ready said, "Alonzo is like a box of dynamite, when he goes off you swear you heard an explosion.” 

by Brett Hughes 

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	NELC UVA MVPS # 592 Peter Rosetti

Next surprise he had was a strong handshake and followed it up with a "good to meet you SIR.” A word not used nearly enough these days with athletes. But make no mistake Rossetti was all about fun, right up until the attackman caught the ball.

Similar to Johns Hopkins commit Jack Reilly (Christian Brothers Academy, Syracuse, NY) this very physical athlete turns to all business when the job is at hand, and clicks right back to chirping with teammates and giving everyone including coaches a hard time.

His eagerness to learn and actually go out and give anything a try will put him high on every coach's list. His interests lie in UVA, Georgetown, UNC, Duke, Notre Dane and Johns Hopkins. The duo of Rossetti and up and coming goalie David Noftsinger of Collegiate School will be a defense to deal with this year in the VISAA Central Division 3 region.

We will catch up with Pete in the weeks to come, as the beast gets ready for the upcoming football season. 

by Anthony Kelly special to ESPN RISE

	Zach Heffner/special to ESPN RISE
	NELC Coach Anthony Kelly.

It's always exciting to see how the game is exploding outside of the traditional hotbeds as we pushed westward. At OSU we had over 80 great players! The talent didn't stop there as we mixed in the Denver stop and the Nor Cal and So Cal stops. The kids out on the west coast were also very impressive, and I know all the kids were pumped in our efforts to add them to the tour.

After a long 2 weeks of training, lacrosse, and traveling, we closed out the NELC tour at Johns Hopkins. It was probably our most talented group of young players we have seen in one camp all year. We had numerous Division 1 and 3 commitments on hand at Friday's camp. It was awesome to watch them all playing and interacting with one another. I was thoroughly impressed with the guys when we got to 6 vs. 6, and the up and down 3 vs. 2 "basketball” drill. The stick skills and lacrosse IQ of these players was very obvious at this point.

As we closed out the day and all headed back to our normal lives, it was nice to sit and reflect on the camps. What's great about the NELC tour is that it gives these great players an opportunity to come to a camp, for FREE, work with some awesome trainers from Zone Ready, play some stress free lacrosse getting them away from the "recruiting summer”, having an opportunity to meet new friends, and most importantly have fun doing it and learn a bunch of new concepts to take home and incorporate into their own training. All of which will ultimately make them all better lacrosse players and hopefully better people. For me, it's just exciting to be able to help they young players achieve that and watch them grow as players. 

We'll see you all next summer!

By Kyle Harrison Special to ESPN RISE 

The Long Island NELC boys DEFINITELY impressed me today. I knew they'd be talented, I knew they'd be athletic, but I can't lie, part of me questioned whether or not they would be willing to work as hard as they possibly could for 3 and a half hours. These kids absolutely blew me away with their effort. 

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	Kyle Harrison "warming up" the goalies

From the start, the Hopkins bound Jack Reilly was the most physically gifted kid we've seen along with Will Campbell (NELC OSU, Carolina bound). From the moment the kid showed up, all eyes were on him. I was impressed with his athleticism and his size, but you know he'll be a great one because the kid LOVES to compete. From one vs. one's to 6 vs. 6, the kid just wanted to get after it. Speaking from experience, Coach Petro (Johns Hopkins) will teach him the right way to play the game, and he's willing to listen and be coached.

            There were two major surprises for me today, and I can guarantee both will make a lot of noise in the very near future in our sport. The first, a defender heading to Dartmouth named Austin Cohen, looked great playing the ball up top. There are things some kids have that you can't teach, and he's definitely got it. From playing the angles correctly of an attacker, or when to take a chance and when not to, and just having a nose for the ball. He's athletic enough to run with a big time midfielder, but tough enough to body up with a larger player as well.

            Secondly, James Panell, a rising sophomore was the most impressive player on the field today to me. There's A LOT he can do at a very high level at a young age. I saw him have a few defenders tripping over the back of the goal during one on one's. I saw him throw a few no look feeds diagonally during 4 vs. 3's. Lastly, I saw him rip a few low to highs into the top corner and finish a few high to low on the run as well. Most importantly, I very rarely (only once) saw him make a bad decision with the ball in his stick.  At 15 years old, the kids a complete attackmen and he's only going to get better from here. He's definitely one to keep an eye on for the next few years and see what program is able to sway him their way.

            One thing I've noticed on this tour is that all the poles can handle the ball. From 3 vs. 2's, or just clearing the ball, all these dudes have handles! That's a great thing for our sport, as it means kids are taking the time to hit the wall and develop their stick skills. Poles (especially LSM's) are becoming such an important piece of the transition offense in the NCAA, so it's great to see these kids whipping the ball around and handling EVERYTHING.

            Thus far, we've had 5 GREAT NELC's this summer and I was very impressed with the effort our boys in Long Island brought to the table. Out of the 78 kids out there today, I wont be surprised if we've got 10 First Team All American's come out of that group. These kids proved today that although high school lacrosse is growing all over the country, LI (along with Baltimore) is still the hot bed of high school lacrosse.

	Zach Heffner special to ESPN RISE
	NELC Coaching Staff 2009

by Greg  Bice special to ESPN RISE

We just finished week one of the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp!  This is my absolute favorite camp to be a part of and I am going to recap some of the highlights of week one.  Let's start with the staff...yes, a chance for me to toot our own horn, so please indulge me.  Let's start with the big man, Brett Hughes.  He brings so much energy to the field and he looks like Malibu from old school American Gladiators (Malibu as Brett Hughes easily one of my favorite "Youtube” Clips).  Then we have the Nike SPARQ trainers, the Gizzi brothers of Zone Ready - as intense as they come, from the same mold as the infamous Frog brothers, the vampire-slaying siblings from "The Lost Boys.”  This was the vampire movie of my time, and while I haven't seen or read "Twilight,” I know that there is no way it is even close to this movie. 

Side note: I don't know which Cory Haim/Cory Feldman movie is my favorite, "License to Drive” or "The Lost Boys” but I do know that they are both amazing!  For those of you who did not grow up in the 80s, do yourself a favor and watch this clip, The Lost Boys (I know all of you who just followed that link just made "The Lost Boys” number one on your Netflix.

 Moving on to Kyle Harrison, the man, the myth, the legend.  Behind all the smoke and mirrors that is K18, he is a really amazing athlete/coach who is passionate about lax.  He is also hands down the best tweeter around, seriously  - Kyle new that I was writing this blog before I did.  Not impressed?  Kyle also already knew that Jimmy Borell is about to think about squat thrusts and then isolation curls!  Ah, Jimmy Borell.  He came in a little banged up this week with a torn pectoral muscle and then immediately proceeded to tear his other pec from doing one armed pushups.  Even with two arms in slings he manages to get product into his hair and produce the Zach Morris wave.  Speaking of hair, how about the A-train, Anthony Kelly.  He used to look like Lorenzo Lamas who starred as the Renegade on the USA Network, what a great show!  Check it out, The Renegade.  Now he looks like a mix between the Incredible Hulk and Joaquin Phoenix.  This guy is a beast and a true workhorse.  Last and certainly least is our rookie, Max Seibald.  He has gone from winning the Tewaaraton Award to fetching us old men cartons of Muscle Milk after we crush a set of Medicine ball slams.  Max is an awesome competitor and brings so much to camp, I can't think of a better addition...oh, wait, yeah I can...Chuck Norris, but only the Texas Walker Chuck Norris, and here is why… Walker Doing Work!  I hope you watched all of these because I wasted a lot of time linking them up...and I love youtube!  The only thing better than our staff, are the athletes that came out to DO WORK! 

We had some serious ballers in San Francisco!  Those guys brought it!  My favorite part of the SF camp was when we did tennis ball drops and everyone was throwing their bodies around.  Guys were sacrificing their bodies more than when Chris Gizzi ran wedge-buster for the Green Bay Packers.  It was great!  One animal, that took it to the next level, was Ryan Bullen (Acalanes High School).  He is a big, tough defenseman who gets after it and plays blue-collar lacrosse.  Great camp and great kids, look forward to making back to the bay area next year.

LA was fantastic as well.  I really liked Cam Cole's game; the kid has some quick feet and a cannon of a shot.  He also rocks a sweet visor, like a young Jim McMann, totally awesome!  Who loves the super bowl shuffle?  That is actually a trick question because the answer is… everyone.  Zach Rodgers also had a great camp.  This kid has a great attitude and likes to mix it up, which every coach loves to see in a defenseman. We will hear much more about him in the future…  Good stuff LA!

Syracuse was, you guessed it, an excellent camp as well!  I gotta give a shout out to the lone Texan, Ian Seale who made it out.  He is a crafty lefty who proved he could play with the traditional hot beds.  Way represent the Lone Star state, the best country in the United States!  Also we had a great goalie Dillon Harrington of Ft. Myers Florida.  He was "pop corning” Anthony Kelly's 109 mph shot and Max Seibald's 110 mph shot. The Auburn High School players were also incredible; Connor Entenman (Cornell got a great one here), Matt Festa, Andrew Chadderdon, and the others show why Auburn is a tough school to play in the area.  We had a few face-off boys come out and scrap, Ricky Buhr (Manhasset, NY.), Tyler Brooks Lambert (Midlakes, NY), Drew Jenkins (Montclair, NJ.), Gabe Mendola (Ithica, NY and a Harvard Commit), and Bruce Pirie (Indian Hills, NY.) they all absolutely came to play. Bruce came to Syracuse for the first time, but was at Long Island last summer, this kid is a great player and an even better person.  Look for him to mix it up when he gets to college in a year, he is a very coachable player and works harder than A-train and I trying to complete a crossword puzzle.  We are idiots!  I gotta end it with that!

What a great week, I am ready to tear up week two with the boys and do work in Columbus, Long Island, Baltimore, and Charlottesville.  Until then do some work for Coach Borell and Kelly.   

By Brett Hughes

Another one of the future attackmen for the Virginia Cavaliers, Connor English, sent a simple and to the point answer about what he saw this past weekend. English is coming off a 5 goal effort against Chaminade to set Manhasset up for a 9-7 win over their Long Island rivals.

After watching all the lax games this week I learned that to excel at the next level I have to learn to be a little more patient while also never letting stuff get to my head.  The guys that played well did all of these things plus more when the ball or flow wasnt directly going through their sticks... I cant wait for next week!

Connor has also recently been invited to play in the Under Armour All American Game, check in later as Connor and the Rise Up Boys give thier last piece of the year and say goodbye the RISE... unless we have them check in from their new NCAA lives.

By Brett Hughes

Senior Midfielder Austin Wright dropped a line after the first round of the playoffs, touching on what he learned from the weekend, and even more... started to pick up a couple things he can do prior to arriving at Hofstra next fall. Wright, is set to help the Pride to another playoff run. Austin and the Worthington Kilbourne Wolves have enjoyed a great season taking down Upper Arlington and earning a top 3 seed in the Mid West Tournament. Read how Austin saw week one. 

After watching the first round of the playoffs over the weekend there were a few things that stood out to me.

I think the biggest transition from high school to division one college lacrosse would be the speed of the game. This was made clear after watching the first half of the UVA game. There ability to run and gun makes them a very dangerous team.

I think that there are two things that I am going to have to work on, on an individual basis. The first is the ability to change directions in a split second. Billy Bitter is a great example of this he can run at his defenseman full speed and stop on a dime, side step him and get a shot off. The second is to be able to shoot and pass at the same level with the stick in either hand.

Those are a few of the things that make Division one lacrosse so great.

Plays who start to pick up on the parts of the game they can work on to make precived weakness into strengths always have the best shot to blow up on the next level.

By Brett Hughes

Gatorade, G2, Vitamin Water, Powerade, or maybe even H2o, This week we asked the boys to weigh in on what sport drink the prefer, and also what is the best sports commercial of all time. You tube some of these to get a laugh or remember some of the best. 

I went back and looked into te ESPN archive and found what readers have said over the years. You can compare these guys to what we at ESPN have decided are the best sports commercials of all time.

Check out the ESPN top 25 commercials. 

 Quinn Haley: Queen Annes' (MD.)

1. During games I stick with pure H2o, after games I like either Vitamin Water Revive or G2..
2. The Terry Tate Office Linebacker commercials are the best.. I like the one where he crushes the guy for not refilling the coffee machine.."you kill the joe, you make some mo..!! whooaaaa!!!!"

Chris Lapierre: Shawnee, (N.J.)

1. No Question... Gatorade,
2. Best sports commercial is the one played during last year's Masters of Earl Woods explaining why Tiger is the best golfer in the world.  

Tobey Armour: Choate Rosemary Hall, (Conn.)

1. Vitamin water....love it. 
2. Best sports commercial ever was the one aired during the '98 world cup.  had the brazilian team playing soccer through the airport.  so great.

Criag Goodermote: Sachem, (N.Y.)

1. Vitamin water. My school just put in brand new machines with them in. Cant
go a day without my XXX or formula 50 drink.
2. The Nike "Fate" commercial with LT and Polamalu has to be on eof the best.

Jake Haley: Queen Annes', (MD.)

1. Vitamin Water - Revive goes quickest in my house, but like to have an Energy before and during games.
2. LT and Troy Polamalu "Leave Nothing" commercial shows them growing up from kids to pros, then facing eachother.

John Muti: Mtn. Lakes, (N.J.)

1.Gatorade without a doubt.
2. The "chicks dig the long a ball"; commercial with John Glavine and Greg Maddux.

Stay tuned for more from our future stars.

Posted By ESPN RISE Staff

Long Beach (N.Y.) goalie Eddie Collins has watched his father abuse drugs and serve jail time. Motivated to do more with his life, Collins has become one of the top goalies in the country. 

Read how Collins has found his outlet in lacrosse. 

By Brett Hughes

ESPN RISE and the RISE UP BOYS check back in with a new topic. What is the best book our boys have ever read? The guys have a wide range of books from athletic, military, and some of the more legendary novels...

A big congratulations to our RISE UP BOYS as some have made the UA All Star game and others enjoying their best seasons yet. Stay tuned for more.

Michael Morris: Deerfield (Deerfield, CT)
One of my favorite books I ever read was the net force by Tom Clancy. I read it a while ago and I read it again recently and still found the concept of futuristic Internet intriguing.

Tyler Knarr: LaSalle (Eagleville, PA)
Definitely has to be To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I've read it a couple times and every time it impresses me more.  It's a brilliantly written novel about an unjust trial, but it's really about so much more than just the trial. It carries some great messages.

Craig Goodermote: Sachem East ( Holtsville, N.Y.)
The best book that I have read so for has to be The Great Gatsby. Its
Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book takes place on Long Island during
"The Jazz Age" and the Roaring Twenties.

Luke Armour: Lawrencville (Lawrencville, N.J.)
My favorite book of all time is called "It's Not About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong - it's about Armstrong's battle with cancer and his attitude throughout his devastating series of treatments and procedures. He fought back to win several Tour de France races. Inspiring for everyone.

Jake Haley: Queen Annes' (Centerville, MD.)
The best book I have read is The Inner Game of Tennis by Tim Gallwey, which was recommended to me by Coach Tierney on a visit to Princeton last fall.  It's not so much about tennis (which I've hardly ever played), but more about the power of the mind dealing with focusing and challenging situations... Basically teaching athletes how to clear out their minds and focus on the task at hand, letting their instincts take control... Pretty cool for goalies..

Marcus Holman: Gilman (Baltimore, MD.)
Marcus Luttrell's book Lone Survivor is the best I have ever read. It's about this team of Navy SEAL's that are ambushed in the mountains of Afghanistan, and Marcus is the only one who survives.  I couldn't put it down.

Quinn Haley: Queen Annes' (Centerville, MD.)
Friday Night Lights is my kind of book, but I have to say The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho got to me the most.  It's about a boy being brave enough to follow his dream in a spiritual journey across the desert.

Connor English: Manhasset (Manhasset, N.Y.)
The best book I have read is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.  It's a story of a of child becoming an child solider by force and his life story of what he went through and how his life takes a turn for better.
 

Posted by Brett Hughes

Incase you have not seen the NELC site check it out. We will update it throughout the summer with pictures and video as well as hear from players, coaches, and staff on each camp as we tour the country in year two.

There is a link on the page to email us with any questions you have on the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps. 

Posted By Brett Hughes

I have posted plenty on the UNC Tar Heels and the strong classes they having coming down the next few years, but just maybe the best player coming down to Tobacco Road will be playing for the UNC girls team.

Lauren Maksym of Farmingdale is set to play for the Tar Heels and after reading this story you will see why she is looked at as the nations top prep goalie, and No. 5 recruit in the country. 

Posted by Brett Hughes

RISE UP BOYS is back after a little break to allow our guys to get the season underway. We asked the boys to weigh in on the best games of the season and drop some love on the player they feel deserves the MVP. Many times these players write me and mention other guys who should be talked about -- so I gave them the mic to shout out, like Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show.

We also have some accomplishments to highlight, from players becoming captains, to players earning National Honor Society nods. The boys are continuing to impress on and off the field, which is why they are at the top of the game. This is a two-part RISE UP Boys, .


Patrick Harbeson: Dematha (Washington, D.C.)
Our best game of the season so far has to be our 7-5 victory over St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.). It was our first conference game and it went down to the wire. At the end of the game, St. Mary's Ryken had two chances of scoring on EMO as we were two men down, but our defense came up big towards the end.

Personally I played OK (1,1). What made the difference was the team play we had, playing unselfishly and distributing the ball. Actually, six different players scored six of our seven goals and five of the goals were assisted.

But what kept us alive in the game was our defense. They were our team MVPs -- from our D-Middies to our goalie.


John Urbank: Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.)
We just beat St. Anthony's 9-6. Sick game. We moved up a sophomore goalie John Connors and he had 15 saves. He's legit, definitely the MVP of the game. Connors and junior attackman Matty Gillan had awesome games. Matty went like two and three.

We have some really good seniors on our team who haven't gotten a lot of love. John Hannan, a middie going to Holy Cross, and Bob Lucas, a middie going to Princeton, are really good players. Also Tom Schreiber from St. Anthony's is filthy, so I will add him to the mix.

Connor English: Manhasset (N.Y.)
Our best game so far has been against John Jay; they used the stall offense to keep it close but we ended up winning 11-5. It was good though 'cause it made us patient. I had two goals and two assists in the game but the MVP was our junior middie Drew Balinskey, he came up big with three goals that night.

Marcus Holman: Gilman (Baltimore, Md.)
The LaSalle game was definitely the best game of our season. Scoring the OT winner was great, but our comeback in regulation was even better. And in my opinion our team MVP in that game was Davey Emala, who dropped 4 g's. He has the quickest release I've ever seen on a shot and he handles everything.

Jake Haley: Queen Annes' (Centerville, Md.)
My favorite game was against Easton when we scored the last four goals in a shootout to win 14-9. It was fun for me because I had a bunch of groundballs and long runs up the field... I got the game ball (17 saves, 9GBs) along with Brandon Kimbles, the younger brother of Jamie Kimbles (UMBC). Brandon had a career-high of six goals, which was huge because Quinn Haley had to miss a lot of the game with a shoulder injury after his three early scores. It was a big win for us after losing to them by one last year.

Hear from Quinn Haley and more tomorrow in the continuation of RISE UP BOYS best game of the season.

By Brett Hughes

I wanted to start the ESPN RISE Top 25 Senior list today with 25-21. RISE will have a chance to see #21 Marcus Holman of Gilman tomorrow vs LaSalle (Penn.). A player you may have never heard of is Cody Solaja out of Dallas, Texas. If you ask around the NCAA everyone will tell you that coach Tierney at Hofstra landed a kid with incredible potential and can be a difference maker on Long Island.

25. Patrick Fanshaw, Calvert Hall (Baltimore, Md.), Attack, Loyola (Md.)

24. Howie Long Jr., St. Anne's-Belfield (Charlottesville, Va.), Defender, Virginia

23. Cody Solaja, Episcopal (Dallas, Texas), Defender, Hofstra

22. Patrick Murray, Kent Denver (Englewood, Colo.), Midfielder, Georgetown

21. Marcus Holman, Gilman (Baltimore, Md.), Attack, North Carolina