Recruiting: Top Lacrosse Players in Central Mass
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
With strong play and talented players comes college coaches looking to recruit the year-round scene. Here's a look at the local prospects in line to play at the collegiate level in years to come.
2014 Commits
3 senior All-Americans are bound for college lacrosse rosters next Fall.
Drew Smiley of St. John’s (Shrewsbury) will enroll at the Naval Academy next Fall, and the All-American attackman tied for the lead in assists this season in the Catholic Conference with 35.
Steven Kerr is the Goaltender for St. John’s and his 3.61 goals allowed per game average is the best in Central Mass. He’ll be attending Western New England next year.
Chris Gorman of Shrewsbury had the top goals allowed per game average in the Midland A Conference (4.40 per game), and he’ll be playing goalie for Eastern Connecticut next season as a college player.
Brett LeClair of St. Peter-Marian finished second in the Catholic Conference in goals (62) and points (83), and the senior attackman is committed to play for Wheaton College next year. LeClair wasn’t named an All-American, but he does have one of the hardest shots in the country, as evidenced below.
2015 Prospects
A handful of players in the class of 2015 stand out as potential collegiate players, led by Jake Foster of Westborough. Foster has committed to play for the University of Hartford, a Division 1 school in the America East Conference. The 6’3” midfielder scored 32 goals this season as a junior. He plays club lacrosse for the Top Gun Fighting Clams.
Sean Moran of Worcester led the Mid-Mass Conference with a 4.53 goals allowed per game average, and the junior goalie is the backbone of a team that made the quarterfinals of the Division 2 Central/West playoffs this season.
James Bowler was second in the Mid-Mass Conference with 56 goals and 75 points this season, and the junior attackman has the type of rare finishing ability college coaches crave.
Jared Ward sometimes gets overlooked next to teammate Drew Smiley at St. John’s, but it was the junior Ward who led St. John’s with 52 goals and 75 points this season. With St. John’s among the Final 4 teams left standing in the Division 2 Central/West playoffs, the stacked and balanced roster has lived up to its billing.
Shrewsbury's Derick Tinsley scored 26 goals and dised out 15 assists this season, and he's committed to play at Merrimack at the next level.
2016 Prospects
Curtiss Vachon of St. Bernard’s was the most prolific scorer in Central Mass. this season, netting 77 goals and finishing second in the MIAA central points race with 103. Lacrosse schools will undoubtedly be clamoring for his goal-scoring services, but according to Vachon’s recruiting page, he’s looking for a school that will prepare him for medical school too.
Grafton’s Chase Kapuscienski is only a sophomore, but his leadership abilities (already a team captain) and flair for the dramatic (check out his clutch heroics against Worcester below) have caught the eye of the lacrosse community. Throw in his 71 point (42 goals, 29 assists) breakout season in 2014, and there isn’t much not to love about Kapuscienski.
Kapuscienski’s classmate, Cadrin Msumba, is another bright spot for the young Indians. The sophomore net-minder ranked second in the Mid-Mass Conference with a 5.37 goals allowed per game average this season. What’s been most amazing about Grafton’s season is that the Indians have no seniors and still might pull off a Division 3 Central/West championship.
Another goalie establishing himself as a star in the class of 2013 is Colton King of Algonquin. King ranked 2nd in the Midland A conference with a 5.54 goals allowed per game average this season. He also stars for the Top Gun Fighting Clams club team.
Did I miss anyone? Hit me on twitter @RealJackAndrade and let me know!
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