Cassese Announces Lehigh's Latest Recruits
from press release
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Smith Family Head
Lacrosse Coach Kevin Cassese has announced the addition of 11
student-athletes who will arrive on campus Thursday to join the
Mountain Hawks lacrosse program. The class of 2014 features
student-athletes from four states: Maryland, Missouri, New York,
and Pennsylvania and features four high school All-Americans.
"We are delighted to officially welcome the 2010 recruiting class
and the Lehigh University Men's Lacrosse Class of 2014 to South
Mountain," Cassese explained. "What sticks out most about this
group is the overall athleticism and will to win that the members
of this class bring with them to Lehigh. Every member of this class
is capable of making an impact on the program at some point over
the next four years. I look forward to the start of fall practice
so we can begin working with this group and the entire 2010-11
squad."
William Borruso is a defenseman/long stick midfielder from Eastport
South Manor High School in Manorville, New York. A two-sport
standout, Borruso was a five-year varsity athlete in lacrosse and
soccer. On the lacrosse field, Borruso was twice named his high
school team's most improved player and was his team's defensive MVP
in 2009. He earned similar awards for his performance on the soccer
field, in addition to captaining his team as a senior. Off the
field, Borruso is a four-time Varsity Academic Team member and a
member of the National Honor Society.
The first of two members of the incoming class from Conestoga High
School, Ryan Buttenbaum is a midfielder/face-off specialist from
Malvern, Pennsylvania. Buttenbaum picked up numerous athletic
awards following his senior year, including being named a US
Lacrosse All-American and the Main Line Player of the Year. He
earned All-EPSLA, All-Main Line, All-Central League and
All-Phillylacrosse.com honors in 2010 while playing for a state
championship winning team. A three-year letterman, Buttenbaum led
his team in ground balls in both 2009 and 2010 and was named to
Inside Lacrosse's Top 100 Incoming Freshman List. An AP Scholar and
four-year honor roll student, Buttenbaum also lettered in Ice
Hockey for Conestoga.
A midfielder from Silver Spring, Maryland, Jimmy Cahill lettered in
three sports at St. Albans School. On the lacrosse field he earned
Washington Post All-District honors in both 2009 and 2010 and was
an All-IAC selection in 2009. Cahill received the St. Albans
Coaches Award in 2010. He was also an All-Conference performer on
the football field and earned one letter in wrestling. A two-year
member of the Headmaster's List, Cahill plans to study engineering
at Lehigh.
Sam Cunard is a defenseman from South River High School in
Edgewater Maryland. An All-State defenseman and a member of the
Maryland State All-Star team in 2010. Cunard is a two-time
All-County selection and a first team All-Capital-Gazette
designation. As a junior, Cunard was a starting defenseman on
Maryland's State 4A Championship Team and an Adidas All-America
selection. An honor roll student, Cunard was a three-time recipient
of the Minds in Motion Scholar-Athlete Award.
The third All-America selection in the incoming class is Cody
Ferraro, an attacker/midfielder from Ward Melville High School in
East Setauket, New York. Another three-sport standout, Ferraro
captained one of the top high school teams in the country as a
senior and was an All-Long Island selection after leading his team
in goals and points. Under Ferraro's leadership, Ward Melville won
a division title, advanced to the Suffolk County finals and
finished the year ranked in the top ten nationally. A four-year
honor roll student, Ferraro also captained his high school football
and wrestling teams.
Harrison Lawrence comes to Lehigh from Radnor High School in
Wayne, Pennsylvania. A midfielder, Lawrence was a three-year
starter and captained his high school team as a senior. Radnor's
Offensive MVP in his senior season, Lawrence was a second team
All-Central League and second team All-Main Line selection. He is a
winner of the United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete
Award. An honors student, Lawrence also lettered in soccer and
earned All-League honors as well.
From Half Hollow Hills West High School comes Lukas Mikelinich. A
defenseman/long stick midfielder, Mikelinich was two-year
All-County selection at Half Hollow Hills West and also earned
All-Division honors as a sophomore. In his high school career,
Mikelinich has been named Team MVP and also earned his team's
Coaches Award for his efforts on the lacrosse field. Off the field,
Mikelinich also excelled, earning an advanced New York State
regents diploma in the classroom and volunteering his time back to
the community through various clubs and organizations such as
Athletes helping Athletes and Natural Helpers.
Andrew Mower is the fourth All-American in Lehigh's Class of 2014,
hailing from St. Louis, Missouri where he attended Chaminade Prep.
A midfielder, Mower added All-State and All-Conference honors to
his All-American selection as a senior. He was selected to
participate in the U.S. Lacrosse Top 96 2010 High School Boys
Championship. A two-time team captain, Mower was named his high
school team's Offensive Player of the Year in each of his first
three years, before earning team MVP honors as a senior.
Matt Risk is an attackman who comes to Lehigh from Winston
Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. A two-time team captain
in lacrosse, Risk was a two-time All-Gazette selection and earned
All-Division in each of his final two years. He totaled 78 goals
and 41 assists in his career. In his senior season, Risk scored 42
goals and handed out 17 assists, en route to being named Team MVP
and earning a spot on the All-Montgomery County team. The recipient
of the Carroll Award, which is presented to the best athlete of the
Winston Churchill senior class, as voted by the school's coaches,
Risk is an honor roll student who also captained and earned
defensive MVP honors for the football team.
The second member of the class from Conestoga High School is Matt
Smith, an attackman from Berwyn, Pennsylvania. The 2010 Daily Local
News Lacrosse Player of the Year, Smith was the Offensive Player of
the Year for the 2010 State Champions. He earned first team honors
on the All-Central League, All-EPSLA and All-Main Line teams. As a
junior, Smith was a first team All-Main Line pick and a second team
All-League selection. A recipient of the United States Marine Corps
Distinguished Athlete Award, Smith was also a standout on
Conestoga's soccer team.
Rounding out the Class of 2014 is defenseman Ty Souders from nearby
Emmaus High School. On the lacrosse field, Souders was named
All-PVLL as a sophomore and All-LVC in each of his final two
seasons. A team captain as a junior and a senior, Souders played
for the Philadelphia team in the Under Armour All-American
Underclassmen tournament in 2009. Souders was also a standout on
the football field, where he captained the Green Hornets as a
senior. He was an All-LVC linebacker and earned the Michael Wood
Award as his team's most outstanding back. Souders also was one of
50 regional winners of the Mini Max High School Award, given by the
Maxwell football club.
"I would like to commend my assistant coaches, our Recruiting
Coordinator Taylor Wray and Brendan Callahan, for their tireless
work in the recruiting department," Cassese said. "Much of the
credit for compiling such a strong group of young men and a
nationally competitive recruiting class goes to those men."
The incoming class joins a Lehigh team that returns a wealth of
talent for the 2011 season. The Mountain Hawks return a pair of
All-Patriot League selections plus seven of their top eight scorers
from a year ago.
Lehigh Men's Lacrosse Class of 2014
No.
Name
Pos. Ht./Wt. Hometown/Previous School
44 - William Borruso D/LSM
6-3/215 Manorville, N.Y./Eastport South Manor
29 - Ryan Buttenbaum M/FO
6-1/200 Malvern, Pa./Conestoga
32 - Jimmy Cahill
M 5-11/180 Silver Spring,
Md./St. Albans
36 - Sam Cunard
D 6-2/225 Edgewater,
Md./South River
7 - Cody Ferraro
A/M 6-2/215 East Setauket, N.Y./Ward
Melville
24 - Harrison Lawrence M
6-1/185 Wayne, Pa./Radnor
16 - Lukas Mikelinich D/LSM 5-11/170 Dix
Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West
25 - Andrew Mower
M 6-0/195 St. Louis,
Mo./Chaminade Prep
45 - Matt
Risk
A 6-2/185 Potomac,
Md./Winston Churchill
21 - Matt Smith
A 5-10/165 Berwyn,
Pa./Conestoga
40 - Ty Souders
D 6-1/210 Macungie,
Pa./Emmaus
