New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
BOYS LACROSSE: 25 CIAC players to watch
Jack Balzi, New Milford, Sr., M:
Sacred Heart-bound two-way midfielder is a tenacious defender in three sports.
Dom Basti, Notre Dame-West Haven, Sr., M:
Carries 263 career points into his last season before heading to Sacred Heart, where his father, Jon, is coach. Three-time all-state player.
Ben Burmeister, Staples, Sr., M:
All-America pick last year heads for Notre Dame next after two Class L championships, seeking a third.
Kyle Colsey, Ridgefield, Sr., A:
An offensive force for four years; All-America and a GameTimeCT All-State pick last year. Will rejoin brother Ryan at Virginia next year.
James Corry, Sr. Joseph, Sr., M:
Likely will become the school’s all-time leading scorer early this season, the all-state pick is headed for RIT.
Doster Crowell, New Canaan, Sr., A:
Fresh off yet another outstanding hockey season, the Michigan-bound lacrosse All-American heads back outside.
Michael Dowd, Ridgefield, Sr., D:
He and Colsey were Ridgefield’s two leading receivers in football season. They’re on opposite ends of the field in the spring. Dowd is committed to Brown.
Conner Flanagan, Wilton, Sr., LSM:
Wilton swept the Class L all-state long-stick middie, short-stick DM and faceoff man last year. Flanagan is the only one left. The word you find online on the lefty is “tenacious.” Signed with Utah.
Ryan Grove, Cheshire, Sr., FO/M:
Sacred Heart-bound standout and a second-team GameTimeCT All-Stater last year. He changed games’ momentum for the Rams, including a regular-season game last year against Fairfield Prep when he kept winning draws in the last six minutes and Cheshire nearly erased an eight-goal lead.
Carter Hagen, Darien, Sr., G:
GameTimeCT All-State goalie last season is bound for Loyola. He has been making big saves since getting some time as a sophomore.
Matt Jeffery, Cheshire, Sr., M:
All-American, top recruit in his class, going to Notre Dame with a goal of playing two sports, scored in overtime to win the conference tournament, a four-year factor in the midfield. Not the worst resume we’ve seen.
John Kleinbeck, Fairfield Ludlowe, Sr., M:
All-state football linebacker, too, his next stop is the Air Force Academy.
Josh Marcus, Staples, Jr., G:
He missed the first half of last season, which didn’t hinder him from winning his second state championship in two high school seasons. Committed to North Carolina.
Gavin McCarthy, Fairfield Prep, Sr., LSM/D:
Signed with Bryant, coach Graham Niemi calls the two-time all-stater a “disruptive player in the middle of the field.”
Jack Orlando, Daniel Hand, Sr., G:
The Blue Knights bulked up their schedule a bit, and their two-time All-CCC Central captain will be at the heart of handling it.
Brady Pokorny, Darien, Sr., A: Jack Schwartz, Wilton, Jr, D:
He could become the school’s all-time leading scorer this year. A
starter the past two years, he can make saves in bunches, one reason the Tigers are a team to watch in the new Class M.
Gavin Pelletier, Southington, Sr., M:
The kid in No. 99 jumped out at you when he was a freshman. He has grown his game into an All-American attackman headed to Notre Dame. Second-team all-state last year to help the Warriors to their first FCIAC championship in almost a quarter-century. Committed to Loyola.
Tim Shannehan, Fairfield Prep, Sr., A:
Three-time coaches all-stater is headed to Boston University next. So is younger brother Luke, a junior, another key to the Jesuits’ offense.
Dillon Stephens, New Canaan, Sr., D:
The Rams really missed this standout defender last year when he battled injuries. Headed to Syracuse.
Gray Tamasco, New Canaan, Sr., D:
The Rams really missed this standout defender last year when he battled injuries. Headed to Richmond.
Charlie Thom, Darien, Jr., D:
He was an all-state tight end on a Blue Wave football team that boasted him at 6-foot-6 opposite 6-9 classmate Kevin Roche and went to the Class L final. Here in the spring he’s on a
Blue Wave defense that includes 6-6 classmate Mark McNamara, a Penn State commit.
Adam Udell, Staples, Jr., A:
One online commentator called him a “Swiss Army knife” for his versatility. Committed to Michigan.
Colten Yates, East Catholic, Jr., LSM:
All-CCC Central and all-state last season for a school that has had plenty of tournament success but missed the postseason by a game last year. A Rutgers commit.
Colin Zeller, Greenwich, Jr., M:
Second-team all-stater has made some big plays and scored some big goals for the Cardinals, including a triple-overtime winner last year. Committed to Yale.