Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Lacrosse to Add 12 Newcomers in 2008
5/11/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
May 11, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's lacrosse team, featuring a number of young players all over the field, won 11 games and was ranked in the top 20 for most of the 2007 season. That strong returning nucleus will be immediately bolstered by a promising class of a dozen incoming recruits, according to head coach Frank Fedorjaka.
"We have excellent balance in this class," said Fedorjaka. "We have some very specialized players coming in. Guys who can play both offense and defense, guys who can play both attack and midfield, natural lefties and righties, and guys who are excellent finishers and others who are creators. Almost all of them come from winning programs. We certainly expect this to be an impact class."
The 2008 recruiting class features talent in all areas, including high-scoring attackmen, a standout faceoff specialist, versatile midfielders, big defensemen and a highly rated lefty goalie.
Bucknell was one of the best defensive teams in the country this spring, ranking third nationally in goals allowed at 6.33 per game. Goalie Nick Sciubba leads the nation in save percentage, while first-team all-league defenseman Billy Haire along with three-year starter Evan Burns return next season. Defenseman Greg Sowyrda and long-stick defensive middie Paul Stansik will graduate, but more support is on the way with the addition of goalie Sam Finnell and defensemen John Collett, Jason Foreit and Alex Lyons.
Lyons comes to Bucknell from powerful Boys' Latin High School in Baltimore, currently the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. A Maryland Top 44 Freestate Team selection, Lyons is a three-sport athlete who is currently on the High School Tewaaraton Award watch list. He will be reunited with Burns, another Boys' Latin alum, at Bucknell.
"Alex is a very smart defender who will fit in very well with what we like to do on defense," said Fedorjaka.
One of two recruits coming from powerful Delbarton, Collett is a starting defenseman on a squad that is currently 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state of New Jersey and No. 3 in the nation. Collett, whose father, Doug, played football at Bucnkell, had a career-high 37 ground balls last season on a team that went 21-1 and won the state title. This year's team is allowing only 4.3 goals per game, and the Green Wave has allowed 10 goals in a game only once in the last four years. Collett was also a first-team all-conference football player in the fall.
"John will bring size, athleticism and toughness to our defense," Fedorjaka said.
Foreit is the top defenseman on a Norwalk (Conn.) High School team that went all the way to the state title game last season, where it dropped a one-goal decision. At Bucknell he could play either close defense or long stick defensive midfield.
"Jason is very good between the lines," commented Fedorjaka. "He is very fast and handles the ball well."
Finnell was a two-time all-state pick and three-year starting goalie at Princeton (N.J.) High School, and now he is the top netminder at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts during a postgraduate year. The 6'2", 200-pounder had a terrific .759 save percentage at Princeton in 2006, when he was named player of the year by both The Trentonian and Princeton Packet. Finnell's Deerfield squad is currently 10-0 and allowing only 4.1 goals per game.
"Sam is a very athletic, very active goalie," Fedorjaka said. "He can definitely help in our 10-man ride."
One area the Bison are continually looking to upgrade is in the faceoff department, and Fedojaka feels he has a good one on the way in Christian Tucker of Hunterdon Central (N.J.) High School. Tucker was an all-county and all-conference selection in 2006, when he won about 78 percent of his faceoffs, collected 116 ground balls and added five goals and six assists.
"Christian is exceptional at the X," lauded Fedorjaka. "He has very quick hands, and we look for him to help out immediately."
Bucknell loses only one midfielder to graduation in Steve Case, so the addition of Jordan Nies, Peter Swerz and Chris Fetchet should give the Bison plenty of additional depth there next season. Nies is a team captain and all-league selection at Ridge (N.J.) High School. He has played both middie and attack this season and was named The Star Ledger Player of the Week on Apr. 25 after collecting eight goals and eight assists in three games, including an overtime tally. Nies logged 48 points (27G, 21A) last season and 49 (25G, 24A) as a sophomore.
"Jordan is extremely fast and athletic," Fedorjaka noted. "He can play both offense or defense, and he is a great ground ball guy who we can use on the wings on faceoffs."
Swerz is in his fourth year as a starting midfielder for a Cold Spring Harbor (N.Y.) High School squad that finished 19-2 and won the Class C state championship a year ago.
"Peter has excellent size at 6'3", and he is also fast and strong," said Fedorjaka. "He goes to the goal very well."
The third of three Fetchet brothers to play at Bucknell - following in the footsteps of Brad `99 and Wes '04 - Chris Fetchet was a four-year letterman at New Canaan (Conn.) High School. He was part of a state championship team in 2003 and was named first-team all-state as a senior and second-team all-state as a junior. Fetchet, who captained both the lacrosse and hockey teams, scored 83 goals and 55 assists in four years at New Canaan. In 2007, Fetchet is playing lacrosse during a postgrad year at The Hotchkiss School, which is off to a 6-2 start.
"Chris will remind many Bucknell fans of his brother Wes," said Fedorjaka. "He has a very hard shot and can play either attack or midfield."
In 2007 Bucknell featured two of the Patriot League's best freshmen in attackmen Austin Winter and Tim Brandau. Winter scored 49 points (20G, 29A), the most in the nation by a freshman, while Brandau added 37 points (27G, 10A). Looking to follow in their footsteps next season will be Ryan Klipstein, Clayton Albright, Mike Danylyshyn and Cam Seligmann.
Klipstein has been one of the top point producers in the state of New Jersey while starring for Rutgers Prep. Earlier this season he topped the 300-point plateau for a 10-3 Rutgers Prep squad, becoming the school's all-time leading scorer. In just his first three years he compiled a whopping 262 points on 119 goals and 143 assists. In 2006 alone, he scored 114 points on 46 goals and 68 assists. This season he had 61 points (41G, 20A) through 13 games and had also collected 101 ground balls. Klipstein is the two-time reigning Home News Tribune Area Player of the Year and a three-time team MVP. He is also a first-team all-state prep, all-area and all-division selection.
"Ryan is a very good finisher with both hands, and he seems to have an excellent understanding of the game," said Fedorjaka.
An outstanding all-round athlete, Albright will become the first person in Tatnall School (Del.) history to graduate with 13 varsity letters (four each in lacrosse, swimming and soccer and an additional letter earned while doubling as an all-league football kicker this fall). Albright is a state champion in the 200-yard freestyle and a three-time all-conference pick in soccer. On the lacrosse field, he has earned a pair of all-state and all-conference certificates. The high-scoring Albright was named The News Journal Player of the Week earlier this season after scoring 13 goals in two games on a spring trip to North Carolina.
"Clayton has good size and can also play both attack and midfield," said Fedorjaka. "He is a very good shooter who can finish with either hand."
Danylyshyn is coming off a 76-point season (45G, 31A) for Fairport (N.Y.) High School, when he earned all-county honors for the second year in a row. A four-year starting attackman, he was named team captain this season. Danylyshyn, who also earned four varsity letters in hockey, won a silver medal in lacrosse at the 2006 Empire State Games.
"Mike is a natural lefty and a real good finisher and rider," praised Fedorjaka.
Seligmann will join Delbarton teammate Collett at Bucknell next season. Seligmann has seven goals and 10 assists through 11 games for the unbeaten Green Wave.
"Cam is a very athletic player with excellent field vision," said Fedorjaka. "He comes from a great program and knows how to win."
Fedorjaka has not hesitated to use freshman in key roles in his first two seasons as Bucknell's head coach. The Bison have claimed the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in each of the last two seasons - Winter in 2007 and Joe Mele in 2006.
Bucknell finished 11-4 this spring, one victory shy of the school record, and ranked No. 20 in the final USILA Coaches' Poll.
BUCKNELL 2008 LACROSSE RECRUITS Name Pos. Hometown/High School Clayton Albright A Wilmington, Del./Tatnall John Collett D Morristown, N.J./Delbarton Mike Danylyshyn A Fairport, N.Y./Fairport Chris Fetchet A/M New Canaan, Conn./Hotchkiss School Sam Finnell G Princeton, N.J./Deerfield Academy Jason Foreit D Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk Ryan Klipstein A/M Califon, N.J./Rutgers Prep Alex Lyons D Owings Mills, Md./Boys' Latin Jordan Nies M Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge Cam Seligmann A Essex Fells, N.J./Delbarton Peter Swerz M Cold Spring Harbor, N.J./Cold Spring Harbor Christian Tucker M Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central
