Men's lacrosse adds six in new recruiting class

BRYN ATHYN, Pa. - Men's lacrosse and Head Coach Jack Crawford welcomes six newcomers to the program. The first two years under Jack Crawford has been unique with having to navigate the global pandemic,  Bryn Athyn is coming off a strong season that saw the team secure a berth in the CSAC Playoff Semifinals. The six newcomers will join the 11 returners. 

The Lions garnered their first commitment from Ryan Kirwan out of West Milford, N.J. As a goalie, Kirwan was a four-year starter for West Milford's varsity lacrosse team, leading them to two conference championships in 2019 and 2021, including a 14-4 record in '21. He was also selected as Honorable Mention All-Passaic County and Honorable Mention All-Conference. Coach Crawford on the addition of Ryan, "Ryan brings a very high level of experience with him to Bryn Athyn, and a record of success that will make an immediate and positive impact on our program. Having a player on our roster with his knowledge and understanding of the game will make us even more competitive, not just on defense but everywhere on the field."

Bryn Athyn went up to New York for their next pledge from Anthony Basile. Basile, a defenseman, played his high school lacrosse for Union Endicott out of Binghamton, N.Y. He was a four-year starting defenseman from Union Endicott's Varsity Lacrosse team, competing in the powerful New York State HS Section 4 region. Playing against some of the best high school competition in the New York State, Anthony served as the team's assistant captain and was also selected to the Section 4 All-Star team. "We're excited to have Anthony joining our program, not just because of his ability and experience, but because of the mentality he'll bring to our defensive corps and team," Crawford continued. "He's a fiercely competitive athlete and his success in lacrosse against very high level opponents demonstrates his desire to be successful and help his teammates win."

The Lions did not have to travel far for their next commitment from defensman Justin Derer. The local product played lacrosse in the highly competitive Philly Catholic League at Conwell-Egan. Derer was a starting long-stick midfielder for Conwell-Egan and was a vital member of the Eagle's defensive
corps. Coach Crawford stated, "Justin will make an immediate impact on our defensive corps. His athleticism, speed, and stick skills will give us multiple defensive players who can cover in space and also create transition opportunities in our clearing game. He's a natural and aggressive athlete who always wants to put his teammates in a position to win, and we're excited to have him join our program."

Coach Crawford went back to his roots in the Baltimore area with the commitment from Devin Shiflett. The Dundalk High product helped his team consistently compete against some of the best public high school programs in the state of Maryland. An offensive midfielder, who can also take faceoffs and play on the wings, he brings multiple-role experience to Bryn Athyn Lacrosse. Devin also served as Dundalk's Varsity Lacrosse team captain his junior and senior years. Coach Crawford said, "Devin is an experienced lacrosse player, bringing both size and athleticism to Bryn Athyn's midfield corps. His ability to shoot, both on the run and from step-down opportunities should make him a consistent scoring threat every time he's on the field. He'll be called on to help our offense continue to generate the kind of scoring chances that secured us a CSAC playoff spot in 2021."

Bryn Athyn tapped their Jersey pipeline with the commitment of Colin Printz, Printz, a goalie, played high school lacrosse for Kingsway Regional. He served as a 2-year team captain for Kingsway's Varsity Lacrosse Team. His received the team's 2021 Unsung Hero Award. Coach Crawford on Colin, "Colin is going to be a great addition to Bryn Athyn Lacrosse and the college community. His lacrosse experience against the rigorous competition he's seen in New Jersey means he can handle pressure on the field in what is arguably the most difficult position to play on a lacrosse team. Combined with his serious approach to his academics, Colin should be a good teammate and representative of the program and college."

The final commitment for the Lions comes from another local Philly Catholic League student-athlete in Sean Ford. Ford was a defenseman for Father Judge. He was named team captain at Father Judge for his junior year and was also named the team's Unsung Hero during his sophomore year. Sean additionally played club lacrosse for the 2019 Rhinos Lacrosse Club.  "Sean is an extremely competitive and aggressive multi-sport athlete who will bring the kind of physicality and work rate to Bryn Athyn that any team needs to be successful," Crawford spoke on the addition of Sean. "His accomplishments on the lacrosse field and as a hockey player reflect a work ethic and desire to win that will make him an integral part of our defensive corps and greatly benefit the team. We're excited to have him joining the Lions Lacrosse program."

The Lions are coming off 3-4 season and 3-3 conference record in 2021. Bryn Athyn secured a semifinal playoff berth. The newcomers will join an already potent attack that included freshman Jamal White, sophomore Joe Nugent, and Senior Mike Haas.