Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/9/15
From Press Release
Registration is now open for The Match™ (www.matchlax.com) — a novel recruiting showcase/skills focusing on elite players targeting Division III colleges. The event, in its third year, will be held on Sunday, October 18th at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.
The Match™ is specifically designed for boys in 2016/2017/2018 graduation years who are (or have the potential to be) strong Division III candidates – athletically and academically. All interested players may submit their applications on-line. High school coaches are encouraged to nominate players they think might be well suited for the event, all of whom will receive further information about the opportunity. Participants will be selected on a rolling basis based on coaches’ recommendations and player credentials. Invitations are extended with the goal of optimizing player mix by position.
The Match™ will afford players the chance to showcase their skills in drills, in 7v7 short-sided matches and several full field games before an array of Division III coaches. The novel 7v7 portion of the event is designed to maximize player touches and give participants a meaningful chance to display their skills on offense, defense, in transition and in the goal – all in a fast-paced setting.
The Match™ has attracted over 300 players from eight states in the last two years. Close to 50 Division III colleges have attended the showcase, including Alvernia, Bowdoin, DeSales, Dickinson, Drew, Eastern, Elizabethtown, Elmira, Franklin & Marshall, Haverford, Lycoming, McDaniel, Mary Washington, Merchant Marine, Messiah, Muhlenberg, RIT, Scranton, Swarthmore, Ursinus, Western New England, Widener, Williams and York. Feedback from past events has been glowing, with players, coaches and parents commenting on the format and the event’s contrast with the many recruiting events that are significantly less participatory.
The event will be run again by Heritage Lacrosse, whose founders include Chris Bates, Pat Carney and Scott Growney. Bates, the Head Men’s Coach at Princeton, is a director of the King of the Hill Tournament — one of the top team recruiting camps in the country. Carney and Growney, together with Bates, also run The Patriot Games, which features travel teams from around the country each summer. They are also experienced coaches and mentors associated with the highly-regarded Mesa Fresh Lacrosse club program. Dave Webster, Head Coach at Dickinson College, is the advisor to the Heritage team in connection with The Match™.
According to Growney, the name “The Match™” is in recognition of the realities of today’s harried and sometimes opaque recruiting world and a reminder to student-athletes to be strategic in their search to find the right fit. Many players long for a ticket to play Division I lacrosse, but the truth is that spots are limited, the competition is intense and not every great player will find his way onto a Division I roster, let alone the playing field. Some prospects recognize these realities too late and only after devoting time, emotion and resources and sometimes experiencing a level of frustration in the process.
Meanwhile, Growney says that with common sense guidance from coaches and parents, players can find outstanding lacrosse, happiness as a player, and great academics at schools in the Division III world. Strong players with sound academic credentials, in particular, have the opportunity to leverage their lacrosse talents to get the best education they can, while competing at a very high level.
Heritage has scheduled The Match™ to precede the established Division I recruiting events and the hype of the November circuit. Participation in those events may still be a part of a player’s game plan. The Match™, however, gives serious college lacrosse prospects the chance to acclimate themselves to the competition while showcasing their talents in a concentrated fashion before an attentive audience of Division III coaches.
Heritage looks forward to featuring The Hill School’s athletic facilities, which provide for an intimate, convenient and efficient setting. Interested participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible so the process of notifying coaches and collection recommendations can begin. Overall space is limited; spots are also limited by position.
For more information about The Match™, to complete an application and register to play, to nominate one or more players or to confirm your attendance as a college coach, please visit www.matchlax.com. If questions remain after visiting the website, please contact us at info@matchlax.com.