Aug 23, 2013
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame will welcome its class of 2017 to campus this weekend and a dozen of those freshmen comprise Inside Lacrosse’s No. 8 ranked men’s rookie class. The talented 12-man group features five midfielders, three defensemen, three attackmen and one goalie.
Seven of the incoming players are listed in the Inside Lacrosse “Power 100 Freshmen” rankings. Three of the ranked rookies are defensemen – Garrett Epple (#57 overall, #15 defenseman), Chris Carter (#60 overall, #16 defenseman) and Pat Healy (#71 overall, #20 defenseman). Midfielders Ben Pridemore (#49 overall, #18 midfielder) and Sergio Perkovic (#58 overall, #20 midfielder) made the list along with attackman Anthony Marini (#68 overall, #19 attackman) and goalie Shane Doss (#86 overall, #10 goalie).
Five of the student-athletes recently were named National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-Americans. Pridemore and Epple appeared on the first team, while Carter, Doss and attackman Zack Bartolo were selected to the second team.
The class also features three players who appear in Inside Lacrosse’s post-graduate rankings. Attackman Liam Kennedy is No. 8, while midfielder/face-off specialist P.J. Finley is No. 19 and midfielder Bob Collins is No. 21.
The newcomers hail from eight different states, including three from New Jersey and two from both Maryland and New York. The other states represented are California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan.
This is the fourth time in the last five years that Notre Dame has compiled a recruiting class ranked in the top 10 nationally according to Inside Lacrosse. The Irish also had the nation’s eighth-ranked class in 2011 and 2012 and the 2009 group was rated fifth overall.
“This is a talented class that can give us help at every position,” Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan said. “This will prove to be a deep class that will certainly help us because there are guys that can play every role.”
Here is a complete breakdown of Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class …
Zack Bartolo – Attackman – Norwalk, Conn. /Brien McMahon
Selected to the 2013 National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-America Second Team … first team all-state and first team all-Fairfield County Interscholastic Conference as a senior … missed most of his junior season due to injury … Top 205 All-Star Team … Bison Brawl All-Star Team … Super Sophs All-Star Team … played on the Brien McMahon varsity squad as a freshman.
Corrigan on Bartolo … “Zack is a big, strong and hard-shooting player. He’s a different kind of player than we have at the attack position right now. He’s going to be more of a physical presence than the guys we currently have at that end of the field.”
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Chris Carter – Defenseman – San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines
Ranked No. 60 in the Inside Lacrosse “Power 100 Freshmen” list and was the No. 16 defensive player in the class … selected to the 2013 National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-America Second Team … four-year varsity player at Torrey Pines … Adrenaline All-American and team captain as a senior … 2013 All-California Interscholastic Federation San Diego First Team … earned first team all-league honors twice (2012, 2013) and was a second-team pick in 2011 … 2013 Vail Lacrosse Under-19 All-Tournament Team … 2013 Adrenaline Challenge All-Tournament Team … Jake Reed’s Nike Blue Chip Participant … four-time scholar-athlete and was named an Academic All-American as a senior … appeared on the Principal’s Honor List.
Corrigan on Carter … “Chris is a big kid and every time I see him he seems to be moving better and is becoming more athletic and more skilled. He has shown the ability to get the ball off the ground and play as a long-pole. He has some versatility and a lot of ability.”
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Bob Collins – Midfielder – Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah/Choate Rosemary Hall (PG year)
Did a post-graduate year at Choate Rosemary Hall … rated as the No. 21 post-graduate player according to Inside Lacrosse … first team all-New England West … earned four varsity letters at Mahwah High School … first team all-county and first team all-league during his senior campaign at Mahwah … 2012 Rizk League MVP … New Jersey All-State Team … participated in the New Jersey All-State All-Star Game … team captain … National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society … Senior Class Vice President … was in student council for four years.
Corrigan on Collins … “Bobby is a solid all-around midfielder. He’s the kind of guy that we really like at that position. He can do a lot of things, particularly offensively.”
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Shane Doss – Goalie – Glen Ridge, N.J./Glen Ridge
Earned All-America honors from US Lacrosse as a senior … named to the 2013 National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-America Second Team … rated as the nation’s 10th-best goalie in the class of 2013 according to Inside Lacrosse … No. 86 overall on Inside Lacrosse’s “Power 100 Freshmen” list … copped third team all-state honors as a senior along with being named first team all-Group, first team all-Gibbs Conference and first team all-Essex County … as a junior, he was named first team all-Group and second team all-Essex County … Glen Ridge team MVP as a senior and was the team’s defensive MVP as a junior … Under Armour Underclassman All-American (Team New Jersey) … Nike Blue Chip Camp as a rising sophomore and junior … made 450 career saves and boasted a .627 save percentage … 54 ground balls … 2011 Group 1 state champions … two-time Essex County champions (2011 & 2012) … earned four varsity letters and was a senior captain for both his lacrosse and football teams.
Corrigan on Doss … “Shane has a lot of ability. He’s an athlete in the goal. He’ll come in and push the two guys in front of him for playing time.”
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Garrett Epple – Defenseman – Cockeysville, Md./Calvert Hall College High School
Under Armour All-American … appeared at No. 57 in the Inside Lacrosse “Power 100 Freshmen” rankings and was the No. 15 defensive player … named to the 2013 National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-America First Team … earned four varsity letters as a four-year starting defenseman at Calvert Hall … team captain during his senior season … 2013 Maryland State Lacrosse Coaches Association (MSLCA) First Team All-State … selected to the 2013 MSLCA Senior All-Star Game … first team All-Metro according to the Baltimore Sun … first team all-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) … 2011 MIAA champion … 2010 MIAA runner-up and 2012 MIAA semifinalist … earned three varsity letters in football at Calvert Hall … football team captain as a senior … football squad was ranked No. 1 in Maryland in 2010 along with appearing in the USA Today national rankings … 2012 all-MIAA as a linebacker … 2012 Baltimore Sun All-Defensive Football Team … 2012 defensive all-state football team … starting linebacker on Calvert Hall squad that captured 2010 MIAA title … WMAR-TV Academic Athlete of the Week (12/3/12) … helped Calvert Hall win the 2012 MIAA title … selected to the Under Armour Underclassman Team three times.
Corrigan on Epple … “Garrett is recovering from a shoulder surgery that he had at the end of last season. We hope that he’ll be able to play in the fall but we’re not sure yet. He certainly is a guy who was playing at a high level in high school. He is another player who is very developed and could come in and, if healthy, compete for playing time.”
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P.J. Finley – Midfielder/Face-Off – Berwyn, Pa./Malvern Prep/Lawrenceville (PG year)
Spent a post-graduate year at Lawrenceville where he tallied 27 goals and five assists … rated as the 19th-best post-graduate player in his class according to Inside Lacrosse … 2013 first team all-MAPL … a three-year letter winner in lacrosse and football at Malvern Prep … ranked as the 12th-best faceoff specialist by ESPN during his senior season … 2010 Inter-Ac champion in lacrosse … two-year starter at running back and also played linebacker/safety at Malvern Prep … two-time Inter-AC champion in football (2009 & 2011) … football team captain as a senior … lettered in wrestling (171 lbs.) as a junior … appeared on the honor roll throughout his time at Malvern Prep and Lawrenceville.
Corrigan on Finley … “P.J. is a faceoff guy who can also come in and make some plays. He plays good defense and knows what to do with the ball. Initially, we just want him to concentrate on being a faceoff guy.”
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Pat Healy – Defenseman – Southborough, Mass./St. Sebastian’s
Appeared at No. 71 in the Inside Lacrosse “Power 100 Freshmen” rankings and was the No. 20 defensive player … earned four varsity letters as a four-year starter at St. Sebastian’s … team captain during his senior season … received All-America honors and all-Independent School League (ISL) accolades as a senior … rated as the No. 1 player in Massachusetts in 2013 according to Boston Lax … earned honorable mention ISL honors in 2012 as he helped St. Sebastian’s win the league title … rated as the No. 32 rising senior in his class according to Inside Lacrosse … also tabbed as the No. 1 defenseman in Massachusetts by Inside Lacrosse … honorable mention ISL in 2011 … a football standout at St. Sebastian’s … all-New England quarterback as a senior in addition to earning all-ISL honors … senior captain of his football squad and helped the team win the ISL title with an undefeated league record … the team also won the 2012 New England Prep School Athletic Conference championship … 2012 Arthur Valicenti Bowl champions … honorable mention ISL in football as a junior … was on the academic honor roll.
Corrigan on Healy … “Pat is a dynamic and physical player. He really imposes himself on the game and gets after people. He has some versatility and can play the pole or close (defense) and has the ability to challenge for playing time right away.”
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Liam Kennedy – Attackman – Garden City, N.Y./Garden City/Deerfield Academy (PG year)
Coming off a post-graduate year at Deerfield Academy … rated No. 8 on Inside Lacrosse’s top post-graduate players in the class of 2013 … helped lead Garden City to the 2012 state title and team also was crowned national champions … received all-county accolades and was offensive MVP of the 2102 county championship … copped the Dedication and Hard Word Award by his coaches during his senior season at Garden City and also was named Outstanding Goal Scorer of his squad that same year … two-time academic all-county … earned all-New England honors as a safety in football during his season at Deerfield Academy.
Corrigan on Kennedy… “Liam is a very smart, savvy and skilled player. He knows how to play without the ball and knows what to do when he has the ball. He’s the kind of guy who will fit seamlessly into everything that we’re doing.”
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Nick Koshansky – Midfielder – Kings Park, N.Y./St. Anthony’s
Helped his squad win the 2012 CHSAA `A’ class title … represented Long Island in the Underclassmen Under Armour All-America games … earned all-league honors during his senior season.
Corrigan on Koshansky … “Nick is a big, athletic player who is still developing physically. We might start with him on the defensive end and work his way back to the offensive end. He could be a role guy initially and then work his way into playing as a two-way midfielder.”
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Anthony Marini – Attackman – Medford, N.J./St. Joseph’s Prep
A four-year starter and two-time team captain at St. Joseph’s Prep … earned four varsity letters … was named a US Lacrosse All-American in addition to earning all-state honors as a senior … rated 68th overall and the 19th-best attackman in the class of 2013 according to Inside Lacrosse … St. Joseph’s Prep team MVP during his senior campaign … first team all-Philadelphia Catholic League as a junior and senior … second team all-Philadelphia Catholic League as a freshman and sophomore … helped St. Joseph’s Prep win the Philadelphia Catholic League title for the first time since 2003 … participated in the Champion All-America Showcase at Disney World … helped St. Joseph’s Prep soccer team win the Philadelphia Catholic League championship for the first time in school history … named “Attackman Most Likely to Dominate” at Millon and Rabil’s Project 9.9 Camp … member of the FCA U-19 National Team at Vail Shootout.
Corrigan on Marini … “Anthony is a matchup guy. He’s little, he’s quick and he distributes the ball very, very well and makes a variety of plays. He’ll be a guy that we could look at running out of the box or he could play on attack and do a lot of different things.”
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Sergio Perkovic – Midfielder – Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice
Earned All-America honors as a junior and senior … No. 58 overall and the No. 20 midfielder in the Inside Lacrosse freshman rankings … four-year varsity player at Brother Rice and captained the team as a junior and senior … helped Brother Rice win four state titles … Michigan player of the year as a junior and senior … Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association Player of the Year as a senior … three-year varsity football player at Brother Rice and captained the team as a senior … football squad won state titles during his junior and senior seasons … first team all-state in football.
Corrigan on Perkovic … “Sergio probably is the most physically-ready to play (in the freshman class). He’s a big, strong and really athletic player who has skills. It will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts to the college game.”
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Ben Pridemore – Midfielder – Baltimore, Md./Boys’ Latin School
Under Armour All-American … ranked 49th overall and is the No. 18 midfielder according to Inside Lacrosse … selected to the 2013 National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association (NILCA) All-America First Team … a three-year starter for Boys’ Latin … notched 21 goals, 18 assists and 37 ground balls as a senior and helped Boys’ Latin go 19-1 and finish No. 2 in the national rankings … two-time all-Towson Times and was an all-Metro selection as a senior … Baltimore Under Armour Underclassman All-American as a sophomore and junior … two-time Kudda Player of the Game during the MIAA season … competed at Nike Blue Chip Camp as a sophomore … earned two varsity letters in football Boys’ Latin as a defensive back, kick returner and wide receiver … lettered in basketball as a freshman … graduated from Boys’ Latin with honors.
Corrigan on Pridemore … “Ben is a very skilled and very smart and savvy offensive player. He has a great feel for the game and he has played at a high level. He could be a guy that comes in and challenges some guys for playing time right away.”
2013 Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse RecruitsNAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOLZack Bartolo A 6-4 230 Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahonChris Carter D 6-4 205 San Diego, CA/Torrey PinesBob Collins M 6-0 190 Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah/Choate Rosemary Hall (PG)Shane Doss G 5-10 165 Glen Ridge, NJ/Glen RidgeGarrett Epple D 6-1 205 Cockeysville, MD/Calvert Hall College High SchoolP.J. Finley M/FO 5-11 185 Berwyn, PA/Malvern Prep/Lawrenceville (PG)Pat Healy D 6-2 200 Southborough, MA/St. Sebastian'sLiam Kennedy A 6-0 185 Garden City, NY/Garden City/Deerfield Academy (PG)Nick Koshansky M 6-6 210 Kings Park, NY/St. Anthony'sAnthony Marini A 5-6 160 Medford, NJ/St. Joseph's PrepSergio Perkovic M 6-4 220 Bloomfield Hills, MI/Brother RiceBen Pridemore M 6-0 176 Baltimore, MD/Boys' Latin School
The Fighting Irish posted an 11-5 record this past season and earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Championship. Notre Dame defeated five top-10 teams and concluded the regular season with the nation’s top RPI before advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals for the fourth straight season.
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