Princeton mines familiar families and local talent

The lacrosse tide is sweeping the nation, and skilled players are emerging from high schools across the country. But men's lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney and his staff have discovered that sometimes the best talent is found close to home.

The top two attack recruits who will join the Tigers as members of the Class of 2011 are cousins from Delbarton — one of the finest high school lacrosse programs in New Jersey. Tierney described the duo as "big time" and expects both players to excel at Princeton. Born with lacrosse sticks in their hands, Jack McBride was named an All-American as a junior, while cousin Chris McBride brings a powerful left-handed shot to Princeton — a la sophomore midfielder Mark Kovler.

Princeton and Delbarton have historically had a natural connection because of their close proximity. The arrival of the McBrides is reminiscent of that of the 2008 recruiting class that included junior defense Dan Cocoziello and junior goalie Alex Hewit, who were also products of Delbarton and two of their class' most impressive players.

Matt Doherty, a third player coming to Princeton from Delbarton, was not recruited but has caught the attention of the coaching staff and will most likely try out. Doherty, whose father and grandfather both played lacrosse for the Tigers, has had a promising senior season and trails only the McBrides on Delbarton's season scoring list.

Tyler Moni will travel the shortest distance to come to Princeton next year. A dominant attack at Princeton High School, Moni is an incredible athlete with a slick stick and good field smarts who will most likely transition to a midfielder role next year.

Tierney feels confident next year's recruiting class will fill voids left on the roster after this season and will be assets to the Princeton community.

"This freshman group coming in is going to be an impact group," Tierney said. "It couldn't have been much more perfect than it is or fulfill more needs. It's a great overall class to keep things going. [They are] great kids who are going to do well here in the classroom and do well for us in lacrosse."

To that end, Tierney and his staff stuck with some trusted families. Next year Connor Reilly, brother of sophomore defense Brendan Reilly, and Joe Bennett, brother of senior defenseman John Bennett, will don orange and black as well.

Reilly is the Tigers' top midfield recruit. A complete player, Reilly has size and speed just as impressive as his lacrosse savvy and versatility. Opposing teams' defensemen pay him a lot of attention but struggle to shut him down because it's impossible to tell if he's right-handed or left-handed.

Bennett comes to Princeton as a football recruit but Tierney feels there is a chance Bennett will play lacrosse for the Tigers as a defenseman as well.

The team will also look forward to the return of Walker Jungers, brother of senior defense Zach Jungers, who left school earlier this fall to have back surgery and will begin as a freshman next year.

One other 2011 recruit — Rob Owen from the Noble and Greenough School in Massachusetts — boasts a Princeton connection, as his brother, Chris Owen '04, played hockey for the Tigers. Owen's own experience with hockey makes him a tough-nosed player whom the coaches hope will evolve into a consistent offensive threat.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

The Tigers' top defensive recruit is Derek Styer, who played with freshman defense Jeremy Hirsch at Georgetown Prep in Maryland. A perfect match for Princeton, Styer is expected to be an excellent cover defenseman and will most likely occupy the fourth defenseman spot next year.

Hailing from Hotchkiss, Long Ellis is the Tigers' second defensive recruit. Though he flew under the radar for a while, Ellis emerged last summer as one of Princeton's top prospects. For years, the Tigers have been searching for a left-handed defenseman for face-off and man-down purposes, and the coaches are hoping that Ellis — with his athleticism and stick skills — might be the solution.

Zach Drexler, a midfielder from the Tatnall School in Delware, joins the Tigers next year as a face-off specialist and is expected to fill this role in the future. The Tigers' final recruit, Tim Palmer, comes from Birmingham-Seaholm in Michigan, where he was a standout in both football and lacrosse. A fiery player on the field, Palmer is excellent at ground balls and will be shaped into a defenseman next season.

Though Tierney and his staff searched far and wide for the best prospects for the recruiting class of 2011, staying close to home will hopefully benefit the Tigers next season.