May 3, 2005

Colgate head men's lacrosse coach Jim Nagle announced the addition of 14 players to his team as part of the Class of 2009 on Monday, May 2. The class includes three attackmen, nine midfielders, one defenseman and one goalie.

At attack, the Raiders welcome Kevin Collelouri (Bethpage, N.Y.), Leonard Checcio (Radnor, Pa.) and Spencer Cooperman (Cherry Creek, Colo.). Collelouri (5-10, 175) was named All-Long Island as a junior after registering 97 points on the season. He led Bethpage to the county championship game, in which he registered five goals. Collelouri was a member of the Long Island Team at the Empire State Games. Checcio (5-11, 175) was named to the all-league second team, and was selected to compete at the Blue Chip McDonough Recruiting Showcase. Cooperman (5-10, 180) is a Peak 200 All-Star.

"Kevin can do it all - feed and finish," Nagle said. "He is someone who will, with hard work, be able to make an immediate impact on our program. Lenny is a very skilled and smart lacrosse player who will be able to help our program immensely. Spencer possesses exceptional quickness and ability to break a player down."

CU's large group of incoming midfielders features four New Yorkers: Brandon Corp (Chittenango, N.Y.), Nick Monestero (Connetquot, N.Y.), Brian McGowan (Garden City, N.Y.) and Ethan Fischer (Canton, N.Y.). Corp (6-0, 190) will finish his career as Chittenango's all-time leading scorer in both lacrosse and basketball. He led the Central New York team to the gold medal at the Empire State Games, including scoring three goals against Long Island. Corp was named All-CNY and all-state in football as a tailback, and was an all-state basketball selection. Monestero (5-10, 185) is a two-time all-county selection, and was picked to the all-county team in football as a tailback/linebacker. McGowan (6-0, 180) plays club lacrosse for the Long Island Sting. He is a very competitive midfielder with exceptional skill and great lacrosse sense. Fischer (6-3, 195) played defensive midfield for the Adirondack Team that medaled at the Empire State Games. A three-sport athlete at Canton High School, Fischer also lettered three years in soccer and four in ice hockey.

"Brandon is one of the best all-around student-athletes in the state of New York," Nagle said. "He has the potential to make a name for himself in the sport of lacrosse. Nick is a tremendous student-athlete with great potential to improve at the next level. He is a tough competitor. Brian is an all-around midfielder who can contribute to our program in a lot of different areas. Ethan is a very athletic middie who has his best days of lacrosse ahead of him."

The rest of CU's incoming class of midfielders hail from all over the East Coast: Alex Waters (Baltimore, Md.), William Planner (Rumson, N.J.), Jesse Mattson (Essex Junction, Vt.), Reid Wall (Washington, D.C.) and Mark Florian (Southington, Conn.). Waters (6-1, 190) is a two-year starting middie for Gilman High School. He was a member of the Maryland Free State All-Star Team, which honors the top midfielders in the state of Maryland. Planner (6-0, 190) was an all-state selection as a senior after being one of the leading scorers and most complete players in New Jersey last season. Mattson (5-10, 185) is the only three-sport athlete at Bridgton Academy, where he also competes in football and ice hockey. He was a standout athlete in all three sports at Choate before attending Bridgton. Wall (5-7, 166) scored 10 goals, added 10 assists and picked up 58 groundballs as a junior at St. Albans. A three-year starter, he was picked as a Peak 200 All-Star. He also earned two letters in football as a cornerback, running back and kick returner. Florian (6-0, 185) is also a Peak 200 All-Star and a face-off specialist. He was named an all-star at the Battle of the Hotbeds.

"We were really fortunate to have Alex join our recruiting class," Nagle said. "He is a remarkably gifted midfielder. Will is an excellent face-off guy and a very athletic, hard-working middie between the boxes. Jesse possesses great speed and athleticism and is an extremely tough competitor. Reid is a very skilled and complete midfielder who can contribute to a team in many different ways. Mark is a very hard-working, competitive kid at the face-off X and should make us stronger there immediately."

In the backfield, Colgate welcomes defenseman Andrew Watkins (Gilman, Md.) and goalkeeper Brian Cain (Rocky Point, N.Y.). Watkins started on defense as a junior, but was sidelined with a knee injury at the end of the season. He also played linebacker on Gilman's football team. Cain was an alternate on the Long Island Team for the Empire State Games, tabbing him as one of the top three goalies on Long Island. He was named all-county as a junior, and also competes in football and wrestling.

"Andrew is a real diamond in the rough," Nagle said. "We are anticipating him recovering from his knee injury and maturing into a hard-working college defenseman. Brian is a very tough competitor who will lead a defense with confidence."

The 2005 Raiders completed their season with a 7-7 overall record and 1-5 mark in the Patriot League. Colgate finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference.