Anken Announces Twenty New VMI Lacrosse Members


LEXINGTON, Va. – After several firsts during the 2012 season, Virginia Military Institute lacrosse coach Brian Anken, who enters his third year on Post, has announced his freshman class for the upcoming 2013 season.

“We are very excited about the depth and athleticism of this class. Our focus was to put together a class of cadet-athletes that share our vision and passion for the VMI lacrosse program,” said Anken of his newest class. “Most importantly, we recruited players that possess the physical and mental toughness to excel in the demanding VMI environment. This class will be expected to contribute very early in their career and are excited to continue building VMI lacrosse into a championship program.”

Twenty new faces will join the program this fall for fall ball, representing nine different states; four freshmen hail from Ohio, while Maryland, New York and Virginia sent three to Post each, two come to Lexington from each of Florida and New Jersey, along with one from each of California, Minnesota and North Carolina.

Below is a list of each new member of the VMI lacrosse program, along with a brief bio of their high school and club accomplishments.

Joseph Amato (Massapequa, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial High School) – A second-generation collegiate lacrosse player, Amato, whose father played at nearby Roanoke College and C.W. Post, lettered in his junior and senior years for coach Mike Swagle. In those two seasons, he tallied 18 goal and 38 assists for 56 points. He also collected 118 groundballs. Amato helped lead his team to a Down State Championship for the Catholic League. Off the field, he earned a place on the Honor Roll all four seasons, was a member of the National Honor Society and won the character award. He is also a first-degree black belt in Karate.

Peter Bradley (Ellicott City, Md./Marriots Ridge High School) – A two-sport athlete, Bradley lettered all four years as a member of the lacrosse team for Dan Sagemen. Bradley played attack during that time, serving as a captain for two seasons while earning second-team all-county honors. He racked up 80 goals and 70 assists during his career. Bradley was also a one-year letterman on the basketball squad as a point guard for Tom Brown. He was also a member of Zingos Lax and Roughriders Elite. In the classroom, Bradley earned Honor Roll status every quarter. College athletics runs through the Bradley family; his father played baseball at Lebanon Valley College while his brother Alex Tack was a lacrosse player at Queens University, earning All-America honors his senior year. His sister, Amanda Tack, also played lacrosse at Salisbury University.

Austin Bull (Columbus, Ohio/Liberty High School) – A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse and a two-year football letterwinner, Bull brings all-league talent to the Keydet roster. He holds school records in career groundballs (407), season groundballs (190) and single-game (18). He also finished ranked in the top five four assists in a career (54) and season (30) as well as career goals (84). Bull won 73 percent of his face-offs at Liberty High School for Eric O’Brien. He played for Team Midwest, Titanium and Team Ohio. He helped lead a team to a fifth-place finish, out of 18 teams, at the Vail Shootout. His mother played lacrosse at Penn State while his father was a football player at the United States Military Academy (Army). He will be joined in Lexington by his cousin, Dan Bull.

Dan Bull (Westerville, Ohio/Olentangy Orange High School) – Like his cousin, Austin Bull, Dan Bull was a four-year letterwinner in lacrosse and a two-year winner for football. Dan Bull played as a midfielder, earning all-league honors in 2010-11 and 2011-12 in the Ohio Capital Conference. He was named the Team MVP in 2010-11 and was named Division I All-Region (Northwest Region). During his career, he netted 88 goals with 57 assists, marking him the all-time leading points, goals and assists leader at his high school. He was also a member of Titanium Lacrosse. He father played football at Kent State University while his brother played football at Walsh University.

Dylan Davis (Orlando, Fla./Trinity Prep School) – A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse as a face-off-taking midfielder, Davis was a two-year offensive MVP. He finished his career as the team’s all-time leading goal scorer, all-time leading point scorer, all-time groundball getter while hold single-season records in all three categories. He is also the record holder for single-game goals and single-game points. Davis won the most face-offs ever at his school, while also graduating with the highest face-off percentage. He was a four-year captain of Jokers Lacrosse Club, while also playing for the Team Florida Lax Club, Altanta Rage Lax Club and the Swashbucklers Lax Club. He was twice named All-Central Florida and Sentinel Player while earning adidas All-American honors on two occasions.

Alex Guyette (Eden Prairie, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels) – A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse for Eric Overman, Guyette finished his career with 42 assists and 32 goals, racking up 74 points during his high school days. He was also named the MVP for his high school team in 2012. Guyette played for the Minn-Elitle and Jaxx-Frost teams.

Tyler Hall (Hastings, N.Y./Paul V. Moore) – Coming to VMI as a goalie, Hall was a four-year letterwinner in lacrosse while also earning one letter in volleyball. During his time between the pipes, Hall stopped 246 opponent shots at a 63.7 percent clip. He finished with the most saves in school history, ninth in groundballs and the second-highest save percentage while also stopping the most shots in a single season. He was a member of the CNY Roadhawks. With his high school squad, Hall led the team to the Section III playoffs in 2012.

Zach Heard (Boca Raton, Fla./Saint Andrews School) – A three-year lacrosse letterwinner and one year on the football team, Heard will come to Lexington as a defenseman. He was named to Team Flordia and South Florida Select. His brother, Samuel, was a four-year starter at LSM and down low defense at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Alex Hentorn (Waldwick, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) – Playing at one of the top prep schools in the country, Hentorn was a two-year letterwinner at attack for Mike Spring at Don Bosco Prep. He was also a midfielder on the soccer team and earned one letter on the football team. He earned Tristate honors in lacrosse as well.

Jay Hill (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette High School) – Hill, a four-year letterman for Mark Hofmeister, played attack in high school. In addition to playing at Lafayette High School, he was also a member of Team Toyota, as well as the Ironclads. His club team won the state title and was voted the No. 1 club team in Virginia by Lax Power four consecutive times. Off the field, he served as the class president. His father played lacrosse at the University of North Carolina, helping lead the Tar Heels to a national championship in 1981.

Pat Hine (Dunkirk, Md./DeMatha Catholic High School) – Coming out of a high school known for its athletic talent, Hine was a team captain his senior season, while earning defensive MVP plaudits. He led the team with 74 groundballs and was named WCAC Honor Mention All-Conference, helping the squad to a WCAC runner-up finish. In the classroom, he was a member of the Nation Honor Society, the Student Government Association and the Science Scholars Club. He never missed the honor roll.

Ben Huger (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) – Playing for Mike Curatolo, Huger was a three-year letterwinner at attack. He earned honorable mention All-East and All-Conference honors. He capped his career with 54 goals and 53 assists for 107 points. Huger was a member of the Triangle Select Lacrosse team. In 2011-12, he was a captain for both his football and lacrosse teams and was voted to the North Carolina Great 38 game.

Peyton Jenkins (Richmond, Va./Steward School) – Of no relation to VMI senior Taylor Jenkins, Peyton Jenkins was a two-sport standout at the Steward School, playing defense for both his lacrosse team and soccer squad. He earned three letters for soccer and lettered all four years in lacrosse.

Scottie Leach (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont High School) – A 6-3 defenseman, Leach was a three-year letter winner for Tad George, while also earning four letters in football as a defensive end. He collected All-League honors in lacrosse. He was also named MVP for Elite Lacrosse. His sister played soccer at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Billy Long (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional High School) – Lettering in three different sports, Long was a three-year winner in both lacrosse and football, while also earning one letter in wrestling. As a midfielder for lacrosse, Long finished with 118 groundballs while netting a pair of goals and seven assists. He played for Braceheart Lacrosse and plays in the Ocean City, N.J. college lacrosse pick up league. His father played collegiate football, while his sister played college soccer.

Ian Marinacci (Arnold, Md./Broadneck High School) – A two-year letterwinner for Clay White, Marinacci was named team captain in 2012. He was named Most Improved in 2012 as well as earning the Separator Award on two occasions, given to the hardest worker on the team. Marianacci also lettered in three seasons as a wrestler, qualifying for states and regionals. He was a member of Propel and T2 lacrosse clubs. Marinacci was selected to play in the Bilderback All-Star Game. In the classroom, he earned Honor Roll status. His father ran track at Adams State University (Colorado).

Drake Powers (Powell, Ohio/Dublin Jerome High School) – Helping his team to a pair of Ohio state titles (2010, 2011), Powers was a two-year letterwinner for Aj Auld , ripping 48 goals and 64 assists for 112 points. This past season, he helped guide his high school to a third-straight state championship appearance, falling in the finals. Powers also played for Titanium Lacrosse. His father played football at Ohio Northern University.

Caleb Pryle (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo High School) – A CIF All-American in San Diego, Pryle brings a high level of goaltending to the mix. Last season, he made an average of 10.44 saves per game, concluding the year stopping 61 percent of opponent shots. He also grabbed 30 groundballs while keeping his goals against average to a miniscule 6.6. In addition to being an All-American, 2012 saw Pryle earn First Team All-CIF San Diego and League Player of the Year honors. He was also tabbed a US Lacrosse San Diego All-Star and was named team Defensive MVP in addition to serving as a captain. Pryle was a member of the Adrenaline Tropics, QC Starz Elite, Brady’s Bunch and Lax West Elite.

Domenick Stumpo (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run High School) – Winning four letters as an attackman, Stumpo was a two-time team captain at Kettle Run High School (2011, 2012). He was also named First Team All-District in three consecutive seasons (2010, 2011, 2012) and was Second Team All-Region in 2012. In 2010, he was the VHSL AA leading scorer. He capped his career with 192 goals, 130 assists, 322 points, 206 groundballs and a solid 46 percent shooting average. He holds the school record for most points in a season (105), most assists in a career (130) and most 100-point seasons (three). In addition to his high school team, Stumpo was a member of the Generals Lacrosse club, NoVa West Lacrosse and BattleLaxBombers. He graduated with a 4.02 GPA and was a member of the National Honor and Spanish Honor Societies.

Garrett Warren (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit High School) – A three-year letter winner as a long stick midfielder for Craig Whipple, Warren helped lead his team to the New York State title game in 2012. He was also a member of teams that were Sectional and Regional champions. Warren was also a member of the Rochester Blaze. His cousin was a record-setting goalie for the Lycoming College women’s lacrosse program.

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