Monmouth Lacrosse Announces Incoming Attack for the Hawks

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – First-year Monmouth University men’s lacrosse head coach Brian Fisher announced the incoming attackmen student-athletes, who will attend Monmouth and compete for the Hawks in 2014. Fisher and assistant coach Andrew Geison have received commitments from Corey Black (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines), Chris Daly (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion), Nicholas Kalas (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding), Tim Kemner (Woolwich, N.J./Kingsway Regional), Chris Summers (San Diego, Calif./Westview) and Matt Worrall (Landenberg, Pa./Kennett).

“Our first group on the offensive end of the field is going to be very competitive as we have a number of versatile athletes that have a wide set of skills and each bring something different to the table,” noted Fisher.

Black has earned three varsity letters already at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, helping lead the squad to a 52-13 record in three seasons. Twice the Falcons have finished second in the conference, while in 2011, the team won the San Diego CIF Division I Championship and finished first in the state of California. A San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic Team member, Black was named Second Team All-Palomar League as well in 2012. In his first three campaigns, Black has registered 38 goals, and 16 assists, with 20 goals coming in his junior year. Black also plays club lacrosse with the RC Starz.

Fisher said, “Corey is a versatile athlete who can excel at either the attack or midfield position. He has good size, great hands and a knack for making plays. It is going to be interesting to see where Corey is at his best because he works very hard off the ball finding seams to get open but is equally good with the ball in his stick.”

Daly is in his fourth varsity season of lacrosse at Lower Merion High School, where in his first three seasons, he has recorded 81 goals and 51 assists. The team MVP as a junior, when he posted 37 goals, 24 assists and 48 groundballs, Daly is a two-time Second Team All-Main Line selection and an honorable mention All-Central League performer. As a sophomore, Daly added 32 goals, 17 assists and 32 groundballs for the Aces.

“Chris is an athletic attackman who has played both at the attack end as well as some midfield for his high school team,” added Fisher. “Overall, he is a very balanced player with a good lacrosse IQ. He knows how to get to the goal, uses his body well and dodges with his head up.”

A three-year letterwinner in lacrosse at Archbishop Spalding High School, Kalas was also a running back on the football team. An MVP Lacrosse Tournament All-Star and 3D/FLG Lacrosse Tournament All-Start, Kalas notched 12 goals and eight assists in 2012.

Fisher stated, “Nick comes from a good program and plays in one of the best lacrosse conferences in the country. He is an extremely competitive player who has a motor and plays like he has something to prove each time he is on the field. Nick also has a good IQ along with a knack for finding seams, catching and putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Kemner, who has helped lead Kingsway Regional to a pair of Gloucester County Championships, is entering his fourth varsity season with the Dragons. As a sophomore, Kemner was named second team all-conference after posting 35 goals, 15 assists and 23 groundballs. During his junior year, Kingsway registered a program record 15 victories, en route to its second county title in three years, while Kemner tallied 39 goals, 33 assists and 33 groundballs. The 2012 Team MVP, Kemner was also named first team all-conference and a South Jersey Media All-Star, while being added to the South Jersey Media Boys Team of the Year.

“Tim is a very good lefty finisher but what stands out the most when you watch Tim play is how hard he works in the ride. He is athletic and has the ability to play either midfield or attack. He knows how to setup his dodge to play to his own strengths and is also very good out of ball movement,” noted Fisher.

A three-year varsity lacrosse letterwinner to-date at Westview High School in San Diego, California, Summers also played two seasons of football for the Wolverines. In three seasons at Westview, Summers has registered 106 goals, 107 assists and 213 points, including 46 goals and 50 assists as a junior in 2012. In 2012, Summers was named the Team Offensive MVP, as well as All-San Diego County, first team all-league, North County Times First Team and was a California Gold invitee. Behind his school single season records for points and assists in 2012, Summers was also a US Lacrosse San Diego High School All-Star Game selection.

“Chris is a good-sized attackman who is as skilled as they come,” said Fisher. “He is equally effective with either hand, has great sense for the game and is a terrific feeder. His ability to anticipate plays and put the ball in the right spot will make others players around him dangerous. Chris flat out makes plays in a variety of ways with his IQ, skill and vision.”

Also a member of the Kennett High School soccer team, where the Blue Demons advanced to the second round of the playoffs all three years, Worrall scored the most goals of any junior varsity lacrosse player in school history during his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a junior, Worrall notched a team-high 40 goals and 26 assists and was named second team all-conference, while the attacker was named a team captain for the 2013 campaign.

Fisher stated, “Matt had a breakout junior year for Kennett High as a junior and was named a captain as a senior. He is a slick attackman who has very good skills and is ruthless around the goal. His knack for getting his hands free and getting shots to the goal in tight spots will make him difficult to guard.”

Monmouth, which will start Division I men’s lacrosse action in 2014, is a private, mid-sized, coeducational, comprehensive University founded in 1933. It serves residential and commuter students in eight schools and is less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean on the Jersey Shore in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The 156-acre campus features 54 buildings, including historic landmarks and state-of-the-art facilities.

On December 14, 2012, Monmouth University announced its acceptance of the invitation of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to join the conference, effective July 1, 2013. Monmouth, which fields 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, will begin competition in the MAAC during the 2013-14 academic year.

Stay tuned to GoMUHawks.com as the Men’s Lacrosse program will introduce the remaining members of the incoming class of midfielders, next week.

2013 Monmouth Men’s Lacrosse Summer Clinics:
Youth Camp – July 16-18; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Grades 3-5) [Kessler Field]
Middle School Evening Camp – July 30-Aug 1; 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Grades 6-8) [Kessler Field]
Hawks Elite Camp – July 22-24 (Grades 9-12) [Kessler Field] – Overnight

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