Monmouth University Announces Midfielders to Join the Program

WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – First-year Monmouth University men’s lacrosse head coach Brian Fisher announced the incoming student-athletes who will comprise the Hawks’ midfield that will attend Monmouth and compete for the Hawks in 2014. Fisher and assistant coach Andrew Geison have received commitments from Duncan Campbell (Ellicott City, Md./Marriotts Ridge), Eric Berger (Ardsley, Pa./Penn Charter), Blake Burger (Louisville, Kent./Trinity), Andrew Dooley (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township), Tyler Keen (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), Marco Mosleh (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West), Kevin Murphy (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Penn Charter), Hunter Rainis (Rockville Center, N.Y./South Side), Colin Reilly (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding), Zack Schleicher (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), Dylan Schulte (Southampton, N.J./Seneca [Bridgeton Academy]) and Brandon Willis (Cherry Hills Village, Colo./Cherry Creek).

“I am pleased to announce the first group of midfielders that will attend Monmouth this coming September,” stated Fisher. “By nature of the position, this group is our largest and deepest position and should be very competitive when they arrive on campus.”

Fisher added, “We have a number of very talented players in this group from some of the hotbeds of the lacrosse community including Philadelphia, Long Island and the Baltimore area as well as across the country.”

Campbell, a three-year varsity letterwinner and captain for the Mustangs, posted 20 goals and nine assists as a junior, while registering a 65.0% faceoff percentage. Campbell was also a two-year member of the Marriotts Ridge football team, where he notched 31 receptions and 350 yards in 2012.

“Duncan is an extremely talented faceoff midfielder, who has gained valuable experience playing with the RoughRider club team in the summer,” noted Fisher. “He is a tough, scrappy and savvy athlete who has the tools to be a very good faceoff player at the next level.”

Berger was a three-sport standout at Penn Charter, earning four varsity letters in both lacrosse and wrestling and three more in football. An All-Inter-Ac Honorable Mention lacrosse player, Berger’s lacrosse squad finished ninth in the state following his junior campaign.

“Eric is one of those quick, tough and athletic do it all midfielders,” said Fisher. “He is another multi-sport athlete who played in the same backfield with Kevin Murphy on the football field as well as a two time national prep qualifier on the wrestling team.”

Burger has earned nine varsity letters in three years, including four as an ice hockey goalkeeper, four as a lacrosse midfielder and the last as a running back on the football team. Burger, who started playing varsity ice hockey in seventh grade, transferred to Trinity High School in Louisville as a sophomore, where in two seasons, he has recorded 27 goals, 35 assists and 65 ground balls. In the last two seasons, Trinity has finished as state runner-ups, while Burger was named to the Top 205 East All-Star Game in 2012, the Brine Ohio Top 75 and Top 40 Under Armour Atlanta.

Fisher stated, “Blake is a competitor in every sense of the word, as he went from one season to another in high school playing three sports. He was one of our first lacrosse recruits here at Monmouth and is a tough, athletic, work horse type of midfielder who excels between the lines.”

Dooley, a four-year varsity starter at Monroe Township, was a top-50 point scorer in the state of New Jersey in 2012, as he recorded 44 goals and 31 assists to go along with 88 groundballs. A First Team All-Greater Middlesex County midfielder, Dooley helped guide the Falcons to a Greater Middlesex County Division Championship in 2012.

“Andrew is a midfielder who has good instinct on the offensive side,” noted Fisher. “He is a shifty and athletic playmaker who can initiate offense from anywhere, has good vision and is able to stretch the defense with his ability to shoot with time and space.”

A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse at Downingtown West, Keen has recorded 42 goals and 61 assists in his first three campaigns, while leading the Whippets to a league title and No. 3 Pennsylvania state ranking with a 23-2 record as a junior. DWHS also won a Chestmont League title in 2011. Keen was named honorable mention as a sophomore and placed on the Philly Showcase All-Star team, as well as the Big 4 All-Star team. Keen, who also lettered in football as a freshman, set the school’s freshman record with 32 assists as a rookie.

“Tyler’s game is very well rounded as he does just about everything for his high school team,” stated Fisher. “He has a high lacrosse IQ and is very skilled with both hands and comfortable acting as his team’s QB initiating on the offensive end.”

Mosleh, who also lettered in wrestling at Smithtown West High School, helped guide the Bulls to a combined 32-7 record over the last two seasons, while finishing in the tops of the county standings. A 2011 Scholar-Athlete Award winner, Mosleh helped lead SWHS to a pair of Super Six Championships.

“Marco comes to Monmouth from Smithtown West and is a tough, two-sport athlete who has a great work ethic,” noted Fisher. “His athleticism, strength and work ethic will make him a valuable contributor at the midfield and faceoff position for us.”

A two-sport standout at Penn Charter, Murphy tallied 30 goals and 35 assists in lacrosse as a junior, and was named team captain for the upcoming season. Also a quarterback and linebacker on the football team, Murphy is a member of the Dukes Lacrosse Club.

“Kevin comes from Penn Charter, a highly regarded program out of Philadelphia. A two sport athlete, he was the quarterback for the football team and a two way midfielder on the lacrosse team. Kevin is a skilled midfielder who has a great sense for how to play the game,” added Fisher.

A three-sport letterwinner at South Side High School, Rainis was named team captain of the lacrosse team, which advanced in the league playoffs each of his years on the Cyclones’ squad. Rainis also competed as a long distance runner for the cross country team and played football as a wide receiver.

Fisher said, “Hunter is a very athletic midfielder with size who has a great feel for the game. He has good dodging ability and with his size, skill and lacrosse IQ will be a dangerous midfielder. A captain for his team this spring at South Side, they have made the postseason each year that he has been on the team.”

Reilly, who has 10 goals and five assists already during his senior campaign at Archbishop Spalding, played in the FLG Tournament All-Star Game last year.

“Colin plays at Spalding along with Nick Kalas, another Monmouth commit. Colin excels between the lines as a defensive midfielder with the Cavaliers but is also very capable on the offensive side of the ball playing on his high school team’s extra man unit.” stated Fisher.

A three-year varsity letterwinner in lacrosse at Emmaus High School, Schleicher transferred to Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, for his senior year. In his three seasons at Emmaus, he totaled 82 goals, 37 assists and 121 points, and had a combined record of 42-18. Emmaus, which has won three straight LVC Championships, finished as district runner-ups in 2011 and 2012. A member of the Dukes Lacrosse Club, Schleicher was a 2011 Brine National All-American, Nike Blue Chip, and a 2010 and 2011 Philly Showcase All-Star Fab 40 Team selection. An ESPN Rise sophomore and junior watchlist selection, Schleicher competed in the Big 4 Invitational All-Star Game, and was part of the 2010 Crabfeast Championship team.

Fisher noted, “When you watch Zach play it becomes obvious that he has a passion for the game of lacrosse. He plays hard, fast and makes plays in a variety of ways while letting the game come to him. He is athletic, with good skills and has great vision with the ball in his stick.”

A four-year varsity letterwinner at Seneca High School, Dylan Schulte enrolls at Monmouth after one prep school year at Bridgton Academy in Maine. While at Seneca, Schulte helped lead the Golden Eagles to a state semifinal appearance in 2012. In four seasons at Seneca, the midfielder compiled 162 goals, 103 assists and 212 ground balls, and was named team captain, team MVP, first team all-conference, first team all-county and First Team All-South Jersey. Also a member of the football team, Schulte holds the school record for receptions in a season, as well as reception yardage in a season, and was named first team all-conference.

“Dylan did a post-grad year at Bridgton which has helped him elevate his game even further,” stated Fisher. “He played with the Braveheart lacrosse club and is a big, strong, athletic midfielder who has a physical presence while on the field. His ability to get to the goal along with his vision will make him a dual threat. We are looking forward to his maturity and poise on the field along with his athleticism and the attitude in which he plays.”

Willis, a four-year varsity letterwinner at Cherry Creek in Greenwood Village, Colorado, has been a Denver Elite Select all four years and has made a pair of Denver Shootout All-Star appearances. A Rising Sophomore and Junior Top 200 Blue Chip player, Willis helped lead the Bruins to a 2010 state championship and to the 2012 state finals. In his first three seasons, CC has posted a combined record of 46-10.

Fisher said, “Brandon has been a staple on his team at Cherry Creek as a varsity letter winner each of the past four seasons. He is another quick and shifty midfielder who can do it all and is at his best between the lines.”

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 for all the latest on the Monmouth Men’s Lacrosse program.

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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