Bethlehem, PA – Lehigh head coach
Chris Wakely has announced the addition of 12 student-athletes to the men’s lacrosse program for next season.
This latest class includes five midfielders, four attackmen and two defenders and is made up of very well-rounded student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom, the community and on the field.
Brendan Champney (Massapequa Park, NY) is a defender who attends Chaminade High School and is a member of the National Honor Society. He helped lead his team to a number nine national ranking, while earning one varsity letter in lacrosse and two in football. Champney also started for the prestigious Long Island Empire State Team, which captured a silver medal last year.
Ricky Cornetta (Dix Hills, NY), an attckman from Half Hollow Hills West High School is a member of both the honor roll and the high honor roll. He has been a three-year starter and letter winner in lacrosse, placing in the top-50 at the Long Island Empire tryouts, while also earning six varsity letters in other sports. As a junior Cornetta was an All-Division selection.
Arriving by way of Northport High School, Max Dahlem (Northport, NY) brings very impressive credentials, including being a member of the honor roll, the ALS foundation, Students for 60,000, LEAD, BRIDGES and the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation. The attackman is a three-year varsity player, a two-year starter and a one-time captain. The recipient of the student academic athlete award in both his sophomore and junior years, Dahlem is a top-205 All-Star, while helping lead his team to a state championship in 2001, a runner-up finish in 2002 and a runner-up finish in the county championship in 2004.
Matthew Diehl (Flemington, NJ), an attackman from Hunterdon Central High School is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and the Scholar Athlete Award winner. The 2003 Volunteer of the Year as named by Hunterdon Help Line, Diehl is a two-year starter, one-year captain and also a two-year letterwinner on the gridiron. In 2004, Diehl was named All-Area, All-Pitt Division and All-Skyland Conference for lacrosse, while leading his team to a share of the Pitt Division Championship and an outright title in the Skyland Conference.
Shane Donlan (Wyckoff, NJ) is a midfielder from Ramapo High School, and is a member of the National Honor Society, and the Student Achievement Award winner in Latin III and Art I. A two-year starter and three-year member of the lacrosse team, Donlan, who participates in Habitat for Humanities, is also a captain and a three-year letterwinner in football. Donlan took face-offs and scored six goals as a sophomore, and then improved upon those numbers with 20 goals and 14 assists as a junior last season.
Tyler Emery (Canandaigua, NY), a midfielder from Canandaigua Academy has played varsity lacrosse for four seasons, starting for three, and serving as captain for one. A three-sport star, who also excels in football and basketball, Emery is a New York State Scholar Athlete, and a member of the Distinguished Scholar and High Honor Roll at his high school. Also included in his many honors are a spot on the Top 2005 All-Star Team, the 2004 Empire State Team and a two-time Second Team League All-Star.
From Summit High School, Brendan Feeney (Summit, NJ) has excelled on the field and in the classroom, where he has achieved suma cum laude status. A three-year varsity starter on the lacrosse team, Feeney, a defender, has also served as captain and helped lead his team to the Fitch Division Championship in 2003, as well as the Union Country Championship.
Brant Fischer (Potomac, MD), an attackman out of Winston Churchill High School, is an honor roll student, a Latin Honors Society member, and has dedicated 262 hours of community service which led to him receiving a certificate of recognition. On the field, Fischer has been a four-year varsity member, three-year starter, and one-time captain. He broke the scoring record as a sophomore with 27 goals and then shattered that mark the following year with 40 goals. Fischer was named the Best Offensive Player on his team in both 2003 and 2004, while being named the Potomac Lacrosse’s Top-205 Scholarship Recipient.
Jonathan Haley (Massapequa, NY) arrives at Lehigh by way of St. Anthony’s High School where he won the Don Scotus Award as both a freshman and junior, while also receiving the St. Boneventure Award as a sophomore. A member of the National Honor Society, Haley has played two seasons of varsity lacrosse, as well as two of soccer. The midfielder helped lead his team to the 2004 Long Island CHSAA Championship.
A National Honor Society member, Joe LaFiura (Mountain Lakes, NJ) is also a Spanish Honor Society member who has worked with the Junior Fire Department. The midfielder, who comes to Lehigh from one of the strongest high school programs in the state of New Jersey (Mountain Lakes High School) has played varsity lacrosse for three seasons, as well as varsity football. He helped lead his team to two consecutive appearances in the state finals in 2003 and 2004. LaFiura was also an all-state selection in football, in leading his team to a state championship and two appearances in the state semi-finals.
Brian Smith (Stony Brook, NY) is the fifth recruit out of Long Island, and played his high school lacrosse at Ward Melville, Wakely's alma-mater. Smith, a midfielder, has helped lead his team to a current record of 15-0 and a number-four national ranking in 2005.
Paul Sweeney (Erdenheim, PA) is a four-year varsity lacrosse player out of Penn Charter High School, and has served as captain for one season, while also lettering in football and wrestling. Sweeney helped his high school to the state semi-finals in the 2002 Pennsylvania state tournament.
