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Luke Palmadesso parlayed excellence in the faceoff X into seeing a significant amount of action for New York State Class B semfinalist Yorktown this past season. But once he earned it, the rising junior showed there’s a lot more to his game.

A two-way midfielder who is strong with either hand, the 5-foot-10, 150-pound Palmadesso went on to enjoy a strong summer, performing well at such events as the Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight and the Empire State Cup.

Couple that with strong academic credentials, and Palmadesso quickly emerged as a target recruit for several top Division I programs. On Monday, Palmadesso verbally committed to Villanova.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Luke on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision? I wanted a school with high academic standards and a great lacrosse program.  Villanova’s size and location are also perfect for me. When I visited the school, (Head) Coach (Mike) Corrado really made me feel at home, and I felt very comfortable with the entire coaching staff.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit? I also considered and visited Binghamton, Georgetown, Penn and Princeton.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strengths include a high lacrosse IQ, the ability to go left or right, facing off, and playing both ends of the field as well as in between the lines.  I would describe my style of play as explosive, clean and smart.

How and when did you first start taking faceoffs and how have you gone about perfecting your skills in the faceoff X?
I started taking faceoffs when I started playing lacrosse, which was in third grade.  I’ve always tried to learn something from everyone, including Coach (Dave) Graham at Yorktown, Alex Smith and David Tamberrino in Baltimore, and other techniques I’ve picked up along the way.  I’ve also put in countless hours of facing off on my own time.

Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
My biggest influences have been my coaches at Yorktown High School, (Head) Coach (Dave) Marr, (Assistant Coach Adam) Lodewick, (Assistant Coach Sean) Carney, (Assistant Coach Dave) Graham and (Assistant Coach Rob) Doerr.  Also in the earlier years all YAC coaches were great, especially Coach Vin D’Andraia, (Mark) Vercruysse, (Phil) Mariano and Graham. My teammates at Yorktown have also helped me develop into a better player because we’re always competing and learning from each other every day at practice.

What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in this summer?
I play for the Yorktown No Limit Ballers. This summer I attended Villanova 150 Showcase and Maverik Showtime. I also represented the Hudson Valley at the Empire State Cup in Syracuse, where we received the silver medal.

* For more info on Luke, check out his player profile by clicking here.

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