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On the lacrosse field, there are plenty of attackmen, midfielders and defensemen, but there’s only one goal.

That was Jack Statfeld’s rationale in taking up the position in the first place.

“At 10 years old, my dad made me switch from a defense to a goalie since he thought that I would get more playing time and that I can be the ‘superstar of the team’ because as a goalie, everyone relies on you to make the save,” Statfeld said. “Your teammates gain motivation from you to work hard if they know that you can keep the ball out of the net.”

The move to the cage has paid off for the rising senior at Friends Acdemy in Nassau County (NY) both in high school and beyond.

Earlier this week, Statfeld verbally committed to Division III Muhlenberg College, a decision first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Statfeld is an athletic lefty with good flexibility and agility who is aggressive on clears, often ranging well out of the net.

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
Going to Friends Academy where my grade size is around 90 kids and on average 12 kids in a classroom, I knew that I wanted a college with a similar learning experience.

I wanted to be part of a school that offered me great academics and the ability to play against top-notch college teams every week.  I was able to narrow down my choices to a few schools that had a similar atmosphere to Friends Academy.  When I stepped on the Muhlenberg campus, I knew that this is where I belonged.  Under the guidance of (Muhlenberg Head) Coach (Chris) Bissinger and (Assistant) Coach (Michael) Sullinger, I believe that Muhlenberg has the potential to become a strong D3 program within the next few years and I want to be a part of that.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I considered Western New England, Franklin & Marshall, Bard College, Gettysburg, University of Vermont, Union and Goucher.  The schools I visited were the University of Vermont, Goucher, Franklin& Marshall and Gettysburg.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strength would have to be my strength both physically and mentally. It’s not an easy thing to put on the pads day in and day out and know that you will be facing 15-20 80mph shots a game or even more every practice.

I would describe myself as an athletic goalie being very flexible in the net to make a split save while not being afraid to make throws outside the cage with defenders on me.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
As a goalie, the sky’s the limit and there’s always another area of your game to work on. For me, I think that I could improve on every aspect of my game to become the best of my ability.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
At around 7 years old a couple of my friends were going to play for the PAL town team, Half Hollow Hills, and asked me if I wanted to play; I said yes.

I also play varsity ice hockey for Friends Academy.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I played for SMS this summer  (Southern Maryland Selects) and we participated in Baltimore Summer Kickoff, Gait cup and the Battle of the Hotbeds.  This summer, I took part in 3d Uprising D3 Showcase, Philly Summer Invitational, Nat 175 Best of the Best and the Muhlenberg Lacrosse Showcase.

Last summer, I participated in the National Premier 1012 Showcase and Blue chip 225. I was an all-star at the National Premier 1012 Showcase.

Any final thoughts?
I would like to thank Coach (David) Barth, Coach (Bill) Garry and Coach (Walt) Carswell (of Friends Academy) for all the support and guidance these past three years.

I would like to thank my summer coach, Greg Zecca, for everything that he has done for me and my goalie coach, Jon Geagan, for helping me elevate my game and to keep on helping me get better throughout the rest of this year.

My last thank you is to my brother and sister for supporting me at all of my sporting events and of course my mom and dad for always having faith in me to do great things and for their continuous support on and off the field.

Have a recruiting commitment to report? Send an email to info@laxlessons.com, contact Joe Lombardi directly at joe@laxlessons.com or send a Tweet to @Joe_Lombardi or @LaxLessons.