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Somers all-section attackman Greg Petre
just gave an oral commitment to attend Army.
(File photo by Jim Stout/MaxPreps.com)

• Check the second page of this post for a Q&A with Greg Petre.

It’s always been Greg Petre’s dream to attend a military academy and to play lacrosse at the Division I level.

Now, the Somers rising senior attackman will have the chance to do both.

I just got off the phone with Petre, who 10 minutes earlier had given a verbal commitment to Army coach Joe Alberici to attend West Point.

“I was leaning toward Army for a while, but in the last few days, I realized I definitely wanted to do it,” said the attackman, who also drew interest during the recruiting process from Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and St. John’s as well as numerous Division II and Division III programs.

Petre, who was one of four team captains for the Section 1 Class B champion Tuskers this season, is the third Somers rising senior to commit to a Division I program, joining midfielder Erik Pfiffner (Colgate) and John Bello (St. John’s).

Petre, whose brother Matt, a 2005 Somers graduate served as team captain at Fairfield, told me that a big factor in his decision was the fact that Somers junior varsity coach Ted Georgalas has accepted a volunteer assistant coaching job at Army. Another Somers product, 2006 graduate Matt Marasco, is a defenseman for the Black Knights.

Petre will begin his career with the Black Knights by spending a year at U.S. Military Academy Prep.

Here is a Q&A with Petre on his selection:

When did you unofficially visit Army and what were your thoughts?
I unofficially visited Army mid-June and I loved the campus and all the facilities. Everything was pretty amazing.

What attracted you to a military career?
I have always been interested in the military. I like the challenges involved and all the hard work.

What have you learned about the commitment needed to play D-I lax from watching Matt play at Fairfield?
I learned that you really have to love lacrosse because it is your life and there are going to be a lot of tough times but it’s always worth it in the end.

What are your thoughts about working with Coach Georgalas at Army?
I am very excited to work with Coach G. It will be nice going in and working with a great coach like him especially since I have worked with him over the past two years.

How do you see yourself contributing to Army? What do you think your role will be and what do you think you can add to their offense?
I am going to work very hard on and off the field and hopefully I can contribute in any way needed.

• For more on Greg Petre, check out his recruiting profile here.

Be sure to e-mail me with news/info on any college commitments at joe@laxlessons.com.

Don’t forget to check our “Breaking recruiting news update thread” for the latest, up-to-the-minute developments throughout the region each day by clicking here. (Check for the latest updates in the “Comments” portion.)

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