Every team needs a midfielder who can break down a defense with a variety of one-on-one moves.
In Chris Santangelo, Rye High School (N.Y.) has just that.
Soon, so too will the University of Pennsylvania.
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Santangelo verbally committed to the Quakers, as first reported at Twitter.com/joe_lombardi.
Santangelo’s commitment came after strong showings at both the Maverik Showtime National Lacrosse Recruiting Spotlight and the inaugural Empire State Cup. He is also a football standout for Rye.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Chris on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
The main factor in my decision was going to a school that had a good balance of both lacrosse and academics. When I visited Penn, (Head) Coach (Mike) Murphy and (Assistant) Coach (Judd) Lattimore really made me feel at home. Also Philadelphia is such a great city and in such a great location not too far from home.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I also considered Colgate, Harvard, Union, Georgetown and Michigan. I visited all of them.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strength as a player is dodging down the pipes and getting a good shot on the run, as well as finding the open man off a dodge. I also like to push transition especially off of a faceoff.
What areas of your game have you been working to improve on?
I have been working to improve my defense and my off-hand shooting. I also would like to improve my size and strength to compete at the D-I level.
Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
My biggest influences have been my coaches. Mike McCall and Chris Watson of the Westchester Predators and Brian and Scott Dooley at Rye. Mike McCall has been coaching me since I was young and him and Chris Watson helped me tremendously through the whole commitment process.
What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in this summer?
I played for the Westchester Predators summer team at MVP at the Rider, UMass and Blue and Gold tournaments. I also participated in Maverik Showtime (all-star team) and Empire State Cup (all-tournament team).
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Posted In: Recruiting Rundown, Section 1, Uncategorized
Congrats Chris and keep up the good work!
This kid really came on during the summer. Glad it worked out into getting into a strong Ivy team.
Excellent choice Chris!