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Austin Graham took center stage for one of the nation’s most successful and tradition-rich programs as a sophomore.

It happened in a battle of New York powers as Yorktown visited Smithtown West.

Starting goaltender Zach Reilly left the game in the first half with a broken collarbone injury, and was sidelined for most of the remainder of the regular season.

Enter Graham, who stepped in and stepped up for Yorktown.

Now, Reilly is headed to SUNY Oneonta. Graham, meanwhile, decided this week on his college destination: SUNY Plattsburgh, a decision first reported when it was made by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider special coverage section.

Reilly and Graham will be college rivals for three years, starting Graham’s freshman year with the Cardinals in 2015.

In addition, Graham will have a familiar teammate at Plattsburgh: d-middie Matt Gonzalez, who is also a senior at YHS.

The 5-foot-6, 125-pound Graham is an outstanding communication who is efficient at outlet passing.

“My style of play is providing a very quick tempo,” Graham said. “I like to get the ball up and out quickly and spark offensive transition.”

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
I wanted to go to a school that was good at lacrosse and could offer a good education while being at a low price as well.  So SUNY Plattsburgh was perfect for all three categories. I also really like the coaching staff and knew some of the players there already and am close with some other recruits, so it just seemed right.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
During my sophomore year I was in contact with more D-I schools than D-III and I visited Dartmouth, Sacred Heart and Providence. Then, I got into contact with more D-III schools and visited Stevens Tech, Springfield and WNEC.  I was considering all those D-III schools

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I feel like all areas of my game need work and a lot of work should be put in to get me to where I want to be going into this upcoming season and then college.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was introduced to lacrosse because I live in Yorktown and every kid here plays, also my uncle (Dave Graham) played lacrosse and has been an assistant coach on the varsity team for years so he made sure I played.

I played baseball, soccer and football when I was younger, but I only play lacrosse now.

What travel team do you play on? What showcase events did you participate in?
I played on the Yorktown Ballers Green team for the past three summers and attended Jake Reed Nike Blue Chip Rising Sophomores and Rising Juniors, Maverik Showtime Rising Juniors, Peak 200, Loyola Rising Juniors and National Invitational 175.

Any final thoughts?
I would like to thank my parents the most for supporting me and helping me along the whole way. Also, all the coaches I’ve ever had for encouraging me and allowing me to become the player and person I am today.