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A Calgary, Alberta native, Bullen competed this past summer for the West Coast Starz, while also making an appearance at the Black Card Showcase. He has represented Team Alberta in each of the past two summers at Canadian Field Nationals, where he was named most outstanding goalie both years. At Trinity-Pawling, he was recently named to the Headmaster’s List and also plays soccer and hockey. He plays transition in box lacrosse.

A lefty, the 5-foot-9, 140-pound Bullen has catlike quickness.

You can watch his highlight reel here.

He’s also a stellar student with a 4.0 GPA who plans on majoring in either Astronomy or Plasma Physics at Cornell.

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
The main reason why I chose Cornell centers on its outstanding academics. The Cornell lacrosse team has to be one of the closest knit teams in the nation and I observed this after visiting a number of different school. In addition, Cornell Assistant) Coach (Peter) Milliman and (Cornell Interim Head Coach Matt) Kerwick are two of the best coaches in the industry, and I am incredibly comfortable with both of them.

The campus has this sense of warmth that draws you in immediately. I know when I first stepped on campus, a sudden rush of excitement overwhelmed me, and that feeling just made me feel that this school was the right fit.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Princeton, Harvard and Brown.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I would have to say my biggest strength is my quickness. I like to play an explosive style, and most of my out of sport training focuses on enhancing this explosiveness. Throughout my career, I have tried to mold my style after Brett Queener. He was one of the reasons why I started to play the goalie position. I just love to see a goalie run up and down the field and play the game like a player, while being a “game changer” and making saves.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I think I need to work on my knowledge of the game. There’s always extra room for learning to understand the game more and more. To me, there’s no ‘master’ of the sport. That’s why I love this sport. … I’m constantly learning from others.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I got introduced to lacrosse at the age of 6 when I started playing box lacrosse. Prior to playing lacrosse, I was playing soccer, but there just wasn’t any thrill in playing a non-contact sport. So lacrosse was the next option for someone living in Calgary (home of the Calgary Roughnecks).

However at the time I didn’t know about field lacrosse, so I continued to play soccer until the age of 12 in the off-season of box lacrosse. Then I got introduced to the sport field lacrosse, and fell “head over heels” the first time I played the game. I started playing attack, then I switched to playing goalie after watching Brett Queener. I just had that feeling that the goalie position was something that I would love to play. So this coming year will be my fourth year playing goalie.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play with the West Coast Starz with coaches Jono Zisi, Scott Hochstadt, Ira Hochstadt, Max Ritz and Xander Ritz. We traveled to play in the Terrapin Classic, the NSCLA Championships, Boston Legacy Tournament and the Crab Feast.

Any final thoughts?
I want to thank my Utah Starz coaches, Dan Mannix and Brad Taylor. Both individuals helped me with exposure along the West Coast. They are a big reason why I am the way I am today- athletically and mentally. I also want to thank Coach (Bruce) Grogg for accepting me to play with Utah Starz. Their program has something so special and unique, and I can’t wait to hear about their continued success. I also want to thank some individuals on the Utah Starz who have been the biggest motivators- Ryan Baker, and my good friend Carter Mannix.. Lastly for the Utah Starz, I also want to thank my close friend Pete Benda. His resilience alone over the past year has been just incredible.

Next I want to thank everyone at Adrenaline lacrosse. In particular, Jono Zissi, Scott Hochstadt, Ira Hochstadt, Max Ritz, and Xander Ritz have all helped me along my journey. Without these coaches I wouldn’t of have such great opportunities, and I wouldn’t have developed into the player I am today.

Next I also want to thank my main supporter back in Calgary, Daryl Haynes. He’s been exceptional, and has helped me make some major life decisions. He was also a leading reason why I was accepted at Trinity-Pawling School, and I cannot thank him enough for his help with this opportunity.

Next, I want to thank the biggest supporter in my life: Coach (Nic) Bell at Trinity-Pawling. He’s the main reason why I was able to commit to Cornell University. He’s been the main person who has communicated with schools and coaches on behalf. I cannot stress enough on how much this coach has helped me through this whole recruitment process. Thank you very much Coach Bell! I cannot wait for the upcoming lacrosse season.

I would also like to thank the Elev8 program for being the biggest stepping stone to where I am today. Special thanks to Geoff Snider, Bobby Snider and Rhys Duch. I remember when I first started playing goalie with this program.

Finally, I want to thank my parents, Chris and Heather. They have supported me in all of my endeavors from Day 1 and I clearly would not be here if it weren’t for their incredible efforts. I cannot thank you enough and I look forward to the years to come.

* “Beyond the Northeast” story archive

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.

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