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UMass Lowell is about to begin its first season as a Division I lacrosse program.

It’s an exciting time for the River Hawks and soon Matt Balter will be a part of it.

The Albany Academy (N.Y.) senior attackman gave a verbal commitment to newly named coach Ed Stephenson’s program.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Balter is a lefty with quick hands who is dangerous around the crease.

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
UMass Lowell was exactly what I was looking for in a college. UML was the right size for me and also had a great community feel to it. I plan on studying mechanical engineering in college and UMass Lowell has a great program.

Both Coach Stephenson and (Assistant) Coach (Matt) Schairer expressed that academic success is important, which was important to me since I’ll be in a challenging major. They are both very nice, positive, and have great expectations for the program. They were the best coaching fit with my personality.

Also it will be a great experience playing for a new program in the American East. It’s one of the best conferences in college, and includes my hometown team UAlbany. I can’t wait to play for UMass Lowell next year.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I narrowed down my other choices to Western New England, Clarkson and RIT. I also visited Boston University, and Trinity.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strengths would be my crease play and my pick-and-roll game. I have quick hands and can get rid of the ball pretty quickly.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I think I need to improve on my right side and shooting on the run more. I have improved a vast amount but I still would like to get it as good as possible to make myself more of a threat.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
After second grade I quit baseball and was looking for a new sport to play. My father asked if I wanted to try lacrosse. I had never heard of it but he showed me some videos of it and it looked interesting. I have been playing ever since.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I have played Team United Albany and Albany Power this fall. The only showcase I went to was Good to Great at Amherst College.

Any final thoughts?
I had a lot of help along the way. I want to thank everyone that helped me get to this moment. I’d especially like to thank both my parents for all the support with opportunities to improve and show my game. Thanks to Coach Flood and Coach Martin for teaching me the game from third grade up until now.

I couldn’t have done this without Coach Marr, with all the recruiting help he gave me. He talked to any college coach I asked, including Coach Stephenson. Finally I’d like to thank my godfather, Anthony Ortolano, for his help and support with my lacrosse career and guidance in life.

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.