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Dan Rooney made an immediate impact on the varsity team at Smithtown East, in the tristate lacrosse hotspot of Smithtown in Suffolk County (N.Y.), as a freshman last year.

Rooney’s best lacrosse, though, is yet to come.

The sophomore attackman, a LaxLessons.com Tristate Top 100 preseason selection, has three more varsity seasons with the Bulls.

Then, it’s off to college. This week, Rooney decided where that will be, verbally committing to Ohio State, as reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.

The 5-foot-7, 160-pound lefty can finish, feed and dodge. You can watch his highlight reel here.

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
The coaching staff is phenomenal, the school spirit at Ohio State is unbelievable and the players that I have met, that I will be playing alongside, are great guys and I look forward to playing with them.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I was considering UPenn, Duke, Princeton, Harvard and Lehigh. In addition to visiting those schools, I also have visited Virginia and North Carolina.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I would say my strengths as a player are dodging, passing and finishing. My style of play is fast-paced, aggressive, and I love to share the ball.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
There is always room for improvement in every aspect of my game.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was introduced to the sport of lacrosse in kindergarten by my two cousins Bill Cuneen and John Cuneen, who would always be throwing the ball around whenever I was around them.  It made me want to join the game.

Other sports I have played are hockey, baseball, basketball, wrestling and soccer.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play for Long Island Express and I have participated in Maverick Showtime, Adrenaline Blackcard Showcase, Jake Reed Nike Bluechip, Brine National Lacrosse Classic, Top 20 Suffolk team and the Under Armour All American team.

Any final thoughts?
I would like to thank my family for living with my hectic lacrosse life, my coaches at Smithtown East for giving me the chance to grow as a player on Varsity and guiding me during the recruiting process, Coach (Mike) Chanenchuk for giving me the chance to play for his Long Island Express program, and finally Coach Shane Kielmeyer. If it wasn’t for his excellence as a coach and a person, I wouldn’t be where I am today.