From press release
PURCHASE, NY — A new program has a new leading man.
Purchase College (NY) Director of Athletics Chris Bisignano has announced the hiring of former John Jay High School (NY) and Fairfield University (CT) standout attackman Michael Bocklet as the first-ever men’s lacrosse coach in program history.
Bocklet, a local standout himself, comes to Purchase with pro experience as a player and most recently as a top assistant for Division I Dartmouth.
“In meeting with Michael, I see someone committed to building a lacrosse program in the right way, by recruiting the masses, developing strong communication and encompassing the organizational skills of a leader who can give our student-athletes, campus, community and alumni a product we can all be very proud of,” said Bisignano. “He is well-
respected, both as a player and coach, in the world of lacrosse. I am confident that Michael will make an instant impact on our program and we are all excited to add his caliber of leadership to the Panther family.”
The Purchase men’s lacrosse team will become an official NCAA Div. III intercollegiate sport for 2015-16. The program will boost the ever-growing department to 17 varsity sports.
“I am extremely excited to become the first head men’s lacrosse coach as Purchase,” said Bocklet. “Building a program from the ground up is a rare opportunity and I look forward to pioneering a program that will enjoy a long history of success. Westchester-Hudson Valley is a hot bed for lacrosse and Purchase College is in the backyard of it all. Further, I look forward to getting back to my roots and am excited to add to the strong tradition that surrounds the area I grew up in.”
Bocklet brings over five years of collegiate coaching experience with him to Purchase, serving as the assistant coach at Dartmouth and SUNY Cortland. He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons at Cortland as the top assistant coach and offensive coordinator before joining the Dartmouth staff in 2013.
This past season, Dartmouth’s schedule was ranked among some of the strongest in the nation. Seven of the twelve competitors the team faced finished top 20 in NCAA rankings. Despite the challenging season, the Big Green offense still averaged an impressive 8.3 goals per game and 37.5 shots per game; both improvements from the year before.
“The challenge of competing at a high level week in and week out has undoubtedly made me stronger as a coach, strategist, and competitor,” said Bocklet. “With eight of our top ten scorers being underclassmen, I took incredible pride this year in developing young talent and building player confidence.”
During his tenure at SUNY Cortland, Bocklet played a key role in the success of the men’s lacrosse program. The team compiled a 37-4 record, advanced to the Div. III National Championship, and in 2012 achieved the first undefeated regular season in school history.
Bocklet was responsible for the design and execution of strategic decisions for and within contest situations, while being responsible for an offense that averaged 11.7 goals per game, 40.1 shots per game and 38 percent man-up in 2012. All figures that made the offense the No. 1 offense in the league. In the same year, Bocklet helped develop the SUNYAC Player of the Year and Offensive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Team All-Americans.
In 2010, prior to Cortland, Bocklet returned to his alma mater as the assistant coach for the boys’ varsity lacrosse program at John Jay-Cross River High School. The 2003 graduate guided the team he once played for an 18-2 record and Section I title.
Before coaching at the high school and college levels, Bocklet served as the local development officer in Manchester, England where he was the head of recruiting and coaching for two highly competitive U-16 and U-19 club teams.
Bocklet earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications from Fairfield University, where he was a four-year starter on the Stags’ lacrosse team, earning All-MAAC selections and All-New England honors twice. The 2007 graduate and team captain was a Tewaaraton Watchlist candidate, competed in the prestigious USILA North-South game, left the Stags as fourth on the school’s all-time career points list, and was selected by The Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse in the 2008 supplemental draft.
Bocklet continued his education while coaching at Cortland, earning a Masters in Childhood Education.
Over the next year, Bocklet will be responsible for recruiting the inaugural men’s lacrosse class for Purchase College.
“I will be looking for eager, natural leaders and strong motivators,” said Bocklet. “This first class will forge the path for those to come and serve as the building blocks of our program.”
Aside from his coaching duties, Bocklet is the director and co-founder of the X10 Mountain Lacrosse Academy and Moonlight Lacrosse, LLC.
A South Salem native, he plans to return to the Westchester area with his wife, Emily, and their newborn daughter, Lucy.
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Posted In: College lacrosse, Connecticut, Hudson Valley, Section 1
