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Perhaps the main thing that makes Matt McLaughlin such a dominant offensive player is his ability to create scoring opportunities both when the ball is in his stick and when it’s not.

It’s the main reason the Class of 2017 attackman at Harrison High School (NY) led Section 1 in scoring this past season, and, why he’s now officially headed to the Division I level.

McLaughlin verbally committed earlier this week to the admissions process at Lehigh University, a decision first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.

A two-time all-section choice, the 5-foot-9, 155-pound McLaughlin, a righty, is a polished player who is an adept feeder/finisher. He’s also an outstanding student with a 95 grade average.

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
Lehigh has everything that I’m looking for in a school. The great lacrosse program and strong academics were both factors that drew me to the school.

Additionally, I think it is a perfect distance from home where my parents can come watch the games and I can go home on holidays. Coach Cassese and Coach Wilson helped ease the process for me by making me feel at home.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I also visited Dartmouth and Marquette and considered Harvard.

Have you decided what academic major you plan to pursue?
Engineering.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My stick skills and off-ball movement. Additionally, I love pushing the ball and trying to find scoring opportunities during unsettled situations.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I need to increase the power of my time-and-room shot. This fall and winter, I plan on hitting the weight room so that I can gain strength and hopefully improve the velocity of my shot.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse?
My neighbors Harry Barnwell and Matt Allegretti introduced me to lacrosse at a young age and I’ve loved playing ever since.

What other sports do you play?
I also run cross-country and play basketball.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play for the Westchester Predators and attended Maverick Showtime in the summer of 2014 and 2015.

Any final thoughts and people you want to thank for helping you reach this point?
First I would like to thank my family for always supporting me and making the sacrifice to take me to tournaments and games.

I would also like to thank all the coaches from the Predators program. Specifically, I would like to thank Mike McCall, Colin McLane and Mike Solazzo for always pushing me and helping me become the best player I can possibly be.

Finally, I would like to thank my Harrison coaches Edgar Glascott and Bryan Cipolla. Both coaches put in a lot of time with the lacrosse program and I cannot thank them enough for helping me develop my lacrosse IQ in the film room.

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