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The number of tristate verbal commitments for the Class of 2017 has doubled in the last 24 hours.

The first 2017 verbal commitment was made back in September when Ara Atayan of New York state finalist Bronxville decided on North Carolina.

Atayan, whose commitment was first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLesson.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section, also happened to be not only the first freshman verbal nationally but the earliest commitment made in NCAA lacrosse history.

Atayan plays travel lacrosse for the Long Island Express.

So too does the player who yesterday gave the second 2017 verbal by a player from the nation’s No. 1 hotbed for lacrosse, the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut region.

He’s Tyler “Gooch” Senerchia, a defenseman/longstick midfielder from St. Anthony’s High School (N.Y.), whose commitment to the admissions process at Bucknell University was also first reported by Joe on Lacrosse Insider.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Senerchia competed this past summer at Jake Reed Nike Blue Chip Rising Freshman, National Invitational 175, Terrapin Classic, Yale Bulldog 120, Philly Freshman Showcase, where he was a Fab 40 all-star, and the Bucknell Bison Brawl, where he was an all-star.

A righty, Senerchia is a quick, aggressive player, with good anticipation and stick skills. You can watch his highlight reel here.

Senerchia is the son of former professional wrestler Peter Senerchia, who is known as “Tazz.”

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

What were the main factors in your decision?
The academics, lacrosse legacy and power, the connection I have made with the coaching staff and that fact I could really picture myself at the school. Bucknell is a top university in the nation and its academics are second to none.

To go along with the amazing academics, the lacrosse program has such a rich legacy and is always in the top 20. They have a great coaching staff led by (Bucknell Head) Coach (Frank) Fedorjaka. It really just seemed like the perfect fit.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Other schools I visited and considered were Colgate, UPenn and Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I would say one of the strongest aspects of my play would be my stick skills. I really try to have the best stick control and hand speed possible.

I also believe I am a quick, physical and aggressive player. I would say that I am an aggressive LSM with good speed, strong stick skills, quick hands and solid lacrosse IQ.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
The areas I can work on is,  I can always work on my speed, strength and IQ.  There will always be someone out there that is bigger, better, faster and stronger and my motivation is to catch whom ever that may be and defeat them.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was introduced to lacrosse in the summer between fifth and sixth grade. I had always played a ton of travel baseball all of my life, but it just got boring after a while. I wanted something more physical and exciting so I started lacrosse.

I actually learned how to throw and catch from Coach Mike Chanenchuk. He has guided me from my first day all the way to the day of my commitment. Other sports I competed in are football, basketball, baseball and wrestling.

Any final thoughts?
I would like to thank my mom and dad for their endless support,  my teammates and coaches below Mike Chanenchuk, Doug Schreiber, John Lynott and Ric Beardsley.

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.