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Jesse Cuccia’s first exposure to lacrosse came just as the sport was starting to take off well beyond the Northeast on the West Coast.
Fast forward now to his senior year in high school, and Cuccia, an athletic attackman/midfielder from Westlake (CA), will be taking his lacrosse talents all the way to the opposite coast.
After receiving 10 Division I offers, he verbally committed to Boston University, a decision first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cuccia, a righty who has ideal size and speed to go with it, running the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. He is also a standout in football.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Jesse on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
The environment that I was going to be submerged in, the teammates I was going to play with, and the coaches intensity and will to win.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I had 10 D-I offers before I made my decision, but the schools I was really considering were Boston U, Lehigh and Ohio State.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I think one of my biggest strengths is my size and speed. At 6-2, I still run a 4.6 40 yard dash, I think my quickness helps me with my dodging ability from everywhere on the field and my size helps me take on any check coming my way.
How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
Living on the West Coast, I got introduced to lacrosse at an early age in fifth grade. At the time lacrosse had just been introduced to the coast.
I played football, basketball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse. Once I got into high school, I began to just focus on football and lacrosse playing varsity all four years for both.
What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
Back in LA, I play for Goon Alpha Elite and the West Coast Starz, this summer I played for Long Island Sting for the first time and we played at the Under Armour Shootout, Hotbeds and UNC Tourney.
I will also be playing for Tropics this winter and summer.
Any final thoughts?
I want to thank my family. I couldn’t have gotten the exposure without the funding or the support.
I also want to thank my coaches.
Mario Waibel, who started working with me my freshman year of high school and really developed my skills.
Ken Miller, who got me the exposure in my senior year summer to got me in front of the coaches I needed to to get the D-I offers I received.
Jono Zissi, who was my West Coast Starz coach and helped me through the whole process.
And finally, Scott Hochstadt, who was there to encourage me through my whole club team experience.
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Posted In: Beyond the Northeast, California lacrosse, Recruiting Rundown
