July 3, 2002

VILLANOVA, PA. ----- On Tuesday, July 3, Villanova men's lacrosse head coach Randy Marks announced the members of his 2003 recruiting class, a class that features three high school All-Americans.

Headlining the Class of 2006 is Matthew Starker (Summit, N.J.). Starker, a two-time All-American, led Summit High School to four conference championships and a 71-12 record over the past four years. Starker, a midfielder, finished his high school career with a school record 230 career points on 123 goals and 107 assists. As a senior, he led his team to the state semifinals and tallied 91 points (47 goals, 44 assists). For his efforts, Starker was nominated to play in the North/South All-Star game and earned a tryout with the Under-19 USA Team. Starker also possesses strong face-off and defensive skills and the coaching staff expects him to make an immediate impact.

Joe Canuso (Moorestown, N.J.) also earned All-American honors following his senior campaign as a goalie at Moorestown High School. Canuso made 245 saves (.702 save percentage) as a senior and amassed 896 career saves. Canuso received Player of the Year honors for the Pitt Conference and was voted team MVP. As a junior Canuso helped Moorestown High School capture the New Jersey State Championship.

Brendan O'Donnell (Mountain Lakes, N.J.), the third All-American in this year's recruiting class, joins Villanova after leading Mountain Lakes High School to an 18-3 record and a New Jersey Final Four appearance. O'Donnell paced the state's most balanced offense with 40 goals and 36 assists (76 points) as a senior and received All-State honors for his effort. He concludes his career at Mountain Lakes High School with 150 points (77 goals, 73 assists) and has earned a tryout for the Under-19 USA Team.

Upper Dublin High School graduate Ben Remmey (Maple Glen, Pa.) joins the Wildcats as a defenseman and long-stick midfielder. Remmey, a three-time All-Northeast League selection, helped Upper Dublin earn Co-Champion status as a senior while collecting 114 groundballs and team Co-MVP honors. Remmey, a two-sport athlete, also lettered in football and was voted to the All-Suburban One League Team as a tight end. He served as a co-captain for both the football and lacrosse team.

Andrew Mecchi (Ellicott City, Md.) comes to Villanova after a successful high school career as a midfielder at Mount Saint Joseph. Mecchi tallied 17 goals and eight assists (25 points) as a senior playing in the highly competitive MIAA Conference.

Wilton High School product, Patrick Bogle (Wilton, Conn) comes to the Main Line as an attackman. He follows the footsteps of his two older brothers, Andrew (Villanova, '01) and Fran (Villanova, '96), who also played under the direction of Coach Marks. After missing the first 12 games of the 2002 season due to injury, Patrick recovered quickly and scored 18 goals with 10 assists (28 points) in only eight games. As a result, he earned All-County Team honors.

Another New Jersey native, Matt Cohen (Summit, N.J.), also joins this year's recruiting class. Cohen helped the Delbarton School capture the 2002 New Jersey State Championship. During the 2002 season, Cohen scored 24 goals and 12 assists (36 points) and received honorable mention All-State honors.

Local product Neil Brazitis (Villanova, Pa.) will not have to travel far from home next year. Brazitis, an attack, led Malvern Prep to a 21-3 record and the Inter-Ac League championship as a senior. Malvern Prep ranked No. 18 in the national high school poll and was an Eastern PSLA finalist. Brazitis earned First Team All-Inter-Ac honors after totaling 75 points (50 goals, 25 assists).

Finally, Leo Stinson (Princeton, N.J.) will join the Wildcats after a successful high school career at the Hun School. Stinson cashed in with a 53-point senior season netting 35 goals and adding 18 assists as his team finished the year 13-7. Stinson, a midfielder, eared All-County and All-State honors along with a spot on the roster for the North/South New Jersey All-Star game.

For more information on Villanova men's lacrosse, please contact Media Relations Assistant, Kevin Fischer, at 610.519.4120 or via email at kevin.fischer@villanova.edu.