Rutgers Inks 12 to National Letters Of Intent
Nov 18 | Men's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Twelve high school seniors - including six from New Jersey - have signed National Letters of Intent to further their academic and athletic careers as member of the Rutgers University men's lacrosse team, head coach Jim Stagnitta announced today.
The class includes one goalie, two attackmen, two defenders and seven midfielders. The New Jersey natives are Drew Englehardt (Far Hills, NJ), Taylor Vickers-Annis (Princeton, NJ), Sean Hover (Belle Mead, NJ), Gerhard Buehning (Essex Fells, NJ), Justin Pennington (Flemington, NJ) and Brendan Porter (Maplewood, NJ). They are joined in the recruiting class by New York natives Bill Olin (Elmira, NY), Adam Goldberg (Fayetteville, NY), Peter Pike (Watertown, NY), Hunter Burnard (Binghamton, NY) and Taylor Bottar (Syracuse, NY), as well as Maryland standout Mike Hurwitz (Baltimore, MD).
'We're very pleased with the quality of student-athlete that we were able to sign,' said head coach Jim Stagnitta, who is entering his fifth season with the Scarlet Knights. 'This is probably the deepest and most well-rounded class we've put together. It makes us a better team right away, and several of the players have the ability to step right in and compete for playing time immediately.'
Englehardt is a defensman from Ridge High School who was an All-State, All-Conference and All-Area selection last spring. He has also been an Honor Roll student since his freshman year.
Vickers-Annis spearheaded a Princeton defense that held opponents to an average of just 4.20 goals per game, making it one of the stingiest units in the state. Vickers-Annis was a first team All-Area selection by the Princeton Packet and Second-Team All-Pitt Division choice.
Hover plays for Montgomery High School and led the Cougars to last year's Somerset County and Skyland Conference Bianchi Division titles while finishing with a 17-4 overall record. He scored 16 goals and dished out nine assists while also picking up 70 ground balls, earning First Team All-Area honors from the Trenton Times and Princeton Packet. He also runs cross country and plays ice hockey for Montgomery.
Buehning comes from a Seton Hall Prep program that produced current freshmen defensemen Chris O'Dougherty and is coached by former Scarlet Knight All-American Andrew DeCicco (1987-90). Buehning was one of the Pirates' top attackman, leading a team that finished 14-7 overall and was ranked sixth in the final Star-Ledger Top 25 poll. He garnered First-Team All-Conference and Second-Team All-State accolades and enters his senior season rated as one of the top players in New Jersey.
Pennington is a do-everything midfielder for Hunterdon Central High School. As a junior, he led the Red Devils to the NJSIAA Group IV state title and Tournament of Champions semifinal. The only non-senior to be named to the Star-Ledger All-State first team, he was also a US Lacrosse All-American and enters his senior season as a New Jersey State Player of the Year Candidate. Pennington scored four goals in the Group IV championship game against Montclair and also finished as Hunterdon Central's leader in face-off percentage (170-629, .632) and ground balls (181). The Courier News Player of the Year in 2005, he scored 39 goals and dished out 27 assists for the Red Devils, which finished 19-4 and were ranked fourth in the final Star-Ledger Top 20 poll. He is a two-sport star, also excelling as a wide receiver and defensive back on the football team.
Porter had a team-best 29 goals and 23 assists for 52 points last season at Columbia High School, which ranks fifth on the school's all-time list for single-season points by a midfielder. He led the team to the state playoffs, scoring four goals in its 13-11 first-round win over West Orange. An Honorable Mention All-State and first-team All-Conference choice, Porter added 125 ground balls. Porter also competed in the prestigious Garden State Games.
Olin is a goalie from Horseheads High School who had 333 saves, a .690 save percentage and 76 ground balls last year. He is a two-time Central Empire Team selection who owns school records for saves in a game, season and career. He enters his senior season just 150 saves shy of setting the New York state high school career record.
Goldberg netted 32 goals and dished out nine assists last year for Fayetteville-Manlius High School, earning second team all-league honors and the Eagle Award as the team's leading scorer. He became a varsity contributor as a sophomore, scoring 13 goals and adding four assists.
Pike is a multi-sport standout at General Brown High School, competing in football, basketball and lacrosse. He scored 65 goals and had 30 assists last year with 78 ground balls, earning First Team All-Frontier League accolades. In his first season on the football team this fall, he was a starter at defensive end and also as a punter. He helped his team win the Section 3 Class C championship. His sister, Ashley, plays lacrosse for Syracuse.
Burnard is a four-year starter for Binghamton High School and was the team's offensive player of the year as a sophomore and junior. Over the last two seasons, he has 58 goals and 64 assists and was a First Team All-League choice after scoring 43 goals and adding 26 assists last spring. Burnard was an Empire State Game alternate selection and also earned the WBNG-TV scholar-athlete award.
Bottar comes from Henninger High School in Syracuse were he was a First Team All-League and Third Team All-Central New York selection last year. He enters his senior season with 47 career goals and 17 career assists. Also a First Team All-League choice in soccer, he is a member of the National Honors Society and won the Cornell Award for the Outstanding Junior Male Student Athlete in scholastics, athletics and citizenship.
Hurwitz is a three-sport athlete at Boys' Latin High School in Baltimore, MD, competing in football, basketball and lacrosse. On the lacrosse field, he is a talented face-off midfielder who had seven goals and nine assists for a Boys' Latin team that finished third in the nation (18-2) and was led by current RU freshmen attackman Tad Stanwick. In the summer of 2004, he was a member of the Baltimore Lacrosse Club team that won the Vail Shootout and FCA tournament.
Rutgers Men's Lacrosse Recruiting Class
Name Position Hometown/High School
Taylor Bottar M Syracuse, NY/Henninger
Gerhard Buehning M Essex Fells, NJ/Seton Hall Prep
Hunter Burnard M Binghamton, NY/Binghamton
Drew Englehardt D Far Hills, NJ/Ridge
Adam Goldberg A Fayetteville, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius
Sean Hover M Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery
Mike Hurwitz M Baltimore, MD/Boys' Latin
Bill Olin G Elmira, NY/Horseheads
Justin Pennington M Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central
Peter Pike A Watertown, NY/General Brown
Brendan Porter M Maplewood, NJ/Columbia
Taylor Vickers-Annis D Princeton, NJ/Princeton
