Aug. 3, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse head coach Kevin Corrigan has announced the commitment of 10 student-athletes who will join the program beginning in the 2012 season. The newcomers hail from seven different states, including three from Maryland and two from New York.
There are two Under Armour All-Americans, attackman Conor Doyle and goalie Conor Kelly, in the talented class. The class features five midfielders, three attackmen, one defenseman and one goalie.
“As a whole, this is just a great group of kids that fit with our program here at Notre Dame,” says Corrigan. “They also fit with what we needed as a class and with our team. We have three guys coming in at the attack position who are all really talented and very capable and they offer different skills. We have five guys coming in at the midfield that offer us athleticism and a high lacrosse IQ and different abilities with their size and strength. At defense and in the cage, we just have one kid at each spot but they are both very, very good.”
Here is a breakdown of Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class …
Logan Connolly – Attack – Davidsonville, Md./St. Mary’s
A three-time letterwinner at St. Mary’s High School … tallied 135 points on 62 goals and 73 assists during his high school career … earned all-state honors during his junior and senior campaigns … copped all-city accolades his sophomore, junior and senior seasons … an all-county performer … team captain as a senior … ranked No. 50 on the Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Young Gun list for his class heading into his senior campaign … team was nationally ranked according Inside Lacrosse in 2010 and 2011 … member of the Maryland Free State Team and the Warrior Top 40 game … Blue Chip Camp participant … 2011 Vail Shootout All-Star Team … lettered in soccer during his sophomore year at St. Mary’s … attended same high school as former Notre Dame lacrosse All-American Grant Krebs … member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and the Environmental Club … son of Brian and Roxanne Connolly … grandfather, Patrick Connolly, played lacrosse at Loyola College … has an older sister, Lindsay … born Feb. 15, 1993.
Corrigan on Connolly … “Logan is a terrific feeder and has a great sense for the game. He really understands what’s going on and he makes his teammates better. He sees the field very well and has a great awareness. It’s great to have an attackman that has those skills where you can create things and put the ball in their stick and they are going to make sure it ends up where it’s supposed to be. As he develops physically he’s going to find himself with the ability to make even more plays.”
Will Corrigan – Midfield – South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s
A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse at St. Joseph’s High School … earned Under Armour All-America honors during his junior campaign in addition to being named the Indiana Player of the Year … three-time all-state and all-conference selection … copped team MVP honors on three occasions … two-time team captain … St. Joseph’s was the state runner-up in 2010 … squad won the conference and regional championship during his freshman and junior seasons … earned four varsity letters in tennis at St. Joseph’s … an all-state performer in tennis during his senior season as he advanced to the state quarterfinals … copped all-conference honors four times and was team MVP twice in tennis … three-time tennis team captain … cousins Lena and Maggie Zentgraf played for the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team … cousin Patrick Corrigan plays basketball at Hampden-Sydney College … son of Kevin and Lis Corrigan … father is the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse head coach … grandfather, Gene, was the athletic director at Notre Dame from 1981-87 and played collegiate lacrosse at Duke … has two younger sisters, Sidney and Natale … born July 27, 1992.
Corrigan on Corrigan … “I couldn’t be more excited to have my son on our team. I know he’s a great competitor and he has a great IQ for the game because he’s grown up around it. He knows how we want to play and he knows how to play. Those are two things that are really, really important to us that he comes right in the door with. I think he is thrilled to be playing at this level and I think he’ll make that adjustment real quickly and compete very well.”
Conor Doyle – Attack – Towson, Md./Gilman
Lettered three seasons in lacrosse at the Gilman School … an Under Armour and U.S. Lacrosse All-American as a senior … tallied 32 goals and 33 assists during his senior campaign … first team all-state during his senior season after copping second-team honors as a junior … two-time all-conference selection and two-time conference champion … all-city performer as a junior and senior … ranked No. 11 on the Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Young Gun list for his class heading into his senior campaign … team was nationally ranked during his sophomore and senior seasons … 2011 Varsity Sports Network Lacrosse Player of the Year … 2011 Baltimore Sun Lacrosse Player of the Year … 2011 Towson Times Co-Player of the Year … 2010 Warrior Top 40 MVP … 2011 C. Markland Kelly Award finalist … 2011 C. Markland Kelly Independent North Division winner … team captain during his senior season … earned two varsity letters in football as a safety and quarterback at the Gilman School … captained the football squad as a senior … lettered in basketball as a freshman … son of Kevin and Grace Doyle … father competed in cross country/track at the College of William & Mary … mother played soccer at William & Mary … has four siblings … brother, Kevin, played lacrosse at Navy, while his other older brother, Jack, plays lacrosse at Harvard … hails from the same high school as current Irish lacrosse player Tyler Kimball … born May 26, 1992.
Corrigan on Doyle … “Conor had a terrific senior year. He’s a kid we recruited because we loved the way he played and the decisions that he makes and the skill set that he has. He then developed physically to the point where he was also a very good player physically. I really think he’s coming into his own as a player in every way. I like the variety of plays that he can make from the attack position. He can get to the goal, he can play without the ball, he can attack with the ball in his stick from behind, he can feed and he can quarterback an offense. He’s a guy that brings an awful lot to our team.”
William Gilmartin – Midfield – Nesconset, N.Y./St. Anthony’s/Lawrenceville School (PG Year)
Lettered twice in lacrosse at St. Anthony’s before playing a post-graduate season at Lawrenceville School … notched 33 goals and 16 assists during the 2011 season at Lawrenceville … was a part of back-to-back state championships at St. Anthony’s … earned all-conference honors as a senior at St. Anthony’s … two-time conference champion with St. Anthony’s … St. Anthony’s was nationally ranked during his junior and senior seasons … from the same area as current Irish players Sean Rogers and Steve Murphy … is the third member of the Notre Dame squad to play at Lawrenceville, joining Bobby Smith and Westy Hopkins … member of the National Honor Society … lettered in football as a running back during his junior season at St. Anthony’s and his year at Lawrenceville … son of Robert and Nancy Gilmartin … father played collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra and Maryland and was a part of the Terrapins 1975 national championship squad … uncle, Thomas Gilmartin, won a lacrosse national title in 1990 with Syracuse … has an older sibling, Kelsey … born May 9, 1992.
Corrigan on Gilmartin … “Will is a developing offensive player, who has really started to come into his own a little bit offensively. What attracted us to him all along was his athleticism and his ability to make plays between the lines. He is developing from the defensive end to the offensive end.”
Conor Kelly – Goalie – St. Davids, Pa./The Haverford School
A three-year letterwinner at The Haverford School … an Under Armour All-American … was an Under Armour Underclassman All-American … ranked as the nation’s third-best goalie by Inside Lacrosse heading into his senior season … was the No. 43 ranked player overall on the Young Gun list … posted a 6.08 goals-against average and made 166 saves as a senior … led his team to a 23-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking in 2011 … named the Delco Times Player of the Year … All-EPSLA selection … two-time first team All-Inter-Ac and earned MVP honors in 2011 … two-time All-Delco performer … helped squad win back-to-back All-Inter-Ac titles … competed at the Nike Blue Chip Camp … 2010 EPSLA Showcase … 2010 All-Inter-Ac first team … 2010 All-Delco second team … 2010 All-Main Line second team … lettered as a junior and senior in basketball as a guard at The Haverford School … received the Coach’s Award during his junior campaign in basketball … captained the basketball team his final two seasons … earned a letter during his freshman season in cross country … member of the National Spanish Honor Society … son of Robert and Mary Kelly … has an older and younger sibling … born September 28, 1992.
Corrigan on Kelly … “Conor is terrific. We thought he was very talented all along but it became very apparent in his senior year that he was one of the best guys in the country. We are thrilled to get a guy with his talent coming in. He expects to come in and compete for playing time right away. If he does that, he’ll only make us better. He’s a great kid and a great fit for Notre Dame.”
Connor McCollough – Midfield – Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield
Played two seasons at Albemarle High School before transferring to St. Anne’s-Belfield, where he played three years … played attack as a freshman and sophomore before moving to midfield … adidas All-American … earned all-state honors as a sophomore … copped all-conference accolades and was an all-city selection twice … team captain as a junior and senior … St. Anne’s-Belfield squad captured state title during his sophomore season at the school … three-time conference champion … registered 74 goals and 36 assists during his two seasons at Albemarle … from the same area as current Fighting Irish player Max Pfeifer … son of Marc and Karla McCollough … has two younger brothers, Ryan and Michael … member of the Spanish Honor Society … born September 21, 1991.
Corrigan on McCollough … “Connor is a big kid who has played both attack and midfield. He’s strong and can do a lot offensively on the run. He shoots the ball on the run. He is a polished offensive player with the skill set that he brings both physically and with his lacrosse skills. I think he’s a guy who can really develop into a very, very good offensive player. I think we just need to work with him to round out his game.”
Jack Near, Jr. – Midfield – Bronxville, N.Y./Bronxville
Lettered in lacrosse all four years at Bronxville High School … earned all-city and all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior … team MVP as a sophomore … captained the Bronxville squad during his senior campaign … team won conference championship in 2010 and 2011 … lettered in football during his junior and senior years … played quarterback, safety and wide receiver … was an all-conference performer during both of those football campaigns … helped his football squad to and undefeated season and the state title as a senior … two-time conference and regional champion in football … football team captain as a senior … earned a varsity letter and all-conference recognition in basketball as a sophomore and senior … son of John and Lisa Near … has an older sister, Raleigh, and a younger sister, Colby … born October 20, 1992.
Corrigan on Near … “Jack is a two-way midfielder who is a jack of all trades. He does a little bit of everything and we feel he’ll be able to do that at the college level as well. He has the physical abilities and the desire to do that. He’ll need to develop a little bit physically in his size and strength, but he’s going to be another good two-way guy for us.”
Nick Ossello – Midfield – Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge
Three-time all-conference performer in lacrosse at Wheat Ridge High School … received all-state accolades as a junior and senior … team captain as a junior … squad won the conference title during his senior campaign … a starter in the 2010 and 2011 all-state lacrosse game … missed most of his senior campaign with an injury … as a junior, led his team in points (49) and ground balls (114) … also a football standout at Wheat Ridge … copped all-state, all-city and all-conference honors during his senior season of football … team MVP and team captain during his senior campaign of football … football won the state title and received a national ranking during his sophomore season … the team captured the state title at Invesco Field at Mile High … was invited to play in the all-state football game … 2010 conference MVP in football … first team All-Colorado defensive back … son of Steve and Lynnea Ossello … has two siblings … his aunt, Stella Ossello, attended Notre Dame … born April 12, 1993.
Corrigan on Ossello … “Nick is an athlete first right now. He’s still developing in lacrosse, but he’s a terrific athlete. He was a very good football player. He’s a guy that we feel has his best lacrosse in front of him once he narrows his focus to just one sport. Most of these guys (the incoming freshmen) did play other sports and the one thing we like about it is they all are going to concentrate on just lacrosse for the first time and I think that’s going to benefit all of them and Nick in particular. “
Kyle Runyon – Attack – Coronado, Calif./Coronado
A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse at Coronado High School … 2010 All-American … a two-time all-city and all-conference selection … captained the Coronado squad during his junior season … Coronado squad captured the 2009 state title … team achieved a national ranking in 2009 … conference champion in lacrosse … Adrenaline Showcase (2009, 2010) … Adrenaline High Rollers (2008-10) … Adrenaline Challenge (2008-10) … Sonoma Shootout participant … a four-year starter on the Coronado soccer team … was the only male at Coronado High School to play varsity in two sports during his freshman season … three-time Coronado High School Athlete of the Year … National Honor Society … class secretary … son of Dan and Sue Runyon … has two older sisters, Samantha and Rebecka … born November 23, 1992.
Corrigan on Runyon … “Kyle is kind of taking a step up from playing in California, but he has played some really good lacrosse over the past couple of years. He has a lot of versatility. He can play midfield and he can play attack. He can dodge with the ball in his stick. He can also feed and get to the goal. The thing that excites me about all of our incoming attack guys is they have versatility in their game. Kyle also has the ability to get by people. Wherever we decide to play him, that’s going to be something that’s going to help us.”
Henry Williams – Defense/LSM – Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep
A four-year letterwinner at Georgetown Prep … team captain as a senior … earned second team all-state honors as a senior … all-conference and all-county performer during his senior campaign … squad earned a national ranking during his final three seasons … three-time conference champion (2009-11) … two-time regional champion (2009 & 2010) … member of the Maryland Freestate Team … hails from the same high school as current Fighting Irish players Jake Brems, John Kemp, Pat Cotter and Matthew Collins … son of Ned and Megan Williams … oldest of five children … cousin, Jake Haley, plays lacrosse at Georgetown … cousin, Quinn Haley, plays lacrosse at Maryland … cousin, Robert Posniewski, plays lacrosse at Princeton … cousin, Anthony Fulham, plays lacrosse at Dartmouth … born May 18, 1992.
Corrigan on Williams … “Henry is from a great program (Georgetown Prep) and we’ve had a lot of success with kids from that program. When you watch him play you can tell that he enjoys playing the game. He has a great joy in the way he plays. He’s really aggressive and unafraid and is willing to make plays and put himself out there. He’ll be a guy that we’ll work with and mold his game a little bit, but he has all the tangibles and intangibles physically that you’d want a guy to have.”
2011 NOTRE DAME MEN'S LACROSSE RECRUITSNAME POSITION HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Logan Connolly A Davidsonville, Md./St. Mary's
Will Corrigan M South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's
Conor Doyle A Towson, Md./Gilman
William Gilmartin M Nesconset, N.Y./St. Anthony's/Lawrenceville School
Conor Kelly G St. Davids, Pa./The Haverford School
Connor McCollough M Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's-Belfield
Jack Near, Jr. M Bronxville, N.Y./Bronxville
Nick Ossello M Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge
Kyle Runyon A Coronado, Calif./Coronado
Henry Williams D/LSM Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep