But despite being in its backyard, the Hudson Valley has hardly been a fertile recruiting ground for the Black Knights. That could be changing.
The commitment of senior goaltender Bobby Sincero from Hen Hud High School in Montrose (which is less than 10 miles from West Point) marked the third Section 1 player that Army coach Joe Alberici successfully recruited from the Class of 2010. John Jay midfielder Will O’Donnell had committed just a few days before Sincero. Somers attackman Greg Petre gave Alberici a verbal commitment in early August.
"My goal while looking at colleges and during the recruiting circuit was to not sacrifice my education for wanting to play college lacrosse," said Sincero, who also received interest from Colgate, Brown, Manhattan, Middlebury, Colby, Nazareth, Washington College, Clark and Lynchburg. "My dream was always to attend a top academic school and play at a high level.
"Army was the culmination of my dream in full. The atmosphere at the school is incredible. The facilities are the best I have seen, and the coaching staff is amazing. All of them have been a goalie coach at least once in their careers."
Sincero made his commitment after returning from a weekend visit to Army on Sept. 13.
"After talking to the lacrosse guys extensively over the weekend during my visit and reflecting on their experiences, I realized that West Point was the perfect fit for me, and when coach Alberici asked me to commit, I had already known my answer would be yes," Sincero said.
Though academics were a key factor, Sincero said he thinks he can reach his potential athletically at West Point, as well.
"It’s amazing, the competition and speed of top Division I practices and the fluidity with which they move through drills," Sincero said. "It’s the ideal situation for bringing my game to the highest level I can.
"The facilities are incredible. They have the largest weight room I have ever seen — a beautiful stadium and an amazing new indoor facility. The coaches are great people and easy to talk to; all of them have coached goalies."
Sincero said he first thought about the possibility of playing Division I lacrosse at a young age.
"I would say in sixth grade when I started playing goalie," he said. "I watched (Yorktown All-American) Ethan Vedder play, and his style inspired me to play with distinct energy, and I realized that if I played like that I could go to a great college and play lacrosse, too."
O’Donnell, who is known for his aggressive style of play, has good size at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds.
"I will do whatever the coaches ask, in practice and on game day, to help the team," he said.
Though not known for his scoring, John Jay coach Nick Savastano said O’Donnell can also play attack.
"Will is a big, strong kid who can play midfield or attack," Savastano said. "I think he will be a perfect fit for the style that Army plays. His character and dedication is top-notch."
O’Donnell was also recruited by Delaware, Fairfield and Loyola (Md.).
"The main factor was the overall reputation of West Point and its lacrosse program," O’Donnell said. "It has great academic opportunities and athletic facilities.
"West Point is a great environment to work with other people on and off the lacrosse field. Coach Alberici was very welcoming and is known as a great coach."
Joe Lombardi, who has been a fixture on the lacrosse scene during the sport’s rapid growth in the New York metropolitan area, produces editorial and video content for LaxLessons.com. He may be reached at joe@laxlessons.com.
