Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/18/17
From Press Release
Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe announced the James Madison lacrosse program has signed eight to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. The group will join the Dukes in the fall of 2018, playing their first collegiate seasons in 2019.
Archbishop Carroll’s Rachel Matey
The class includes six midfielders, an attacker and a goalkeeper hailing from four states. The Dukes add three student-athletes both from New Jersey and New York and one signee hails from both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
“We have very high expectations for this incoming class,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “They’re all capable of making quick impacts in this program. We’re bringing in athletes with familiarity with each other, having signed two pairs of high school and club teammates, and we also continue to recruit dual-sport athletes. They’re so versatile and have the ability to impacts many different facets of the game.”
AVA FRANTZ
Midfielder I Moorestown, N.J. I Moorestown/SJ Select
Frantz comes from a winning program at Moorestown, which won the Group 3 state championship her junior season. She was part of three straight South Jersey Group 3 titles, alongside fellow signee Kacey Knobloch. Frantz has club experience with South Jersey Select and is a dual-sport athlete who also played soccer.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Frantz: “She’s a gritty utility player who does a lot of work without the ball. She has a great understanding of space, which is very exciting.”
KACEY KNOBLOCH
Attacker I Moorestown, N.J. I Moorestown/SJ Select
Knobloch is a Second Team All-South Jersey and All-NJ Group 3 honoree who helped lead Moorestown to the Group 3 state championship her junior season. Playing alongside signee Ava Frantz, she was part of the Quakers’ three straight South Jersey Group 3 titles. Knobloch has club experience both with Moorestown Lacrosse Club and South Jersey Select. She is a dual-sport athlete who also played basketball and soccer and was nominated for the Academic All-America program.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Knobloch: “Kacey is a student of the game. Her parents have been a state-championship coaching duo all of her life. She has the athletic ability to back up her knowledge. She has great leadership qualities on the attacking end.”
RACHEL MATEY
Midfielder I Phoenixville, Pa. , Archbishop Carroll/Dynamite
Matey was a First Team All-Catholic League honoree as a junior and Second Team selection as a sophomore at Archbishop Carroll. Also a First Team All-Delco and All-Main Line pick, she was part of the Patriots’ state championship team that went 24-1 last year. She also helped her squad to three conference championships. Matey has club experience with Dynamite Lacrosse Club. She is a dual-sport athlete who was a Second Team All-Delco selection for the soccer team.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Matey: “Rachel is everything you want in a teammate. She is really able to understand what the moment calls for and get everything out of you that the team needs. She is a strong defensive leader who we are really excited about.”
BRITTANY BILL
Midfielder I Flemington, N.J. I Hunterdon Central
Bill is a three-time All-Skyland Conference selection at Hunterdon Central, earning First Team honors as a sophomore. She was a participant at the 2015 US Lacrosse National Tournament, winning the Oneida Division championship. Bill has club experience with T3 Elite Lacrosse. She is also a star field hockey athlete who is a three-time all-conference honoree, and she competed twice with Total Dutch Field Hockey Club at a showcase in Florida.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Bill: “Brittany is a powerful middy, she is reliable, plays hard and has strong defensive attributes. She’s so impactful between the 30’s because of the field she has the ability to cover.”
KAT BUCHANAN
Goalkeeper I Milton, Mass. I Milton
Buchanan was a First Team Bay State Conference All-Scholastic honoree as a junior at Milton. She finished her junior season with a 55% save percentage, leading the Wildcats to the playoffs. Buchanan has club experience with Laxachusetts Green. She is a tri-sport athlete who has also led the hockey and soccer teams to the playoffs.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Buchanan: “We’re excited to welcome a left-handed goalie to really challenge our shooters and push Ellie and Molly.”
MAIREAD DURKIN
Midfielder I Stony Point, N.Y. I Albertus Magnus
Durkin is a two-time All-Metro honoree and has been an All-League selection each year at Albertus Magnus. She has scored 204 career goals in her three seasons, including a career-best 88 goals as a sophomore. Durkin has club experience with Metro Lacrosse Club, where she played with fellow signee Lizzy Fox. She is a tri-sport athlete who is an all-state basketball player and helped the soccer team to a sectional championship. Additionally, Durkin has a decade of Gaelic football playing experience, winning the 2016 world championship in Dublin, Ireland.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Durkin: “She’s a physical beast. Mairead comes from Gaelic football and is used to making contact when she plays. She has a great competitive drive that allows her to run through opponents. We’re excited about the physicality she’s going to bring to our program.”
LIZZY FOX
Midfielder I Stony Point, N.Y. I North Rockland
Fox is a three-time All-Section and All-League honoree at North Rockland. She helped the Panthers to the league, section and regional championships as a sophomore and junior, helping the program reach the state semifinals for the first two times ever in those seasons. Fox has club experience with Metro Lacrosse Club where she played with fellow signee Mairead Durkin. Fox is a tri-sport athlete who also plays basketball and field hockey. She was an All-League field hockey honoree in each of the past two seasons and an All-Elite selection as a senior.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Fox: “Lizzy is really quick and really fast. She was very sought after from conference opponents, so she is a big recruit for us because of her speed and quickness.”
EMMA GREENHILL
Midfielder I Huntington, N.Y. I Huntington
Greenhill is an All-Suffolk and All-Division honoree at Huntington, where she is a team captain and helped the Blue Devils to three playoff appearances. She scored 34 goals with 12 assists as a junior and had 21 goals as a sophomore. Greenhill has club experience the last five years with Team Elevate. She is a dual-sport athlete who was the second-leading scorer for Huntington’s soccer team.
Klaes-Bawcombe on Greenhill: “I really like Emma’s hands, she has that New York style to her stick work. She knows how to get a shot off and her love of the game is going to help motivate her to be great.”