The Eastside Catholic High School boys lacrosse program had two players give oral commitments last week to play NCAA Division I college lacrosse.
Josh Matte, a sophomore goalkeeper, has orally committed to the University of Denver. Teammate Arend Broekmate, a junior defender, gave an oral commitment to Lafayatte (Pa.) College.
Matte, who lives in Issaquah, isn’t eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent for two more years, but with Denver, he’d be joining a program that has made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Last spring, Denver advanced to the semifinals before falling to top-ranked Syracuse.
“Attending a great school like DU and having the opportunity to play for a legendary coach like Bill Tierney along with (assistant coaches) Matt Brown and Dylan Sherida is a dream come true,” Matte wrote Nov. 6 on the Eastside Catholic lacrosse Facebook page.
As a freshman, Matte had a .722 save percentage – stopping 13 of 18 shots – in six games as a backup to Colin Shriever and Cameron Cook.
Denver already has two Washington state products on its roster – senior midfielder Cole Nordstrom of Bellevue High, and sophomore midfielder Jack Pruitt of Skyline High.
Broekmate, a Sammamish resident, is a two-sport athlete for Eastside Catholic. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder also plays running back and linebacker for the school’s football team. In lacrosse, Broekmate tallied one goal and 33 ground balls during the 2013 season.
“Lafayette College is an outstanding school and I’m grateful to coach Jim Rogalski and his team for bringing me to the Patriot League,” said Broekmate, who saw action in 11 games for the Crusaders last spring.
Eastside Catholic finished the season with a 13-3-0 record, and advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament, where they fell to eventual state champion Bellevue.
Liberty Lacrosse Club opens registration
Registration for Liberty Lacrosse Club’s spring 2014 season is now open for boys in third to twelfth grade.
The club fields Liberty’s high school team, as well as youth teams for kids in elementary and middle schools. The teams pull players from southeast Issaquah, Newcastle and the Renton Highlands.
Loaner gear is available for new players and limited scholarships are available upon request. Registration needs to be completed by Dec. 1 to ensure roster placement and avoid late fees; however, payment will be accepted anytime before Feb. 1.
Liberty’s high school squad is entering its fifth year, while the youth program is entering its second.
Register online at www.libertylacrosseclub.com and email libertylacrosseclub@gmail.com for more information.