On Wednesday, May 9, 2018, Chris Dearden, Jake Harkness, Jeff Marshall & Eddie Masterson were recognized for committing to continue their lacrosse careers at the collegiate level. Check back for photos of the event.
Chris Dearden – Delaware Valley University (Lacrosse)
Major: Animal Science
Reasons for choosing Del Val: “I was going to go to Del Val regardless of lacrosse or not just for animal science because they have the best veterinary program in any area. Playing lacrosse there was a no-brainer on top of my major.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I have always wanted to play lacrosse in college ever since I was a kid.”
Coach Gauntlett Walker Jr: “Chris was injured three weeks ago in a game, and we didn’t think it was that serious at first. Then he got hit in the same spot again, and it turned out to be a fractured rib. Up until that point, he was pretty much dominating the game. Chris is our faceoff guy, and there isn’t a ton I know about faceoffs, so he’s been almost a self-teacher of himself the entire year, which has been great. He’s been succeeding at it and going through the progressions. The guy that graduated before him, Brian Hood, was a three-year starter, and Chris didn’t get too many reps. He basically dedicated himself in the offseason and the summer. He talked to me about things, and I said, ‘I trust you. Just go for it.’ Since Chris went down, it’s definitely hurt the team a little bit because we’ve had to throw new guys up there and tried different combinations. It definitely shows what he meant to the team and to the program.”
About Chris:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: Toy Story
Favorite music: 80’s Rock
Jake Harkness – Sage College (Lacrosse)
Major: Sports Management
Final list of colleges: Sage, Moravian, Hood
Reasons for choosing Sage: “I chose Sage because it has a great academic program. It’s a brand new team, so in the spring, we’ll be the first team ever to play for Sage. That’s what drew me in.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “Ever since I started, I’ve always had the dream of playing lacrosse in college. It’s always been something for me to work for.”
Coach Gauntlett Walker Jr. says: “Jake is one of the guys that basically transformed his body. He’s been going to the offseason conditioning, and he’s increased his foot speed, increased his awareness. The thing I love about Jake is he’s an absolute film hog. He just soaks up the film. In the program we use, we’re able to see how much film each individual watches. He laps the entire team. He basically watches as much film as the coaching staff does. He’s able to come in to me and talks to me about the scouts. He’ll say, ‘Coach, I saw this on film, but you didn’t really talk about it in the scout. How do you think we should play it?’ He’s been a very good asset. Maybe if I miss something, he’ll say, ‘Maybe we should try this.’ He’s been a godsend. You never want to have injuries, but since he got thrust into that starting role, he found where he could help the team the most, and he’s been a monster on the film.”
About Jake:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: Top Gun
Favorite music: Hip-Hop & Pop
Jeff Marshall – Delaware Valley University (Lacrosse)
Major: Landscape Architecture
Reasons for choosing Del Val? “I actually committed very early. I really was just looking for the major I wanted, and Del Val has a really strict set of majors, and they had the perfect major. I met the coach, and it was a perfect fit for me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I really wanted to play in college, but I wanted to focus on my school more. I started talking with the coach and with the school, and it all fell into place.”
Coach Gauntlett Walker Jr. says: “Jeff was named captain at the end of last season, and he was a returning varsity player. The big thing with Jeff is – I don’t want to say he came out of nowhere, but the progression he made from his sophomore to his junior year was one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. He plays a lot of summer lacrosse. What’s great about him is his intensity on the field. He basically plays as hard in practice as he does in the games. He holds the attackman that he’s going against to a higher standard, so when the attackman is trying to loaf through the drills, Jeff is going 110 percent. It gets to the point where some of the attackmen get upset, and they’re like, ‘Dude, chill.’ Jeff is like, ‘No, this is what I’m doing.’”
About Jeff:
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak
Favorite movie: Step Brothers
Favorite music: Smooth Jazz
Eddie Masterson – Stevenson University (Lacrosse)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Stevenson, Delaware Valley, Ursinus
Reasons for choosing Stevenson: “When it came to the facilities and the team aspect, it was Stevenson that was so much better than the other schools.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I have been playing lacrosse my whole life, and I honestly feel as though it would be weird to be doing nothing in the spring and not playing. It was a goal to push myself to get to a college and play.”
Coach Gauntlett Walker Jr. says: “I have known Eddie for 15 years, and I played with his older brother way back in the day. I’ve basically seen him grow up since he was a little guy. He was honorable mention all-league last year, and the leap he took from last year to this year has been astronomical. Last year he covered the third or fourth best attackman, and because of the injuries and what’s happened, he’s basically been thrust into covering the number one player every single game. There hasn’t been a matchup he hasn’t succeeded at. He leads the team in ground balls, he leads the team in caused turnovers. He’s a very savvy player. The thing that kind of drives me crazy with Eddie is he’ll bait offensive players into turnovers, and he’ll look like he’s out of position, but he’s like, ‘Coach, I’ve got it, I’ve got it.’ It’s gotten to a point where I trust him now because he’ll pick off the pass. He’s at every single workout, he’s a smaller guy, but you wouldn’t be able to tell because he lifted all offseason, he worked out all offseason. We named him a captain a couple of games into the season because the hard work that he put in – it was only right to make him a captain. His play on the field has shown that it was the correct choice.”
About Eddie:
Favorite food: Chick-Fil-A
Favorite movie: Finding Nemo
Favorite music: Gospel
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