Six Upper Dublin Seniors to Play Collegiate Lacrosse

On Monday, May 16, 2016, six Upper Dublin seniors committed to continue their lacrosse careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.

“The really neat thing about this group is how much they care for each other,” coach Dave Sowers said. “They’ve been together for a real long time.
“We added Michael Mullen in seventh grade when he came up from the Maryland area, but the other five have been playing every sport in this community together – football, basketball and lacrosse – since they were six years. It’s really neat to see them become young men together.”
Sowers went on to offer a special word of thanks to Boathouse Sports for providing the college polo shirts for each of the signees.

Michael Mullen – Vassar College (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Undecided
Final list of colleges:  Vassar, Franklin & Marshall, Cabrini
Reasons for choosing Vassar:  “Mainly for their strong academics and their up and coming program. They’ve just gotten better and better each year.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “I moved here in sixth grade – I had played lacrosse in Maryland. After that first year of playing, I decided that lacrosse was going to be my main sport. It was the one I was really going to dedicate my time to, and it just felt right to play in college.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “He’s a kid who just honed his craft. The amount of hours he has put in shooting – if you drive by our Spark Field, you will probably see Michael Mullen shooting. He would call Michael (Sowers) up to feed him balls. Right now he’s the leading goal scorer in Pennsylvania history, passing Matt Rambo, and to see his hard work pay off is just wonderful.
“I’m so excited for him. Lacrosse-wise, he may have been able to go to (a bigger program), but education is so important to him.”
About Michael:
Favorite food: 
Baked Beans
Favorite movie:  Holes
Favorite music:  Hip Hop/Rap

Jack Rapine – Johns Hopkins University (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Business
Final list of colleges:  Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, UNC
Reasons for choosing Johns Hopkins:  “I committed relatively early – my freshman year in the spring. That day I got a call from UNC, and I was looking at Syracuse also. I love the school – it’s more than I could ever imagine, and how great a school it is was very intriguing. Just based off that, I loved it.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “In seventh and eighth grade, I was trying out for certain (club) teams, and that’s when I knew I wanted to play lacrosse in college. I’ve been striving for that ever since.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “I have coached Jack since he was six years old. Jack is like a son to me. Our very first football championship when he was seven years old – there’s a picture of us, and Jack is in my arms. To see the young man he is becoming and for him to have the opportunity to go to a school like Johns Hopkins – it’s just fantastic. Jack is a freak athlete. His size and his athletic ability just make him Jack. We say, ‘That’s Jack.’”
About Jack:
Favorite food: 
Seafood (Crabs, Scallops)
Favorite movie:  The Croods
Favorite music:  Hip Hop/Rap

Evan Scott – Ursinus College (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Health & Exercise Physiology
Final list of colleges:  Ursinus, Lynchburg, Franklin & Marshall
Reasons for choosing Ursinus:  “Basically, the close to home aspect – it’s only about 45 minutes away. The coaches made me feel at home, and I liked the atmosphere and the campus. The focus on education really set it apart from most schools.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “I starting thinking about it around seventh or eighth grade with travel teams and realizing that I was good enough to do that. The more I played, the more I liked playing, and I wanted to prolong my career.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “Evan is in the same boat – (I’ve coached him) since he was six or seven years old. He is just an all-around great kid. He was very athletic when he was younger, and he has kept that, but he’s really worked hard at what he does. He’s a workhorse. Evan will do whatever is asked of him, and he is one of the great team players.”
About Evan:
Favorite food: 
Chicken Wings
Favorite move:  Shawshank Redemption
Favorite music:  Old School Hip Hope

Michael Sowers – Princeton University (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Undecided
Final list of colleges:  Princeton, Georgetown, Syracuse, Duke
Reasons for choosing Princeton:  “I wanted to stay close to home and be around my family. Also, I fell in love with the Princeton campus and the program.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “When I was younger, I used to go back and forth between football and lacrosse – it depended on the season. As I got older, I started to fall in love with lacrosse and I started to play it year round. In middle school, I really decided that was what I wanted to do.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “I obviously wear two hats. As a coach, you look at it and say, ‘Wow, we have number two, one of the best kids in the nation.’ When Michael broke the national assist record, he made a comment that he appreciated and felt honored because to do that you have to have good teammates around you. As a coach, we look at him – he’s so unselfish, and he’s just about the team. He wants to win. He’s one of the most competitive kids I’ve seen. If it comes down to it, he doesn’t care about his stats, he just wants to make sure that the team wins. When this team loses, he really, really takes it hard.
“As a dad, I’m just so proud of him. I see the number of hours he puts in - the stucco aside of the fireplace that’s all broken off because he’s constantly working. Obviously, he has toughness, he’s athletic and that shows on the football field as well, the heart of a lion. He wants to compete, but he’s put the time in, and that’s why I’m proud of him as a dad.”
About Michael:
Favorite food:
Chicken Parmesan
Favorite movie: The Other Guys
Favorite music:  Rap

Rockwell Wright – Arizona State University (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Electrical Engineering
Final list of colleges:  Arizona State, Baird, Franklin & Marshall, Hampton
Reasons for choosing Arizona State:  “The location, better engineering schools and more opportunities.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “My junior year is when I got good at lacrosse per se. I kept getting injuries my freshman and sophomore years, so I never really saw the field. Junior year I started for the team.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “Rocky has been just such a bright light. He was athletic – he played football with us, but to see what he has become – what he has become is one of the best poles in the area. Rocky has worked so hard and has become at the level where we put him on the other team’s best player. He covered Grant Ament last year from Haverford and did a great job. Just the other night, he covered Springfield-Delco’s leading goal scorer, and he had no goals, no points. By allowing us to put Rocky on the other team’s best attackman, we can do things with Jack (Rapine) to let Jack be Jack. It’s really been Rocky’s growth to become the player he is. As a coaching staff, we are so thrilled to see what he’s become.”
About Rockwell:
Favorite food: 
Macaroni & Cheese
Favorite movie:  Holes and Seven
Favorite music:  Hip Hop

Nick Vernacchio – St. Joseph’s University (Lacrosse)
Major: 
Biology
Final list of colleges: St. Joe’s, Villanova, Dartmouth, Georgetown
Reasons for choosing St. Joe’s:  “I just really liked the feel when I stepped on campus. I liked the coaches and just the academics and athletics and the combination of both.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in lacrosse at the collegiate level?  “I didn’t really think I wanted to play in college until about seventh or eighth grade. That’s when it started becoming realistic, playing on all these travel teams. Actually getting e-mails from coaches of Division One schools and such really sparked my interest, and I started thinking about it.”
Coach Dave Sowers says:  “He’s another one who’s like a son to me. He and Michael were best friends growing up. He lived in our neighborhood, and again, I coached him. That very first football (championship) we won was on Nicky’s touchdown, so just to see him develop – he’s always been a great athlete, but he’s just putting it all together. He’s playing really well for us right now, really well, and he’s going to a great school at St. Joe’s where I know he’s going to have a great career.”
About Nick:
Favorite food: 
Mashed Potatoes
Favorite movie:  Catch Me If You Can
Favorite music:  Soft Rock

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