Butler Lacrosse Announces Coach Stan Ross' First Recruiting Class

April 19, 2005

First-year head coach Stan Ross has added the 12 players who comprise his first recruiting class at Butler, acquiring talent from six states and Canada. The players will arrive on campus in August and suit up for the Bulldogs in 2006. The future is bright for Butler lacrosse, as the team will graduate only four seniors and this season's top four scorers are all newcomers.

The Class of 2009 includes attackmen Kevin Clark (Lakewood, Ohio), Chad Henry (Acton, Ont.) and Will Morgan (Columbus, Ohio); midfielders C.J. Ciaravino (Gaines, Mich.), Nate Deibel (Hilliard, Ohio), Daniel Gassel (Harper Woods, Mich.), Travis Glennon (Exeter, N.H.) and Jeremy Sieverts (Lutherville, Md.); defensemen Anthony Bucco (Boonton Township, N.J.), Mike Geocaris (Wilmette, Ill.) and Will Jeffery (Glenview, Ill.); and goalie Kyle Harer (Upper Arlington, Ohio).

"We are very excited about our first recruiting class here at Butler," said Ross. "As a staff, we think this class can help get Butler back to competing for the Great Western Lacrosse League championship on a regular basis."

ATTACK

Clark (5-8, 175 pounds) is a first-team All-Greater Cleveland selection and has earned All-Midwest and Ohio honorable mention accolades at St. Ignatius High School. Earlier this season, Clark broke the school's single-game record for goals scored with seven.

Henry (6-0, 180) is completing his second season at Herkimer County Community College in New York, where he scored 25 goals last season and has 24 already this season. Last season, Henry helped the team to a 15-2 record and a national runner-up finish. Henry will have two seasons of eligibility at Butler.

Morgan (5-10, 175) earned the Crusher Award at Upper Arlington High School last season, helping the team to Ohio and Midwest titles. He was the leading scorer among the team's juniors in 2004.

MIDFIELD

Ciaravino (5-9, 180) was a first-team All-Michigan Class B selection as a junior after earning second-team honors as a sophomore. He is also a two-time all-league selection at Powers High School. Deibel (6-1, 175) is the team captain at Hilliard Davidson High in Ohio. Gassel earned first-team All-State honors as a junior at Grosse Pointe North High School in Michigan, where he is the captain this season.

Over the past three seasons, Glennon (6-0, 195) has registered 135 goals and 66 assists at Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a two-time All-State and All-New England Team selection. He participated in the 2004 New Hampshire-Vermont All-State Game and was part of the 2004 Fosters Daily Democrat Dream Team. He serves as Exeter's captain this season and has won more than 80 percent of his face-offs so far this year.

Sieverts was selected to the 2004 Free-State All-Star Team after scoring 20 goals and adding 18 assists as a junior at the McDonogh School in Maryland. He is a two-year starter at the midfield position.

DEFENSE

Bucco (6-0, 180) has started in two state championship games for Mountain Lakes High School, helping the team to the 2004 title. An all-conference and all-area selection, Bucco is a three-year starter and 2005 captain. He is a former teammate of current Butler freshman Nick Vosburgh.

Geocaris (6-4, 215) is a three-year starter at New Trier High School in Illinois. As a junior, he earned second-team All-conference honors. He was the Co-MVP of the Team Illinois Champ Camp during the summer of 2004. He shared the honor with fellow Butler recruit Will Jeffery.

Jeffery (5-11, 170) became the first freshman in Glenbrook South High School history to start a varsity game. The four-year starter is the 2005 captain as well. Jeffery has accumulated a number of awards at various camps and tournaments over the past few seasons, highlighted by the best defenseman award at the Dixie 150. He has played for the Chicago Cannons and was recruited to play for the Chicago Young American select team.

GOAL

Harer (6-2, 165), along with Morgan, guided Upper Arlington to Ohio and Midwest championships last season. A three-time letterwinner, Harer also was named to the Central Ohio underclassman all-star team in 2004.

The Bulldogs have three games remaining in the 2005 campaign, traveling to Denver and Air Force this weekend before hosting Fairfield April 29 at Varsity Field in the season finale.