2011 ALL-AREA BOYS LACROSSE: This group snatches the opposition in its web

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

The growth of boys lacrosse in the area can be determined by many ways.

It all starts with teams success, where two teams from the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area advanced to the regional finals in 2011 with one of those teams reaching the state semifinals as well. That was the first time that has happened in the area.

Then there’s the individual honors. There were 23 local players this season that garnered all-state recognition in either Division 1 or Division 2, an uptick from last year’s 15 area players that earned similar honors. Plus over 30 local players earned all-league status in either the OAA Red Division or OAA White Division.

Each of those 23 all-state players and 30-plus all-league honorees are found on the 2011 All-Area First Team or listed as All-Area Honorable Mention.

The first team was capped at 22 players, and selected by NOS staff in conjunction with area coaches. The all-area team will likely split into first-team and second team next season to accommodate the growing list of noteworthy players in this region of the state.

Below is a brief profile of each of the first-team honorees:

Attack

DAN KREZA, Troy Athens: One of the key weapons in the Red Hawks’ vaunted attack, Kreza earned All-OAA Red Division and All-State First Team honors in Division 1 after finishing as one of the area’s leading goal scorers. This season he collected 47 goals and 19 assists for 113 points, helping his team win the league championship.

LEE TEASLEY, Rochester Adams: Named to the All-State Third Team in Division 2 and the All-OAA Red Division squad, Teasley was a key component in the Highlanders’ offensive schemes. He found the back of the net 31 times with seven assists for 69 points and also provided 27 ground balls.

“Lee is a two-year varsity attack man for our program and has played a significant role in Rochester Adams’ success,” said coach Andy Momont. “He has excellent stick skills, speed and fakes. Most coaches remember Lee for his ability to dodge and re-dodge from the left side wing and get a shot off. Lee has taken on the responsibility to lead and develop his team mates by making the extra pass for assists as the season progressed. Lee’s unselfish play and his dedication to the team, our program and the sport of lacrosse.”

JORDAN KINCAID, Clarkston: A junior in his third varsity campaign, Kincaid terrorized opposing defenses this season and earned All-OAA Red Division and Division 1 All-State Third Team status. He scored 51 goals with 21 assists for 123 points and his shots on goal percentage was .710. He already owns the school career scoring record with 114 career points.

KURT URBIN, Rochester United: An injury sidelined Urbin in the middle of the season, but he was still able to earn All-State Honorable Mention honors in Division 1 to go along with All-OAA Red Division status. The junior finished the year with 20 goals and 19 assists. It was noticeable with Urbin out, as United lost four straight at one point but closed the season with an 8-1 run with Urbin back in the lineup for most of that span.

“Kurt would have had a more dominant season if he wouldn’t have got hurt,” said coach Michael Dungan. “When healthy, he can be a dominant offensive player. We were a different team when he was in the lineup.”

KEVIN O’GRADY, Clarkston: O’Grady teamed with aforementioned Horton to from quite an offensive tandem up top for the regional finalist Wolves. The junior scooped up 39 goals and 37 assists for 115 points, .680 of his shots were on goal and he collected 14 takeaways. O’Grady already has the school mark for career assists (47) and was named to the OAA Red Division and Division 1 All-State Honorable Mention lists.

BRAD BOGUS, Lake Orion: This junior rocketed to the top of the scoring column for the OAA White Division champion Dragons this season. The all-league and All-State Honorable Mention selection in Division 1 rang up 35 goals, 19 assists, 89 points and 87 ground balls. Bogus plays travel ball for Cash Cows and has sparked interest from several Division II and Division III universities.

NICK KONDOLEON, Troy: The Colts’ leading goal scorer, this junior was tabbed as All-OAA White Division and All-State Honorable Mention Division 1. Quick with the stick, Kondoleon gained plenty of respect and was a marked man on the attack.

“Nick’s our go-to guy on offense,” said coach Tobey Kassa. “He came a long ways from his sophomore to junior year and was one of our best players. He brings that hockey mentality to lacrosse, as he is very aggressive and not afraid to go in hard and shoot with a player right on his shoulder.”

Midfielders

JOE KEMP, Troy Athens: The area’s most dominant player, the Division I Sacred Heart-bound Kemp could almost score at will on some opponents and was a feared opponent during his career. The Division 1 All-State First Team and three-time all-league player led Athens to the OAA Red Division title, a regional championship and a berth in the Final Four. He scored 65 times with 27 assists for 157 points, had 134 face-off wins and 135 ground balls this season and holds or ranks in the top five in numerous school statistical categories for single-game, season and career.

KEVIN HORTON, Clarkston: The third junior from Clarkston to earn All-Area honors, Horton was the man in the middle controlling the tempo of the game for the Wolves. This season he posted 108 total points (44 goals, 18 assists) and had a team best 106 ground balls. Horton, a All-State Second Team and All-OAA Red Division honoree, also had 27 takeaways and two five-goal games.

MIKE DEMARCO, Rochester Adams: Equally talented as a defensive-minded and offensive-minded player in the midfield, Demarco still found time to collect 15 goals and four assists for 34 points. He had 30 ground balls and six takeaways and earned all-league and All-State Second Team honors in Division 2.

“Mike has excellent dodging, ball handling and shooting skills. He uses controlled speed and quickness to provide some very consistent performance for our team,” said Momont.

JACOB PINCURA, Rochester United: Pincura scored 32 goals with 14 assists this season to finish as the team’s most productive goal scorer from the midfield. Pincura is a powerful and fast player who can score from a distance or has great field vision to make the extra pass and set teammates up. The senior earned All-State Second Team honors in Division 1 and all-OAA Red Division status in the regular season for an injury-plagued team that finished 12-6-0.

“Jacob was one of our team leaders and our points leader as well,” said Dungan. “We knew when he had the ball that he could make things happen.”

NIKO VUKOV, Troy: The leader of the show for the Colts, Vukov was instrumental in the Colts turning the ship around after a rough campaign in 2010. The senior captain finished among the Colts’ top five in total points and earned All-OAA White Division and All-State Honorable Mention status in Division 1 this season.

“Niko is an all-around player and probably our best when you combine everything,” said Kassa. “He’s a fierce competitor, never gives up and is always going hard. He’s a strong player and one of those kids who is a great leader on and off the field.”

JAKE BERKEL, Lake Orion: Another talented junior in the Dragons’ lineup, Berkel had a breakthrough campaign for 10-7-0 Lake Orion. He picked up 10 goals and nine assists for 29 points in the offense while scooping up 69 groundballs. He was 62-for-89 in winning faceoffs (.696 percentage) and was named to the Division 1 All-State Honorable Mention list along with earning All-OAA White Division accolades.

Defensemen

NICK YOUNGERMAN, Troy Athens: The first of two standout defensive players for the Red Hawks, Youngerman earned All-State First Team status in his third season as a starter. A wing defenseman who often marked the opposing team’s top player, Youngerman collected 58 takeaways and had 37 ground balls.

MATT BURNETT, Clarkston: Kind of a best-kept secret in the backfield, Burnett wasn’t flashy by any means, but opposing players did not want to go near him because he was a pest around the ball and an aggressive enough to force turnovers and lead attackmen into making mistakes. This season the senior was tabbed as All-State Second Team in Division 1 to go along with all-league honors in the OAA Red Division.

MATT FITZPATRICK, Troy Athens: While Athens pummeled teams offensively, the defense was always in lock-down mode and Fitzpatrick was the anchor of the backline for the 16-6-0 Red Hawks. This season, Fitzpatrick had 31 ground balls, 29 takeaways and only took four penalties besides his aggressive style of play. Fitzpatrick garnered All-OAA Red Division and All-State Second Team honors in Division 1.

BRAD NYLEN, Rochester Adams: At a towering 6-foot-6, Nylen was an imposing player in the backfield for the Highlanders and opposing teams often tried to switch fields to try to avoid the wrath of Nylen. The senior finished with seven goals and six assists for 20 points offensively but his 92 ground balls and 44 takeaways were among the best in the area. He earned All-OAA Red Division and Division 2 All-State Honorable Mention honors in his third season as a starter. He signed with Division II LaRoche College.

“Brad brings energy and speed combined with precise checking and great ground ball skills,” said Momont. “He was our key slide guy, he anchored the defense and he usually marked the most dangerous attack man on the other team. He’s the fastest defensive player that I’ve coached.”

ALEC TRUMBLE, Rochester Adams: An all-area linebacker in football, Trumble brought the same tenacious mentality to the lacrosse field. A hard-hitting defender who could jar the ball loose and knock opponents off the ball with authority, Trumble had 85 ground balls and 44 takeaways to go along with his two goals and three assists. He earned All-OAA Red Division honors this season.

“As the right side wing defenseman, most players and coaches remember Alec for his size, speed, precise checking and ability to get the ground ball and clear,” said Momont. “He also will shoot and feed on fast breaks. He is a remarkable competitor who plays within the rules and has developed into an excellent defenseman.”

Special Teams

KEVIN LINING, Troy Athens: One of four Red Hawks to earn All-State First Team honors and one of six total all-staters this season to don a Red Hawks jersey, Lining was a versatile player who was as equally valuable on defense as on offense. This season his balanced numbers speak for themselves — 22 goals, 14 assists, 58 points, 119 face-off wins and 88 ground balls.

NICK DEMATTIA, Clarkston: Playing in the shadows of three high-scoring all-state juniors in the Wolves’ attack, DeMattia was a key defensive player for a team that won 18 games. He was tabbed as All-State Second Team and All-OAA Red Division.

Goalkeepers

NEIL MISTRY, Troy Athens: The final line of defense in the Red Hawks’ run to the Final Four was Mistry, who collected All-State Second Team accolades this season. Mistry, a senior, won 16 games in goal and made 163 saves.

NATHAN DUFF, Rochester United: Perhaps the most talented goalkeeper in program history, Duff was sterling between the pipes this season, which saw him garner All-OAA Red Division and All-State Third Team honors in Division 1. This season the Adrian College-bound Duff faced 386 shots, giving up 127 goals against 259 saves. He finished with a .704 save percentage.

“He was with us for four years and Nathan had a great career,” said Dungan. “He just kept getting better and better. He made some great saves and kept us in some games that we gave up more shots. We’ll miss him next season.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

BRIAN KAMINSKAS, Clarkston: Over the past several years, Clarkston has slowly established itself as a quality program and the 2011 seasons cemented that fact. The Wolves finished 18-2-0 to shatter the school record for wins, fewest losses and winning percentage (.900). Clarkston also finished second in the OAA Red Division (5-1-0) behind state semifinalist Troy Athens and advanced to the Division 1 regional finals (Elite Eight) before falling to eventual state champion Birmingham Brother Rice, the state’s premier program. The Wolves also had individuals set multiple school records as well.

ALL-AREA BOYS LACROSSE TEAM 2011

FIRST TEAM

Attack

Dan Kreza                   Troy Athens              Senior

Lee Teasley                Roch. Adams            Senior

Jordan Kincaid         Clarkston                   Junior

Kurt Urbin                 Rochester United    Junior

Kevin O’Grady          Clarkston                   Junior

Brad Bogus                 Lake Orion                Junior

Midfielders

Joe Kemp                    Troy Athens              Senior

Kevin Horton            Clarkston                    Junior

Mike Demarco           Rochester Adams  Senior

Jacob Pincura           Rochester United   Senior

Niko Vukov                Troy                            Senior

Jake Berkel                 Lake Orion                Junior

Defensemen

Nick Youngeman      Troy  Athens           Senior

Matt Burnett              Clarkston                   Senior

Matt Fitzpatrick        Troy Athens            Senior

Brad Nylen                  Rochester Adams  Senior

Alec Trumble            Rochester Adams   Senior

Special Teams

Kevin Lining              Troy Athens              Junior

Nick Demattia           Clarkston                   Junior

Goalkeepers

Neil Mistry                 Troy Athens              Senior

Nathan Duff                Rochester United   Senior

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Kaminskas     Clarkston

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Clarkston: Matt Goebel, sr. G; Alexander Dziewit, sr. D; Lake Orion: Robert Aiello, sr. LSM; Nick DiPonio, sr. A; Nick Kinsler, sr. G; Tyler Misiak, sr. D; Jimmy Davis, sr. M; Oxford: Piper Phaler, soph. A; Garre Kovacic, jr. M; Rochester Adams: Tyler May, sr. LSM; Rochester United: Caleb Smydra, jr. D; Taylor Zuke, jr. M; Troy: Miles McDonald, jr. M; Jeff Bumbales, sr. M; Sean Busk, sr. D; Ben Olsen, sr. D.

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Tags: 2011 All-Area Boys Lacrosse, boys lacrosse, High School Boys Lacrosse, lacrosse, Prep Boys Lacrosse

Category: All Area Teams, Auburn Hills Avondale, Clarkston, High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy, Troy Athens