The Best of WA Talent Back in Town

Team USA concludes their exhibition schedule here this weekend when they take on the Washington All-Stars.  When you think about this match up you wonder what hope a team made up of just Washington players could have against the best U-19 players in the country.

The U-19 men captured their second exhibition win in two days with Sunday's 17-6 victory over the Potomac All-Stars at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda. MD. Twelve different players scored for Team USA, led by Jack McBride, who finished with three goals and one assist. Team USA posted a 15-7 win on Saturday afternoon in Downingtown, PA. Matt Dolente controlled 17 of 22 faceoff attempts and added a goal in that contest. Their exhibition tour ends this Sunday with their final game against the Washington All-Stars.

Heading back to Seattle this week are the best young players to come out of Washington in recent years. Among the 20-member Northwest roster are six players that have helped their college team earn a berth in the NCAA tournament, an Ivy League Rookie of the Week selection, seven former High School All-Americans, 2005 Seattle Times Male High School Athlete of the Year and a US Lacrosse U-19 selection camp invitee.

The NW roster includes, Harvard’s Sean Whitsitt, the 2005 Seattle Times Metro Male High School Athlete of the Year while playing for Lakeside, Drew Snider (Garfield, 2006), a two-time High School All-American who played on Maryland’s 2008 NCAA tournament team,  Shane Moriarty (Garfield, 2005), who played for the University of Albany in the 2007 NCAA tournament, Chris Taylor (Mercer Island, 2005) a High School All-American who played on Georgetown’s 2006 and 2007 NCAA tournament teams, Shane O'Neill (Seattle Prep, 2006) an Ivy League Rookie of the Week this season with Cornell and Greg Mahony (Mercer Island, 2007) a High School All-American who will enroll at Yale this fall.  Mahony was one of 120 athletes from across the U.S. that were invited to try-out for the U-19 Team.

I think you'll agree that's pretty impressive for a west coast state, that up until recently, wouldn't be considered worth looking at by college coaches.  Now we're consistently sending players to great East coast college programs.  So with this being said what are the chances we could win or at least keep it close?  Well the U-19 team has won all but one game in the exhibition schedule.  They had a 7-6 loss against the New Jersey All-stars in a game that was called at half-time due to bad weather conditions.  The WA all-stars have as good a chance of anyone else and whatever the outcome it's going to be some of the best lacrosse this summer.  Make sure to come out and support both teams this weekend at Mercer Island Stadium.

Here is the full Washington All-Star Roster.

Northwest Collegiate All-Stars