This week for the NCAA Players to Watch segment I will be focusing on two freshmen from Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Luke Wooters and Troy Haefele lead the Nazareth team in goals respectively.
Luke Wooters hails from Iona Prep a lacrosse powerhouse in New Rochelle, New York. Luke had a very impressive 64 goals and 29 assist in his freshman campaign. Wooters had an impressive point in every game he played this year. Wooters also earned the Empire 8 rookie of the year and a 3 time player of the week. Even more impressive than his point per game year is the schedule he did it against. With games versus Stevenson, Springfield, St. Lawrence, WNE, Amherst, RIT, and Stevens it would be no easy task for any Golden Flyer let along two freshmen. While opposed to our next player to watch I have not personally seen Wooters play, I would expect big things from him in these next three years.
For our next Player to Watch we have Troy Haefele from Greene, ME about a whopping 2 minutes from my house. I have had the pleasure to watch and play against Troy and his older brother Trevar in high school, and man were they electrifying. Troy is a small very quick attack man that has some amazing moves. Like Wooters, Troy also had a very impressive season scoring 48 goals and 26 assist. While he did not have a point in every game like Wooters but, he scored at least three or more goals in 12 out of his 20 games played. While you do not hear of a lot of players from my area, or Maine in general Troy is really one to watch not only on the Nazareth team but in all of the NCAA. Troy also gathered Player of the Week honors in April.
While Nazareth had an early exit at the hands of WNE they are a very young team and I am excited as a lacrosse fan, writer, and player to see what these two and the rest of the Flyers can do in these players next three years. With the link attached at the bottom you can watch some clips of Nazareth’s’ first round NCAA game versus Castleton State out of Vermont and at the end you will also see an interview with Troy Haefele.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kGCTt0EE8fI#!
