By K.I. Goldberg
TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 9/30/14

Darien High School (CT) 2015 goalie Philip Rech has made a commitment to play Division III lacrosse at Washington and Lee University.

Philip Rech ledger:

High School: Darien High School, CT

Graduation Year: 2015

Position: Goalie

College Choice: Washington and Lee University (ConnectLAX college profile)

Club Affiliation: Played for the Connecticut Chargers

Lacrosse Honors: Good to Great Showcase All-Star, Fab Frosh All-Star, Super Sophs, New England Top 150, National Invitational 175, and Blue Chip 225

Academic Honors: National Honor Society

What will you major in/study? Undecided/Economics or History

Why did you choose Washington & Lee? “After visiting Washington and Lee, it was by far my number one choice. It is a top tier Liberal Arts school, and I knew that the academic rigor of the school was a crucial factor for me from the beginning of the process.

“Coach (Gene) McCabe also played a huge role in my commitment, as his encouragement and positive attitude really attracted me towards W&L.

“Also, my family is from the South, and because of that I have always been fond of that region. I always wanted to go to school down south and the fact that most of my family lives in Virginia makes Lexington an even more appealing college town.

“Finally, the chance to prolong my lacrosse career was an opportunity that was irresistible. Being able to attend such a great school like Washington and Lee and getting to play lacrosse at the same time is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Outlook for 2015 HS season? “Coming off of our season last year, there is obviously going to be an immense amount of pressure. Losing studs like Peter Lindley, Kyle Cornell, and several others are going to impact our team tremendously. Our team, however, is still as close as it has ever been. We are lead by a great group of captains, Ian, Daniel, and Will, and we believe that they have the capability to lead us all the way to an FCIAC and State Championship.

“Just as it was last year, our senior leadership is going to need to play a monumental role if we want to have the success that we had last season. Because of our strong depth, I believe that new players will be able to step up and help our team have another successful year that hopefully ends with our team ‘in a pile.'”

Thank You: “The most important individuals in this process are my mom and my brother. I can not express my gratitude towards my mom as I would be nowhere today without her. All of the times she has driven my helmet to practice after I forgot it and come to my games to cheer me on has given me the desire and encouragement to be the player that I am today. My brother, Henry, has gone to almost all of my games and has been my biggest cheerleader, and for that I can’t thank him enough,

“My old lacrosse coach, Wes Hays, also played a significant role in this process as he really got the ball rolling with Coach McCabe and the W&L staff.

“My high schools coaches, Brameier, Lutz, and Madalon, were also crucial in allowing me to achieve this dream. My high school coaches always trusted me and developed me to reach my full potential.

“Finally I would like to thank Coach (Gene) McCabe for seeking me out and actively recruiting me. Coach McCabe saw something in me that a lot of other coaches did not, and for that I am extremely grateful.”

Other schools considered: “Amherst, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Hamilton, and Williams.”

ConnectLAX, the official sponsor of TopLaxRecruits.com Boys’ Recruits, congratulates Philip Rech. ConnectLAX helps recruits highlight their skills and connect with college coaches. Recruits maximize their recruiting exposure with a mobile recruiting profile that is linked to their team’s roster, helping coaches find them on the field and evaluate their profile while watching them play. Create your ConnectLAX mobile recruiting profile for free. Click here to sign up!