March 6, 2018
Inaugural GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase Available on ESPNU and ESPN3, April 27-28
Long Island, N.Y. (March 5, 2018) – In its continued commitment to high school sports, ESPN will now be the home of the GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase. This inaugural event will allow six of the nation’s top high school lacrosse teams to bring their talents to a national stage, with all games available across ESPNU and ESPN3.
The six participating teams will play two games each, with a total of six games taking place at St. Anthony High School’s Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington, N.Y. The action will start at 10 a.m. ET both Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, on ESPNU, with games following at noon and 2 p.m. on ESPN3.
“The GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase, which is created by Paragon Marketing Group, furthers ESPN’s growing portfolio of high school events and continued dedication to the sport of lacrosse,” said Dan Margulis, senior director programming and acquisitions. “This showcase provides ESPN yet another opportunity to feature the next generation of college athletes.”
“Lacrosse continues to grow rapidly in athlete participation and popularity nationwide. We are excited to introduce this new event, which presents high school lacrosse in the regular season for the first time on ESPN networks“, said Rashid Ghazi, partner at Paragon Marketing Group. “This is another great opportunity for lacrosse players, coaches and fans to experience the fastest growing sport in the county on a national level, along the same vein as the GEICO High School Lacrosse Nationals.”
The 2019 GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase schedule:
*All team rankings and player rankings are according to Inside Lacrosse
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
| Sat, Apr 27 | 10 a.m. | No. 17 Haverford (Pa.) vs. No. 5 Ward Melville (N.Y.) | ESPNU |
| Noon | No. 21 Darien (Ct.) vs. Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) | ESPN3 | |
| 2 p.m. | Lincoln-Sudbury (Ma.) vs. No. 6 St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) | ESPN3 | |
| Sun, Apr 28 | 10 a.m. | No. 21 Darien (Ct.) vs. No. 6 St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) | ESPNU |
| Noon | Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) vs. No. 5 Ward Melville (N.Y.) | ESPN3 | |
| 2 p.m. | Lincoln-Sudbury (Ma.) vs. No. 17 Haverford (Pa.) | ESPN3 |
No. 5 Ward Melville High School (East Setauket, N.Y.)
Head Coach: Jay Negus
Ranked Players: No. 9 A Dylan Pallonetti (Maryland), No. 94 D Frankie Ciniglio (Cornell), ’20 No. 23 G Collin Krieg (UNC), ’20 No. 29 LSM Ethan Larson (UNC)
Ward Melville looks to defend last year’s No. 1 national ranking and third consecutive NYSPHSAA Class A Championship. The Patriots will hang their hats on defense featuring defender Frankie Ciniglio (Cornell), long stick midfielder Ethan Larson (UNC) and goalie Collin Krieg (UNC). The offense will feature elite attackman Dylan Pallonetti (Maryland).
No. 6 St. Anthony’s High School (South Huntington, N.Y.)
Head Coach: Keith Wieczorek
Ranked Players: No. 23 M Jake Bonomi (Michigan), No. 50 LSM Greg Campisi (Harvard), No. 30 M Aidan Danenza (Duke), No. 38 M Jack Walshe (Virginia), No. 44 FO Jake Naso (Virginia), ’20 No. 1 A Brennan O’Neill (Duke)
The host school has no shortage of talent, and will look to prove themselves as a national contender. The group is led in the middle with five seniors who are ranked in the top 50 players in the country, while No. 1 ranked junior attackman Brennan O’Neill (Duke) heads up the offense.
No. 17 The Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.)
Head Coach: John Nostrant
Ranked Players: No. 35 M Peter Garno (Virginia), ’20 No. 97 FO Chris Tsetsekos
Coach Nostrant and the Fords look to finish his 28th and final season strong after capturing last year’s Inter-Ac Title. The senior class is stacked with talent and experience, led by midfielders Peter Garno (Virginia) and Gavin Burke (Villanova). The team will have more chances on offense thanks to elite junior face-off man Chris Tsetsekos.
No. 21 Darien High School (Darien, Conn.)
Head Coach: Jeff Brameier
Ranked Players: ’20 No. 78 M Jackson Peters (Brown)
This elite Connecticut program will look to start a new win streak after winning 76 straight before being upset in last year’s state championship. Two seniors will be in the heart of the action, midfielders Tommy Hellman (Air Force) and Bruce Ferguson (Colgate). They will have help from a special talent in junior midfielder Jackson Peters (Brown).
Seton Hall Preparatory School (West Orange, N.J.)
Head Coach: Dave Giarrusso
Ranked Players: ’20 No. 25 M Kyle Stephenson (Rutgers), ’20 #55 M Connell Kumar (Virginia)
The Pirates will look to capture the Group A State Championship after finishing runner-up to rival Delbarton last year. This year’s group will return a lot of experience in the senior and junior classes making this a well-rounded group. Senior attackmen Jake Engelke (Holy Cross) and Ryan Kemp (Saint Joseph’s) will hold down the front. Junior midfielders Kyle Stephenson (Rutgers) and Connell Kumar (Virginia) will be helping make plays all over the field.
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (Sudbury, Mass.)
Head Coach: Brian Vona
Despite graduating a handful of key players from last year’s team, the Warriors return significant contributors to compete for their fourth state title in five years. The team is talented on defense, with two standout juniors, D Wilson Sneath (Vermont) and G Andrew Vona (Hobart).
Tickets and further event information are available at geicolax.com/showcase/.
For in-depth coverage of the GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase, including highlights and exclusive behind the scenes content, follow @whosnexths on Twitter and Instagram.
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About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 27 million vehicles. To make changes, report claims, print insurance cards and purchase additional products, policyholders can access their insurance policy here, connect via GEICO Mobile, phone or by visiting a GEICO local agent. Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft and term life coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available. Visit www.geico.com for a quote or to learn more.
About Paragon Marketing Group
Paragon Marketing Group is a corporate consulting agency specializing in sports, entertainment and cause related sponsorships. Paragon owns and operates the GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase and has collaborated with ESPN over the past 16 years to deliver over 600 live high school football, basketball, and lacrosse telecasts featuring many of the top teams and players in the nation. Paragon collaborates with ESPN on the following live properties:
GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff & Showcase
GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase
GEICO State Champions Bowl Series
GEICO High School Basketball Nationals
GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase
GEICO High School Lacrosse Nationals
For further information on the GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase and for media credential requests please contact: rkelner@paragonmarketing.biz
Press release supplied by Paragon Marketing Group. For more information visit http://www.paragonmarketing.biz/
Saturday, April 27
10:00am / ESPNU
No. 17 Haverford (Pa.) vs. No. 5 Ward Melville (N.Y.)
12:00pm / ESPN3
No. 21 Darien (Ct.) vs. Seton Hall Prep (N.J.)
2:00pm / ESPN3
Lincoln-Sudbury (Ma.) vs. No. 6 St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
Sunday, April 28
10:00am / ESPNU
No. 21 Darien (Ct.) vs. No. 6 St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
12:00pm / ESPN3
Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) vs. No. 5 Ward Melville (N.Y.)
2:00pm / ESPN3
Lincoln-Sudbury (Ma.) vs. No. 17 Haverford (Pa.)
