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Tappan Zee is on the rise.

The Dutchmen have emerged as a force to be reckoned with in Rockland County, N.Y., with four straight winning seasons, including marks of 12-6 this past spring and 14-5 in 2011.

One of the catalysts behind TZ’s rise has been Zak Young.

Now a senior, the attackman/midfielder was a second-team all-county and first-team all-league selection last season.

After one final varsity season, Young will start a promising collegiate career at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Young who is a natural righty but is adept at shooting with both hands. He has good field vision and a nose for the net.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Zak on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
My decision to commit to Kenyon was most heavily influenced by the quality of an education that I know I will receive at Kenyon College.

In addition to this, upon meeting (Head) Coach (Doug) Misarti and (Assistant) Coach (Gary) DiClementi, I knew I was in a place that knew the work it takes to win.

Over the past two years, Kenyon has made the NCAA tournament. This success is a great foundation for myself to join with in order to reach our goals. Kenyon had the environment that I wanted to immerse myself in, in every facet: academically, athletically and geographically.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I was in contact with the fine coaches at Wittenburg University, Oberlin College, Wheaton College, Hamilton University, Skidmore University and Boston University. I visited all of these schools except for Boston University, Skidmore and Hamilton.

Additionally, I was interested in several schools, especially SUNY Binghamton, Rutgers, as well as most other SUNY schools that I was not going to play lacrosse at. School is extremely important to me.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
From my point of view, my overall strength and ability to bully my way through defenders in combination with a strong righty/lefty shot on the run and from distance is my biggest asset.

I think my vision on the field is an underrated quality, as well as my cerebral play on the defensive end.

Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
Both of my coaches, James Amandola and Jim Ardizone, have been huge influences.

The coaching staff at Dip N Dunk, a local summer camp, has also been immensely influential.

I also must mention my past and present teammates, both my peers and the players I have played with that are older than me.

Tappan Zee is a young program and they are the building blocks that I grew up watching in middle school, and got to play with in high school.

What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in last summer?
Over the summer, when I wasn’t at Blue Chip 225 (made all-star team) or Peak 200, I played for my local summer league team, Grip-It N Rip-It. Coached by Adam Chagares and Jim Ardizone, I learned so much over the summer months.

We attended Long Island Lax Fest, Lehigh Laxfest and Patriot Games, among others.

* For more info on Zak, check out his player profile by clicking here.

Have a recruiting commitment to report? Email us at info@laxlessons.com.

LAXLESSONS Links

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* 2012 Fall Signing Week story/photo archive

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* Class of 2012 commitment rundown

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