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High school sophomores making verbal commitments to Division I college programs has been a trend in the men’s lacrosse for two years.

Now, it’s making its way to the women’s game.

We told you about St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) midfielder Ella Bonafede, who decided on Duke, and Queensbury (N.Y.) and Queensbury (N.Y.) midfielder Mary Rahal, who chose Syracuse.

Now, we have news about another.

It comes from Brianna Sacks of Niskayuna High School (N.Y.). Sacks verbally committed to UMass on March 3.

A speedy dodger, Sacks, who is also a field hockey standout, is an athletic player with a high lacrosse IQ.

recruiting_updateNow, here’s a Q&A with Bri on her commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
After visiting the campus several times and watching the team’s style of play, I immediately felt that it was the right fit for me.

Besides that, UMass is only about two hours away from my home, allowing my family to be able to come see us play.

Another great thing about UMass is the having the huge selection of majors to choose from so that I may get the best education I could possibly get.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Penn State, UConn and Fairfield. I ended up visiting all of them, and I also visited Duke, UNC and Maryland, but none of those schools gave me the same feeling UMass did when I walked onto campus for the first time.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
What makes me a strong player in the game is that I am a hard worker, I have excellent field sense, great dodging, mental toughness and speed and agility. I would describe my style of play as aggressive and smart with a never give up attitude.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
The area I am currently trying to improve is taking the draw and my endurance.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was first introduced to lacrosse by a teammate in third grade, and was influenced strongly from my first coach, Coach (Nick) Petraccione of Niskayuna, who has always been my biggest supporter besides my family.

The other sport I have played is field hockey, and I have a personal trainer year round to work on my skills and endurance.

What travel team did you play on last summer and what showcase events did you participate in?
Last summer, I played for ADK with Coach Duffy from Siena, Coach White from Queensbury, and Coach Petraccione from Nisky. I also played for Albany Elite with Coach Chatnik from Guilderland, Coach Vosburg the former UAlbany head coach, and Steve Shields from Guilderland.

The showcase events I participated in were the National Tournament, the President’s Cup in Florida, Maximum Exposure at Maryland and the UNC Winter Camp.

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

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Posted In: Recruiting Rundown, Section 2, Women's lacrosse

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