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Photo by Kevin Pataky/MaxPreps
Nick Testa plays varsity lacrosse in upstate New York for national power Niskayuna.
But if may have been his play in summer showcase events in the Greater Philadelphia area that were most instrumental in his college commitment to Villanova University, a decision reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.
Testa, a rising senior who plays travel for the Albany Power, was an all-star at the Lehigh Valley Rising Junior Showcase and performed well at the Villanova 150 camp. This came after he made the all-star game at Blue Chip 225 Rising Sophomores in 2013.
The 5-foot-11, 145-pound Testa, a righty and converted midfielder, is a strong stopper with good clearing ability and stickwork.
Testa is also an outstanding student and has a 3.6 grade-point average.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Nick on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew it was the school for me. It is the perfect size and location, as well as being a gorgeous campus. The Engineering program is very strong, and Villanova is a well-respected university.
(Villanova Head) Coach (Michael) Corrado and the other coaches were great and I felt very comfortable being at Villanova.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I visited Villanova, Clarkson, RIT, Penn State, Sacred Heart and Binghamton. I narrowed my choices down to Villanova, Clarkson and RIT before I made my decision.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strengths are my clearing ability and stick skills. I switched from midfield to goalie, so I am very comfortable outside of the crease, even with a player defending me.
I work a lot on my stick skills, so I’m able to make breakouts with both hands, which allows me to be more active out of the net.
What area of your game do you need to work on?
I need to continue to work on all of the facets of my game, but I am especially working on getting faster and stronger. As you move up in levels, everyone is bigger and faster. In order to play my style of being out of the crease, I have to match the speed and strength of my opposition.
How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was a baseball and soccer player when I was younger, but my neighbor, who was on the lacrosse and hockey team at Niskayuna, introduced me to both sports.
From that point on, I was a lacrosse and hockey player. I stopped playing hockey when I got to high school in order to focus solely on lacrosse.
Any final thoughts?
I would like to thank my parents for driving me to a countless amount of tournaments, camps and games throughout the years. I’d also like to thank Coach Vorgang, Coach Delano, Coach Williams, Coach Hester and Coach McIver for helping develop me as a player and for helping me through the recruiting process.
Have a recruiting commitment to report? Send an email to info@laxlessons.com, contact Joe Lombardi directly at joe@laxlessons.com or send a Tweet to @Joe_Lombardi or @LaxLessons.
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Posted In: Recruiting Rundown, Section 2, Upstate New York Lacrosse
