CHARLOTTE, N.C., (December 15, 2006) — Head Coach Jim Fritz and the Queens University of Charlotte Royals men's lacrosse team have announced the signing of seven new recruits as part of the early signing period. Each player signed a national letter of intent and will join the Royals, recently ranked 9th in the Division II Face Off Magazine pre-season poll, for their freshmen year in fall 2007.
"Thanks to the continued success of the team, we have had more players interested in committing early to our program. Our incoming athletes are a good group of kids who will help us fill the void our graduating seniors will leave. I am excited about their athleticism, ability and what they will bring to our program."
On attack the Royals added Kyle Belton and Kellen Simmons. Belton hails from Langley, British Columbia in Canada. Simmons is a three-year letterman from Bob Streeten's Corning East Team which advanced to the N.Y. State Class B Championship game. Simmons, 5'9" and 150 lbs.. finished last year with 26 goals, 15 assists and 53 ground balls. He also played hockey for two years and ran cross country for three seasons. Belton, 6'1" and 175 lbs., played last year for the New Westminster Salmonbellies in Junior A Lacrosse. He helped lead the team to a second place finish and was second on his team in scoring with 19 goals and 32 assists. He was also named "rookie of the year" on the team and was selected to play for British Columbia in the First Nations Cup where his team went undefeated and won the national title.
At midfield Queens added two stellar athletic players in Clay Hanback and Rob Hooper. Hanback, 5'11" and 185 lbs., helped lead Highland School to a 17-2 record before losing in the Virginia Division II State Final. He finished the season with a winning face off percentage of 76 and added 119 ground balls, 16 goals and 24 assists. A four-year letterman, he was a first team all-conference selection as well last year and will be captaining the team this year. He also plays soccer where he was all-conference and all-state. In addition, Hanback was an all-conference selection in basketball and was a member of the golf team. Rob Hooper, 5'6" and 165 lbs., helped lead his Hall High Sschool team to the Connecticut state playoffs for the first time in five years. He had 19 goals and 36 assists last year and won 52 percent of his face offs. A three-year letter winner, Hooper was a Connecticut Super Junior Nominee last year and will captain the team this year. Hooper was also a three-year letterman in football making the all-conference team this year as a linebacker.
On defense the Royals added two players who can fill needs at either long pole or close defense in Brad Comfort and Matt Dolan. The Roayls also signed one of the top goalies in Maryland, Brandon Macknew. Matt Dolan, 5'10" and 165 lbs., is a three-year letterman for Hopkington High School in Massachusetts. Last year he helped lead his team to a 17-5 record and to the quarterfinals of the Massachusetts playoffs. Matt was also an all-league selection last year. He has been a 4-year letter winner in hockey and has two years experience in football and one year in cross country. Brad Comfort, 5'11" and 165 lbs., is a three-year letterman for Corning East in both lacrosse and football. Last year in lacrosse, Brad was named to the all-league team and helped lead the Trojans to the N.Y. Class B State Final. A standout on the football field as well, Brad was recently named to the all-leader team, and helped lead Corning East to the N.Y. State Championship this year. Brandon MaCknew, 5'7" and 170 lbs., will be a four-year starter at Bel Air High School and a four-time Division ll county selection. Last year he led Bel Air to the Maryland state playoffs. The last two years he has had more than 200 saves while recording a 70 percent save percentage. In 2006 he was Team MVP and was named captain for the 2007 season.
Last year the Royals finished 7-2 in the Deep South Conference regular season and 9-5 overall, finishing tied for first place and advancing to the conference final for the first time. Three players were named to the all-conference squad and three were also named to the all-tournament team. One was named to the Division II All-American Team.
Queens University of Charlotte is a private, coed, Presbyterian-affiliated liberal arts university in the heart of historic Charlotte serving approximately 1,950 undergraduate and graduate students through its College of Arts & Sciences, McColl School of Business, The Pauline Lewis Hayworth College and the Presbyterian School of Nursing.
Queens University of Charlotte's Sesquicentennial year marks the 20th anniversary of its Royals co-ed athletics program. Established in 1987, Queens' NCAA Division II program continues to offer diverse, exciting, intercollegiate athletics competition to its student-athletes through its 16 men's and women's sports teams and 65-acre, state-of-the-art sports complex facility.
For more information, please visit
www.queens.edu/athletics. Queens will celebrate its 150th anniversary throughout the 2006-2007 academic year with a variety of Sesquicentennial events planned for alumni, students, parents and the Charlotte community. For more information, please visit
www.queens.edu/150
Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:53 am