Hamburg's Ryan Feuerstein Verbally Commits To University of Albany Men's Lacrosse Program To Begin In 2011 - UAlbany Sports 2009

Ryan Feuerstein firmly supplanted his name onto the recruiting registry of many college lacrosse scouts this spring with a breakout junior high school season.

Surprisingly, though, it was his play at tournaments and camps before the spring of 2009 then again this summer right after becoming the only junior midfielder to be named All-Western New York that made Feuerstein a must have prospect for the University of Albany.

On July 14, Feuerstein, who will be a senior this coming school year at Hamburg High School, quickly ended any thoughts of going anywhere else, verbally committing to play lacrosse at Division I Albany.
While the university just announced its commitments for the 2010 season, it already has Feuerstein in the bank as one of the first to announce he’ll be playing at Albany starting in 2011.

“The first time Albany saw me was at the Tully Tournament in October and ever since, I had kept in touch with them a few times per month,” Feuerstein said. “Once July 1 hit and they could call me, they gave me an offer right away. I had visited the Albany campus at the end of March — it was the first school I saw — and I fell in love with it.”

The two-way standout followed up a stellar showing at the premier fall lacrosse invitational in Central New York by helping Hamburg to a third straight sectional championship then showing off his skills at the well-known 205 Lacrosse Camp at the University of Maryland in June.

“He had a very successful summer season and was seen by a lot of coaches, so his phone was really ringing,” his high school head coach, Jerry Severino, said. “He was already a hot commodity but the Maryland 205 trip was the clincher for a lot of college coaches.”

Indeed, there was a long list of callers. Scholarship offers also came in from Siena, UMBC, Binghamton and Hobart, while additional interest came from Sacred Heart, Mount St. Mary’s (Maryland), Hartford, Army, Colgate and Bellarmine.

Feuerstein coveted being at Albany despite seeing the lacrosse team routed in a game last season during his only visit. Still, the Great Danes have won the America East Conference tournament championship and made a trip to the NCAA Tournament as a Division I program four times.

He believes the program is only getting better, especially with 2008 Hamburg High School graduate and friend Joe Resetarits, who was one of the best high school offensive players ever to come out of New York, also playing there. Albany finished 7-7 and lost in the semifinals of the America East Conference Championships in 2009.

“I knew from the get-go that I love Albany and would have the opportunity to be a good player there, so I just wanted to get the recruiting process over with,” said Feuerstein, who comes from a family with a wealth of lacrosse talent, including father, Jerry, who played for Hamburg High and University of Buffalo, older bother, Jerry, who was a highly recruited standout at Hamburg but decided to attend Michigan State as just a student, and twin brother, Chris, who is also being looked at by high-level colleges and could even end up at Albany. “I absolutely didn’t take that game too seriously. What I saw was that they’re up-tempo style of play was just for me. I see myself helping and them improving a lot.”

Severino, who has been around the coaching ranks for quite some time and seen some of the best talent across the area and state, has called Feuerstein one of the most complete midfielders he has seen in years. Feuerstein has exhibited a knack for dodging opponents and explosive burst to the net.

He is best in fast break situations, many of which he starts himself by aggressively picking up ground balls. But as good as he has been offensively, Feuerstein’s defensive skill and effort are quite comparable.

“We’re not afraid to leave him out there on defense and his offensive skills are certainly second to none,” Severino said. “And he’s not afraid to be the guy. You can see it in his eyes.”

In his sophomore season, Feuerstein played at the varsity level and eventually became a significant contributor on a state-semifinalist team. He hit two cross bars in Hamburg’s one-goal loss to Carthage in a bid for a Class B State final berth in 2008, which Severino said showed his willingness to be in the middle of the action in a big spot.

Feuerstein, also a key offensive player for the Hamburg High School hockey team, built off that momentum with the big offseason and committed solely to lacrosse. But it wasn’t until this spring that he would become a force well-known around the high school lacrosse region. After enjoying a high-scoring regular season, Feuerstein netted five goals in Hamburg’s 13-6 win in the Section VI championship game.

With one of the finest and deepest senior classes leaving after the 2008 season, Feuerstein said he knew he would have a big opportunity. He felt the need to step up his game yet again as lead middie, senior Jon Crean, fought injuries all season long.

“I knew I’d have to be one of the guys to move up there and take over for all the seniors that graduated, so I figured I’d have to step it up,” said Feuerstein, who will be a captain next season. “I want to be one of the go-to-guys. I like the pressure.”

Feuerstein will join what is becoming a “Thruway Pipeline,” as Severino referred to it, from Hamburg to Albany, that also includes brothers, Frank and Joe Resetarits. Frank earned first team All-America honors in 2007 and is now playing professionally in the indoor National Lacrosse League and outdoor Major League Lacrosse, while Joe just completed an outstanding freshman year by being named an America East Conference first team all-star.

“I knew I really wanted to play with Joe again,” Feuerstein said. “It was a great experience to play alongside him for that one year at Hamburg. I know I’ll learn so much more from him and become a much better player learning from him again.”

Severino said recruitment by Albany won’t stop with Feuerstein. The college is fully aware of the talent Hamburg produces and Severino has a great deal of respect for the college’s coaching staff, which includes ninth-year head coach Scott Marr.

“The Hamburg program is into furthering and continuing the careers of its athletes at the collegiate level,” Severino said. “Ryan’s family has been tremendous and Ryan has certainly done his job with performing in school, sports and being a terrific kid.”

By Michael J. Petro