Five Harriton senior athletes were present at the National Letter of Intent Signing Day ceremony in the school’s gym Nov. 11, including two who will be playing women’s lacrosse on Hawk Hill.
The five Rams are: Laura Lasprogata (lacrosse and field hockey, Saint Joseph’s University); Olivia Tevis (lacrosse, Saint Joseph’s University); Alex Ladda (lacrosse, Lehigh University); Matt Binnion (lacrosse, University of Richmond); and Claire Coyle (soccer, Wesleyan).
In addition, Harriton senior Aramis Kouzine, who plays club soccer, has announced that he will be playing soccer for the University of Pennsylvania.
Here’s a closer look at the six Harriton seniors:
Laura Lasprogata
Lasprogata is a talented, versatile two-sport athlete who earned first team All-Central League honors as a field hockey goalie this fall (tallied a school-record 36 saves in one game) and second team All-Central League and All-Main Line honors as a lacrosse attack last spring (tallied 65 goals and 25 assists last spring). She played for the Under Armor Philly lacrosse team last summer, and in field hockey was part of a team that won the past three National Indoor Tournaments along with a Disney championship and a pair of National Festival championships.
Why she chose Saint Joseph’s: “I like the opportunity of playing two sports at the Division I level (lacrosse and field hockey) at Saint Joseph’s; I liked the atmosphere of the school and Saint Joseph’s excellent business school.”
Other schools in the running: George Mason, Temple, American.
Highlight of Harriton lacrosse career (to date): “Beating Radnor last year in the district semifinals.”
Olivia Tevis
The senior played a key role as defender on Harriton’s district finalist and PIAA state quarterfinalist girls’ lacrosse team last spring. She was on the Under Armour Uncommitted girls’ lacrosse team last spring and was Rookie of the year her sophomore year for the PIAA state quarterfinalist Rams.
Why she chose Saint Joseph’s: “I love the campus feel, the coaches and the academics – I’m probably going to major in business.”
Other schools in the running: George Washington University, American, Tampa.
Highlight of Harriton lacrosse career (to date): “Going to California (Orange County) with the team during spring break my junior year.”
Alex Ladda
Ladda was a US Lacrosse first team All-American, first team All-Central League and first team All-Main Line girls’ lacrosse selection last spring, and was also voted USL Academic All-American. As a midfielder last spring, she scored 65 goals and had a school-record 96 draw controls for the district finalists and PIAA state quarterfinalists. A fine student, Ladda was also considering attending Brown University as well as Lehigh.
Highlight of Harriton lacrosse career (to date): “Going to Hershey and winning the PIAA state championship my freshman year.”
Her plans at Lehigh University: “I will be playing attack for the Mountain Hawks and attending the school of arts and sciences. I think I will major in design.”
Matt Binnion
A first team All-Main Line and All-Central League boys’ lacrosse selection last spring, the defender and long stick middie has been considered the Rams’ most talented player since his freshman year. The Rams’ Defensive MVP last spring, he routinely covers opponents’ top offensive player.
Why he chose University of Richmond: “I really liked the campus, the business college and their leadership college.”
Highlight of Harriton lacrosse career (to date): “Beating Lower Merion last year.”
Other schools in the running: Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Denver, Maryland.
Claire Coyle
The senior girls’ soccer co-captain received first team All-Central League honors this fall, and led the Rams on a run that included the program’s first ever win over Conestoga and its first victories over Radnor and Haverford in the same season. (more to come)
Why she chose Wesleyan: “I focused early on the academic and athletic balance found in the NESCAC. The coaching staff, team community as well the opportunity to play alongside my sister Anne (Harriton Class of 2013) at Wesleyan, was everything I was looking for and more.”
Other schools in the running: Bowdoin, Hamilton.
Her plans at Wesleyan: “I plan to major in biology, with a focus in marine sciences.”
Highlight of Harriton soccer career: “Saving 21 shots in one game against Strath Haven my sophomore year. We were the only team to post a shutout against them all season.”
Aramis Kouzine
Kouzine, a club soccer player, once received an invitation to train with the Glasgow Rangers youth academy in Scotland, which is one of the most decorated clubs in Europe.
Why he chose Penn: “The main reason I chose Penn was that I would have the best opportunity to make an impact early on in my soccer career there. The coaches — Rudy Fuller, Pete Pososki, and Mike Piranian — were genuinely interested in the success of their players on the field and in life. Of course, another reason is that Penn is one of the top universities in the world, and I am grateful for that intellectual challenge.”
Other schools in the running: “There were many schools interested in me, but I was only interested in two: UPenn and Georgetown. It was a very difficult choice as both are great schools with fantastic programs, coaches, and players. At the end of the day, I made a decision based on where I would make an immediate contribution to the team on the field.”
His plans at Penn: “There are several areas I’m interested in — among them is Economics, Social Policy, and Political Science. I’ll explore them in-depth and decide later on what to major in.”
