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Oxbridge’s Tomei Leads JU Men’s Lacrosse Transfers

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in , , .
  via JU press release   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University men’s lacrosse head coach John Galloway is welcoming a talented group of transfers into the fray for the 2021 campaign, looking to build on the early successes of 2020 before the season was cut short. Keegan PearlConor ShearsMatt Stagnitta and Christian Tomei all join the program after spending time with schools scattered around the country. Pearl comes to Jacksonville following the elimination of the lacrosse program at Furman. Shears traveled south from Bucknell. Stagnitta joins the program after spending time with the prestigious Johns Hopkins program and Tomei moves in from Ohio State. “We couldn’t have asked for a better group of young men to join the program,” Galloway said. “Three of the four bring us veteran experience and attitude from winning cultures. Matt, Conor and Keegan come to us with the hunger to finish off their collegiate lacrosse careers in winning fashion. Christian is coming back home to Florida after earning Mr. Florida and Under Armour All-America in high school. Our guys have welcomed them in with open arms and they have brought a new energy and excitement that has already elevated our program. I’m thankful for their trust and leap of faith as we continue to establish ourselves as a welcome destination for transfers across the country.” Keegan Pearl: “With the cancellation of the Furman men’s lacrosse team, I was thrust into a situation I never imagined being in. Going into my senior year I was without a home. That was until JU and coach Galloway reached out to me. He was the first coach to contact me and that really made an impact on me. With my dad being from Florida, my whole family grew up Florida sports fans and we all had the desire to move down here one day from Maryland. Well I am now at JU and after years of trying. My parents finally sold their house and moved down in the area as well. It feels like this was meant to be and I am so excited to continue to be a part of this program!” As a Junior @ Furman (2020): 
  • Appeared in seven games for Furman in 2020
  • Scored two goals and handed out five assists
  • Collected seven ground balls and caused one turnover
  • First goal of the season came opposite Hampton (Feb. 8) while also handing out three assists
  • Scored second goal opposite Penn State (Mar. 10)
  • Had 2020 season cut short by the precautions set forth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
  As a Sophomore @ Furman (2019):
  • Played in 14 games with one start
  • Finished the season with nine points on five goals and four assists
  • Contributed five ground balls and three caused turnovers
  • Made his first career start against Sacred Heart
  • Scored twice against Air Force
  • Added goals versus Hampton, High Point and VMI
  • Dished out one assist each in four different games.
  As a Freshman @ Furman (2018):
  • Appeared in 12 games
  • Scored four goals and added four assists for eight points on the season
  • Picked up four ground balls
  • Named to SoCon Academic Honor Roll.
  High School: 
  • Led St. Paul’s School to back-to-back-to-back MIAA Quarterfinalist appearances and a MIAA Semifinal appearance
  • Captain Senior year
  • Leading scorer as a senior (21 goals, 55 assists)
  • Named Maryland Senior All-Star
  • Finished with fourth-most single-season assists in school history and the third-most assists in the state of Maryland
  • Second-leading scorer as a junior (32 goals, 29 assists)
  • Also played basketball.
  Conor Shears: “Everything about this place made it seem like the right fit for me. I knew I was going to have to transfer from Bucknell to be able to pursue an MBA, and the master’s programs at the Davis College of Business had exactly what I was looking for. I was also excited to become a part of an up and coming lacrosse program with high expectations, great potential, and an unreal team culture. The thought of having those opportunities while being able to live at the beach made coming to Jacksonville a no brainer for me.” 2019 All-Patriot League Second Team. As a Senior @ Bucknell (2020): 
  • Team captain with Grayson Burns, Matt Fedorjaka and Will Yorke
  • Started all six games at close defense
  • Finished fourth among Bison in caused turnovers (8) and also registered 16 ground balls
  • Collected multiple ground balls in every game, topping out at four against Furman
  • Caused two turnovers at Bryant, at Binghamton and against Marist.
  As a Junior @ Bucknell (2019): 
  • All-Patriot League Second Team
  • Started all 14 games appeared in at close defense
  • Led the team in caused turnovers (25) and finished third among defenders in ground balls (26)
  • Caused a turnover in all but one game
  • Logged multiple caused turnovers in eight games, including the final four of the campaign
  • Caused a season-high four turnovers at Lafayette
  • Collected multiple ground balls in seven games, including the final five of the campaign
  • Registered a season-best four ground balls against Bryant and in back-to-back games at Lafayette and Lehigh
  • Also recorded two assists against the Leopards and netted first collegiate goal against the Mountain Hawks
  As a Sophomore @ Bucknell (2018): 
  • Played in seven games, with a start against Marist in the season opener, at close defense
  • Registered four of five ground balls against the Red Foxes
  • Also caused two turnovers in that game and against Lafayette
  As a Freshman @ Bucknell (2017):
  • Saw action in five games on the defensive end of the field
  • Recorded a ground ball against Villanova
  • Other appearances came against Delaware, Navy, Lafayette and Lehigh.
  Before Bucknell:
  • Four-year lacrosse letterwinner at Yorktown High School
  • Also earned two letters in basketball
  • Two-time Honorable Mention All-Met lacrosse player
  • Two-time First Team All-State selection
  • Three-time First Team All-Region choice
  • Four-time First Team All-Conference
  • Conference Defensive Player of the Year
  • Team captain as a senior
  • Totaled 351 ground balls and 125 caused turnovers in career
  • Member of Virginia Lacrosse Club
  Matt Stagnitta: “I grew up on the jersey shore, so the beach was a huge sell for me, as well as how welcoming the coaching staff and my teammates were! Feels like home. I’m looking forward to gearing up and getting after it with this awesome group of guys! And show the everyone what Jacksonville lacrosse can accomplish.” As a Senior @ Johns Hopkins (2020) 
  • Had 2020 season cut short by the precautions set forth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Played in four games as a reserve midfielder
  • Had three ground balls and took one shot on the year
  As a Junior @ Johns Hopkins (2019):
  • Appeared in 10 games, including eight straight from March 12 – April 27
  • Scored two goals and had one ground ball on the season
  • Tallied first goal in a come-from-behind win against Delaware and added one in a Big Ten-opening win at Michigan
  As a Sophomore @ Johns Hopkins (2018):
  • Saw action in five games as a reserve midfielder
  • Made first appearance of the year in season-opening win against Towson and also played in Blue Jays victories over Princeton, Syracuse, UMBC and Delaware
  As a Freshman @ Johns Hopkins (2017):
  • Ranked as the #56 freshman in the nation by Inside Lacrosse in 2017
  • Ranked as the #20 freshman midfielder in the nation by Inside Lacrosse in 2017
  • Played is six games and had one ground ball on the year
  • Made first career appearance in a 15-8 season-opening victory against Navy and also appeared in wins against UMBC, defending national champion North Carolina, Rutgers and Michigan and a loss at Princeton
  Before Johns Hopkins:
  • Played lacrosse and football
  • Helped team to state championship as a senior and two other appearances in the state semifinals
  • Lacrosse team posted a 31-8 record over final two seasons, including a 17-4 mark en route to state title during senior season
  • Totaled 127 goals and 209 assists during four-year career and graduated as school’s career leader in points (336) and assists
  • Punched up 44 goals and 65 assists as a senior, when he earned Under Armour All-America, first team all-state, first team all-conference and New Jersey Midfielder of the Year honors
  • Tallied career-high 45 goals and 63 assists as a junior and earned first team all-state and first team all-conference
  • Two-time US Lacrosse All-American
  • Threw for 1,443 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 755 yards and 11 scores as a senior, when he earned Second Team All-New Jersey State honors
  Christian Tomei: “I chose JU because of the great opportunity in the classroom along with on the field. The coaching staff and the surrounding team are what drove me to JU. Along with that it’s very close to home and the great campus.” Before Jacksonville:
  • Transfer from Ohio State
  • A three-time US Lacrosse All-American for head coach Stan Ross at Oxbridge Academy
  • Selected to the U.S. men’s U19 32-man training roster
  • Played in the Under Armour All-America Game
  • Selected as Mr. Florida Lacrosse in 2019 after making 235 saves in 21 games (11.1/game)
  • Earned first team all-state and all-region honors for four consecutive years.
  • Tabbed as the nation’s No. 53 player in the Inside Lacrosse Top Young Gun Senior Rankings
  • US Lacrosse All-Academic selection
  • As a junior, led Oxbridge to a 17-3 overall record and No. 10 regional ranking by US Lacrosse Magazine
 

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