Niko Morfogen – pure and simple he’s a warrior.  “Hey Niko, we need you to play attack.” Okay, Coach.  “Hey Niko, we need you to play pole.”  Okay Coach.  “Hey Niko, we need you to play goalie.” That one stuck.  By the way, like his favored Brett Queener (below) and Florida’s own Chris “Piglet” Selva, Niko is a goalie who could play a bunch of other positions (and did).  Niko is all about team first.  Intelligent and humorous, Niko is one of those players who makes the coaches laugh even when the coaches know they can’t in front of the team.  He’s also the one who works and works and works to get the edge.  Niko’s resume includes a middle school undefeated season at Gulf Stream School (the only one in the school’s storied history) and a bronze medal at last year’s Dick’s Tournament of Champions as a member of Florida Elite.  Niko is just now growing into his adult body.  To a certain extent, the early recruiting norm has worked against him and FLN considers Niko a gem who is still available.  Coach Bolger knows what he has, and we are sure Niko will find a good landing spot soon.  We asked Coach Bolger to comment on Niko.

 “Niko Morfogen is the Defensive Leader of our team, His ability to communicate with and direct the team in front of him is like having another coach on the field.  He is very intelligent and anticipates what will happen extremely well.  After a save Niko can start our offense immediately with his outlet passes that are quick and accurate leading to a ton of transition for our team.  He will be a three year starter for Pope.”

  Name – Nicholas “Niko” Morfogen Position – Goalie Height – 5′ 8″ Weight – 150 High School – Pope John Paul II GPA – 5.2 weighted Lacrosse Honors – 1st team all district, 2nd team all region. 3 yr starter in goal. FLN – What kind of college experience are you looking for? NM – College – I am looking for a top academic university. Summer – LI Showcase, Nova Shootout in Va., UMASS Mid Summer Classic Travel Team – Florida Swashbucklers, Florida Elite My Game – I take pride in running my defense as the vocal leader on the field. 1st Lax Experience – 3rd grade summer camp at Gulf Stream School with Coach Angelo Rossi Biggest Lax Influence – No doubt it’s Coach Andrew Bolger. It was my first year in goal (7th grade) playing rec in Delray for coach Chris Kane when he introduced me to coach Bolger. He has guided me (and many others) both on and off the field with discipline, perseverance, accountability, and above all, ethics. College/Pros – Brett Queener is the most fun to watch. I also enjoyed watching John Galloway when he played at Syracuse. Goal for 2015 – Realistically the 1st goal is to win Districts and then go deep into the playoffs. Teammates say – They would probably say that they enjoy playing with me and that I lead by example and that I have no fear on the field. Meal – Sushi, Mexican, and anything my dad or great grandma makes Other Sports – Football and Basketball Music – I love all music except for rap and pop. Celebrity most like to meet – Marcus Luttrell, Former Navy Seal and author of Lone Survivor TV show – “24” Hobby/Interests – CrossFit, Beach, and Science