ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's lacrosse head coach John Paul has signed 18 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to comprise the program's inaugural recruiting class for 2012-13. Two players rank among ESPN Rise's Top 100, while two more were rated as Top 25 players within ESPN Rise's positional ratings. Additionally, Inside Lacrosse rated one player as the No. 2 Canadian prospect for the Class of 2012.
"We're thrilled with this group," said head coach John Paul. "This is a talented class, but even more importantly as the first ever Division 1 recruiting class at Michigan, these 18 young men represent something very special. They are making history, and each of them has the potential to leave their mark on the program. We couldn't be more excited to welcome them to the Michigan lacrosse family."
U-M added men’s lacrosse as a varsity sport on May 25, 2011. The Wolverines will play their first season at the Division I level in 2012.
By position there are five attackmen, four defenders, four midfielders, three long-stick midfielders, one faceoff specialist and one goalie.
Chase Brown (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) -- A 6-1, 210-pound longstick midfielder, Brown has received three varsity letters for head coach Brian Wood. In 2011, Brown scooped up 57 ground balls, forced 27 turnovers and chipped in a goal and two assists as Severn placed second in the county. Brown was also a member of the Maryland Freestate team last summer. He has been named team captain for his senior season in 2012. Brown has earned three letters on the football field.
Cooper Charlton (Hudson, Ohio/The Hill Academy ) -- Charlton is a 6-3, 200-pound defender who lettered all four years at Hudson High School for head coach David Blue. Charlton is currently taking a postgraduate year at The Hill Academy where he is coached by Brodie Merrill and Merrick Thomson. Charlton is a two-time Under Armour Underclassman All-American, 2011 US Lacrosse Second Tier All-American and 2011 OHSLA All-Ohio first team honoree. As a senior at Hudson, he captained the team to the 2011 Ohio state championship. He was the team's defensive MVP as a junior and senior and received the Ray Hyser Sportsmanship Award.
Graham Conlan (Mohnton, Pa./Hill School) -- Conlan is a 6-1, 170-pound defender who has earned three varsity letters and will captain his Hill School team as a senior in 2012. He is coached by Ned Ide. ESPN Rise rated Conlan as the No. 22 defender in the class of 2012.
Brendan Gaughan (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) -- A 6-4, 195-pound attackman, Gaughan has received three varsity letters while playing for head coach Jesse Foss. For the class of 2012, ESPN Rise ranked Gaughan the No. 7 attackman and its No. 27 overall player. In 2011, he registered 48 goals and 31 assists, which led to the following honors: US Lacrosse Second Tier All-America, Under Armour All-America West Team, ESPN HS All-America honorable mention. His La Costa Canyon squad was the 2010 CIF Champion and was the CIF runner-up in 2009. Gaughan is a former high school teammate of current U-M sophomore Andrew Hayden. Gaughan also lettered three times in football.
Evan Glaser (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh School) -- A 6-0, 190-pound attackman, Glaser has received three varsity letters playing for head coach Andy Hilgartner. Glaser scored 24 goals and added 18 assists in a starting role in 2011 as his squad reached the MIAA semifinals. He has been named team captain for the 2012 campaign.
Matt Graham (Amityville, N.Y./Chaminade) -- A 5-8, 150-pound midfielder, Graham plays for head coach Jack Moran. Graham had nine goals, four assists and 33 ground balls as a junior to earn all-league honors in 2011.
Michael Hernandez (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) -- A 6-2, 185-pound midfielder, Hernandez has played the last two years for head coach Jeremy Stothers. In 2011, Hernandez registered 37 goals and 40 assists to earn All-Bay Shore Athletic League first team recognition. He will captain the Piedmont squad during the 2012 season.
Kyle Jackson (Sarnia, Ontario/The Hill Academy) -- A 5-9, 160-pound midfielder, Jackson is coached by Brodie Merrill and Merrick Thomson at The Hill Academy. Inside Lacrosse named Jackson its No. 2 player in Canada for the Class of 2012. Jackson won three consecutive (2009, '10, '11) gold medals with Team Ontario's Under-19 Team at the Alumni Cup. He is one of 50 players who will compete for a roster spot on Team Canada's squad for the 2012 U-19 World Championships. Jackson won The Hill Academy's Leadership and Strength and Conditioning Awards in 2010. He was the team captain in 2011.
Charles Keady (Darien, Conn./Fairfield College Prep) -- A 6-3, 190-pound longstick midfielder, Keady plays for head coach Chris Smalkais. Keady helped his team to Class L runner-up finishes in 2010 and '11, and earned an SCC title in 2011. He will captain the Fairfield team in 2012. Keady has also earned varsity letters in football and indoor track.
Riley Kennedy (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) -- A 6-0, 180-pound attackman, Kennedy has earned three varsity letters under the tutelage of head coach Rob Ambrose. In 2011, Kennedy was a US Lacrosse Third Tier All-American, ESPN All-America honorable mention, All-Midwest second team and all-state first team selection. He tallied 62 goals, 30 assists and 61 ground balls as the Warriors won the Catholic League and their ninth straight state title. In 2010, the Warriors won championships at the league, state and Midwest levels. Additionally, Brother Rice was a finalist at the Midwest Championship. Kennedy is a teammate of fellow signee Chris Walker as well as current U-M freshman Will Meter.
Daniel Kinek (Macungie, Pa./Avon Old Farms ) -- A 5-10, 168-pound midfielder, Kinek is spending a post-graduate year at Avon Old Farms, which is coached by Dr. Skip Flanagan. Previously he played for Emmaus High School where he earned three varsity letters under head coach Jef Hewlings. Kinek is the Emmaus' all-time career leader in goals (217) and assists (90). In 2011, he earned Pennsylvania All-State honors, All-Philly Lacrosse first team, Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association All-Star, MVP of the Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the recipient of the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award. Kinek's high school team has won three LVIAC titles and a pair of district championships. He has served as a captain of the lacrosse and basketball teams.
Peter Kraus (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) -- A 5-11, 165-pound attackman, Kraus has lettered three times for head coach Alex Whitten. Kraus has started each of his three seasons, earning All-FCIAC honorable mention last season. He will captain his New Canaan team in 2012.
Gerald Logan (Wading River, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School ) -- A 6-1, 190-pound goalie, Logan will spend a postgraduate year with head coach Chris Burchfield at The Hotchkiss School. In 2011, Logan lettered at Sachem North High School for head coach Jason Mauro. He had a .608 save percentage. Logan also lettered at Shoreham-Wading River High School. He also earned four letters playing soccer.
Brad Lott (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) -- Lott is a 6-0, 175-pound faceoff specialist/midfielder and a three-time varsity letter winner at Trinity under head coach Pete Schroeder. For the class of 2012, ESPN Rise ranked Lott the No. 1 faceoff/midfielder and its No. 15 overall player. Lott was an ESPN All-America honorable mention, two-time Under Armour All-America Underclassman, and two-time adidas All-American. An all-state first team selection in 2011, Lott won 71 percent of his faceoffs and recorded 23 goals with 18 assists while leading his team to its second straight state championship game with a 15-1 record.
Paxton Moore (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) -- Moore is a 5-10, 165-pound longstick midfielder who has earned two varsity letters for head coach John Nostrant. Moore was ranked as the No. 12 LSM nationally by ESPN Rise for the 2012 season. He was a part-time starter for The Haverford School's 2011 team that went 23-0 and was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. by Inside Lacrosse and ESPN. The team won its league's regular-season and tournament titles. Moore is a two-time EPSLA All-Star.
William Perkins (Dallas, Texas/Saint Mark's School of Texas) -- Perkins is a 6-3, 205-pound attackman. He has earned three varsity letters for head coach Hayward Lee. Perkins was a captain in 2011 and will take on the same duty in 2012. He tallied 45 goals and 16 assists and posted 10 forced turnovers in 2011 en route to all-conference honors. Perkins was all-conference and all-district in 2010. Saint Mark's has won its last three conference championships and has earned a runner-up spot in the state tournament in 2009 and 2010. Perkins is also a linebacker and captain on the football team.
Brendan Riefberg (Flanders, N.J./Roxbury) -- A 6-4, 195-pound defender, Riefberg has earned three letters for head coach John Benbow. He was all-state second team and an adidas Underclassman All-American in 2011. He had team-bests for ground balls (75) and caused turnovers (32) while contributing seven goals and 12 assists. Riefberg captained the Roxbury team in 2011 and will do so again in 2012.
Chris Walker (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) -- A 6-0, 183-pound defender, Walker is a two-year letterwinner for head coach Rob Ambrose. In 2011 Walker earned US Lacrosse Third Tier All-America, All-Midwest first team, Michigan All-State first team and All-Catholic League. The Brother Rice captain collected 91 ground balls while chipping in a goal and two assists en route to Catholic League and Michigan State Championships. In 2010, the Warriors won championships at the league, state and Midwest levels. Walker is a teammate of fellow signee Riley Kennedy as well as current U-M freshman Will Meter.