Ryland Rees is getting ready to take his field lacrosse game to the next level.
The Port Coquitlam Saint recently signed with Stonybrook University and will be heading to Long Island, N.Y., next season where he will compete in the NCAA.
It is a big move for the Terry Fox secondary athlete, who has been in contact with the eastern school for several years.
"I had my goal set high that I wanted to play in a Division 1 school, so I focused on those schools," he said in an email. "Stonybrook was one of the schools that I had been in contact with since Grade 10."
He sent videos to about 14 different post-secondary institutions and received interest from several schools. However, Rees felt that Stonybrook provided a good balance between academics and athletics and said he felt really comfortable with the campus and some of the players he met on a visit last year.
The 17-year-old athlete started playing lacrosse when he was six years old and has built up a pretty impressive resume during his 11 years in the sport.
The long-pole midfielder is known for his stick and play-making abilities and was chosen for Team B.C.'s under-19 gold medal winning squad last year, the youngest member to make the team.
Rees won gold again at the under-16 nationals, where he played with Team B.C. and won a national MVP and all-star honours. He played with the West Coast Starz national squad in 2013 and was the Team B.C. box lacrosse team member in 2012.
"Playing with the PoCo Saints has really formed me into the player that I have become today," he said. "PoCo has helped shape me into the player I am today as a Division 1 commit."
When he gets to Stonybrook, Rees plans on taking a variety of courses, but said he is interested in law and hopes to practise in the field when he graduates.
He also has long-term athletic goals.
"I am hoping to play in the NLL and/or the MLL after college," he said in an email. "I know that once I set my goals, I am usually able to attain these so I really am reaching for these."
gmckenna@tricitynews.com
@GMcKennaTC
