Palisades head coach Kevin Donovan recently was named coach of the Long Island Sting national team, a club program that has helped a number of LA-area lacrosse players earn attention from college recruiters.
The LI Sting, a program run by recruiting consultant and former Division I lacrosse player Ken Miller, brings together top players from all over the country to participate in high-profile recruiting events. In the past, Westlake players like Jesse Cuccia (North Carolina), Connor O’Brien (Cornell), James Sullivan (Dartmouth) and Matt Kilkeary (Delaware) have played for the LI Sting and wound up with D-I collegiate opportunities.
Palisades alum Cooper Lee (D-III Colorado College) also played with the LI Sting, and his brother, Class of 2019 defender Kyle Lee, credited his participation with the LI Sting last summer for his commitment to Brown.
Other collegiate LA-area players listed on the LI Sting website include Mac MacLean (Sierra Canyon/Bucknell), Cooper Isaacs (Agoura/Utah), Harrison Raine (Viewpoint/Colorado College) and Kaveh Torabian (Oaks Christian/Boston University).
Kevin Donovan, who runs Club Pacific Lacrosse locally, said he met Miller a year and a half ago, and their connection evolved naturally, especially with a couple of Pali players having played for the LI Sting. Last summer, Miller asked Donovan to become the Sting national coach.
“You wear that jersey at tournament, you’re going to get looked at,” Donovan said by phone last week. “My biggest thing is helping kids get recruited. I really like that part of it.”
Donovan said Club Pacific, which began playing SoCal tournaments last summer, will serve as something of a West Coast affiliate of the LI Sting. In November, the Club Pacific High School team will play in the Surf Storm tournament in Oceanside, while the Club Pacific Elite squad will take place in the Oceanside Hustle in December.
November is shaping up as a busy month for Donovan, who also will coach the LI Sting national squad in the Quaker Lax Fest in Radnor, Pa., and the NXT Boys Philly Showcase.
