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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh men’s lacrosse team has welcomed its incoming class of 2026 to campus, featuring 12 talented newcomers from all over the country.
Read below for a complete rundown of the incoming players.
#45 Richard Checo • LSM/D • 5-9 • 170 • Oakton, Va. • St. John’s College High School
A Nike All-American, Checo was also named a first team WCAC honoree. He was rated as a four-star recruit by Inside Lacrosse. A member of the Annapolis Hawks as well, Checo was rated four stars by NLF (National Lacrosse Federation). Checo was named second team All-Met as well.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because I wanted to be a part of something big and wanted to be a part of a top tier lacrosse program. I felt at home and a part of something bigger than myself.”
#19 Curren Johnsen • A/M • 6-0 • 185 • Brookhaven Hamlet, NY • Bellport High School
Johnsen was a five-year varsity lacrosse player, two-time team MVP and two-time All-County honoree at Bellport High School. Named a Newsday Top 100 Lacrosse Player on Long Island, Johnsen served as captain as both a junior and senior. He was named to the Suffolk Region Team and was a New York State Champion. Johnsen was also a six-year varsity golfer, two-time All-Division, three-time county qualifier and two-year captain. He was named to the Suffolk County All-Academic Team. Also in the classroom, Johnsen was a five-time scholar-athlete and member of the National Honor Society. He garnered the Bellport High School Senior Athlete Award, United States National Reserve Scholar-Athlete Award and Suffolk Zone Physical Education Award.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because of the tight-knit community on campus filled with great opportunities and relationships. To be able to compete at such a high level on the lacrosse field with a blue-collar, gritty play style and challenge myself in the classroom with just as high academics is what made Lehigh an easy choice for me when picking my college.”
#13 Andrew Kelly • A • 5-9 • 170 • Blue Bell, Pa. • La Salle College High School
Kelly garnered a number of awards in his time at La Salle College High School, capped off by first team All-State. He was a two-time first team All-Catholic honoree and named to the 2019 Under Armor All-America Philly Command Team, and 2020-21 All-America Philly Highlight Team. In the classroom, he was a member of the National Honor Society. Kelly also served as Class President, and was named a 2020 Philly Nike National All-Star.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh University because of the mix of strong academics and athletics. Additionally, I feel the Lehigh Lacrosse program has a culture based on winning and supporting each other on and off the field and can connect with the coaching staff on a personal level. “
#48 Johnny Kidd • FO/M • 5-11 • 165 • Leesburg, Va. • Paul VI Catholic High School
A four-year varsity player at Paul VI Catholic, Kidd was the starting faceoff specialist for Paul VI since his sophomore year. As a senior, Kidd held a faceoff percentage of 68.0 and led the team in groundballs with 57. He also made WCAC and VISAA All-State Recognition and received an award as Coach’s Player of the Year.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because it’s the perfect fit for me. Lehigh has the perfect combination of great academics and lacrosse. Campus is not far from where I live and I have family right outside of Bethlehem.”
#47 Luke McAuliffe • D • 6-0 • 190 • Sykesville, Md. • Calvert Hall College High School
A three-year varsity player at Calvert Hall, McAuliffe was a four-star recruit by Inside Lacrosse and ranked 55th in the class of 2022 by Lacrosse Playground. During his time, McAuliffe helped his team to the JV semifinals his rookie seasons. Also strong in the classroom, he was an honor roll student all four years.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because I loved the blue collar and hard-working mentality the program has. Even during the COVID restrictions, I felt at home when I visited campus. The academics are outstanding and set their players up for the future. Lastly, I believe Lehigh is a winning program and I want to be a part of it.”
#38 Bryce Pang • G • 5-11 • 195 • Matthews, NC • Deerfield Academy
Pang was named a 2022 All-American out of Deerfield Academy, and was also named to the New England West All-League Team. In 2021, he helped his team to the national championship. Pang was also ranked 58th in the NLF (National Lacrosse Federation) Player Rankings as a member of Team 91 Smash.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because of the great academic reputation it has and the success the lacrosse team has. It is easy to see the positive impact Lehigh has on its students and I cannot wait to be competing for a Patriot League Championship every year.”
#9 Henry Rayner • M • 6-4 • 220 • Mamaroneck, NY • Mamaroneck High School
A standout at Mamaroneck High School, was a two-time Section 1 All-League and All-Section honoree. He also garnered the Section 1 Mamaroneck High School Coaches Award. Rayner was named to the Lohud’s Elite 11 Watch List as well.
Why Lehigh? “I picked Lehigh because of the school’s strong academic reputation and lacrosse program.”
#22 Grant Rodny • A • 5-9 • 180 • Colorado Springs, Colo. • Air Academy
Rodny was named Game MVP of the Adrenaline All-American Game, capping off a senior season which also included US Lacrosse and Nike All-America honors. He was named Colorado 4A Player of the Year and first team All-State. Rodny posted a Colorado single-season goals record with 81, while finishing with 104 points. A two-time team captain as a junior and senior, Rodney was also a US Lacrosse All-American and first team All-State honoree during the shortened junior season. As a rookie, Rodny made an immediate impact, posting 94 points and garnering second team All-State. In the classroom, he recorded a 4.0 unweighted GPA and 4.78 weighted GPA.
Why Lehigh? “Academically, I knew Lehigh would provide me an opportunity to be challenged and take on rigorous classes in the pursuit of a prestigious degree. The IBE (Integrated Business and Engineering) program was very unique and appealed to me for this reason. In recruitment, the Lehigh Lacrosse coaches made me feel valued and wanted which is very motivating for me as an athlete and heavily swayed my decision.”
#14 Matthew Sparhuber • D/LSM • 5-10 • 180 • Port Jefferson Station, NY • Comsewogue High School
Sparhuber was an honorable mention All-American as a senior and honorable mention All-County honoree as a junior. He helped Comsewogue to back-to-back county championships, and was named his team’s Defenseman of the Year in 2022. As a senior, he caused 57 turnovers and also scored five goals. A multi-sport standout, Sparhuber was a two-time All-League honoree in soccer and garnered first team All-Conference in 2021. He was named the Suffolk County League 4 Goalie of the Year in 2022, when he also received All-County honors and helped Comsewogue to the league championship. Sparhuber was captain for both lacrosse and soccer as a senior. In the classroom, he was a member of the National Honor Society.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh to not only be a part of a top ranked program, but also for the amazing academics and networking outside of Lehigh as well. Along with the academics, the coaches are also legends. Coach Cassese went to my blue collar public high school, so I of course felt a special connection there and thought it was only fitting to follow him up to Lehigh. I’m honored to become the first player from my high school to go and be coached by him.”
#18 Peter Theodoropoulos • M • 5-9 • 165 • Manorville, NY • Eastport South Manor High School
Ranked a four-star recruit by Inside Lacrosse, Theodoropoulos was a three-year captain at Eastport South Manor and led his team in points as a junior and senior. Earlier in his career, he was the team’s Rookie of the Year, and ended up becoming a two-time All-County player. A multi-sport athlete, Theodoropoulos was named Unsung Hero in basketball and served as a senior captain. He was also a three-year captain in soccer and two-time All-Conference honoree. Strong in the classroom as well, Theodoropoulos was a member of the National Honor Society.
Why Lehigh? “Lehigh was the most perfect fit for me, between the prestigious academics along with one of the top lacrosse programs in the country. Relationships that were made with the coaches and players made it even easier to make my decision in Lehigh.”
#17 EJ Vasile • M • 5-9 • 170 • Lutherville, Md. • Calvert Hall College High School
Out of Calvert Hall, Vasile was a three-year varsity player and two-year starter as a first-line midfielder. He finished his senior season with 23 goals and four assists. In the classroom, Vasile was a member of the honor roll almost every semester. He was also Vice President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club at Calvert Hall.
Why Lehigh? “Lehigh is the perfect fit for me because of the highly-competitive academic community and top-notch lacrosse program. Also, I like to be surrounded by like-minded people who want to achieve at the highest levels.”
#36 Max Weisman • D • 6-0 • 200 • Miller Place, NY • Miller Place High School
Weisman was a five-year varsity lacrosse starter at Miller Place, along with two-year captain and two-time All-Division honoree. A multi-sport athlete, he was a three-year varsity football starter, also serving as a captain one year and garnering All-Division honors. Weisman was a four-year high honor roll student in the classroom and Senior Class Treasurer.
Why Lehigh? “I chose Lehigh because of the culture. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, on and off the field. The campus is awesome and a prestigious engineering program. After stepping foot on campus, I knew it was home.”
| # Surname | position | Ht./Wt. | Hometown/Previous School |
| #45 Richard Checo | LSM/D | 5-9/170 | Oakton, Va./St. John’s College High School |
| #19 Curren Johnsen | AT THE | 6-0/185 | Brookhaven Hamlet, NY/Bellport High School |
| #13 Andrew Kelly | A | 5-9/170 | Blue Bell, Pa./La Salle College High School |
| #48 Johnny Kidd | FO/M | 5-11/165 | Leesburg, Va./Paul VI Catholic High School |
| #47 Luke McAuliffe | D | 6-0/190 | Sykesville, Md./Calvert Hall College High School |
| #38 Bryce Pang | G | 5-11/195 | Matthews, NC/Deerfield Academy |
| #9 Henry Rayner | M | 6-4/220 | Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck High School |
| #22 Grant Rodny | A | 5-9/180 | Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy |
| #14 Matthew Sparhuber | D/LSM | 5-10/180 | Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue High School |
| #18 Peter Theodoropoulos | M | 5-9/165 | Manorville, NY/Eastport South Manor High School |
| #17 EJ Vasile | M | 5-9/170 | Lutherville, Md./Calvert Hall College High School |
| #36 Max Weisman | D | 6-0/200 | Miller Place, NY/Miller Place High School |
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