Men's Lacrosse Inks Three Recruits During Early Signing Period
12/30/2002 1:47:14 PM | Men's Lacrosse
The Syracuse University men's lacrosse program had three recruits sign national letters of intent during the early signing period. The trio helps the Orangemen fill needs at the face-off and defensive positions. Dan Brennan (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale H.S.), Dustin Palmer (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.), and Steven Panarelli (Massapequa, N.Y./Farmingdale H.S.) have all committed to play lacrosse for the Orangemen beginning in the fall of 2003.
Palmer is the first recruit from the state of Colorado to sign with the Orangemen.
Brennan and Panarelli are football and lacrosse teammates at Farmingdale High School on Long Island. The last Orangeman who came from Farmingdale High School was goalie Rob Mulligan, who played for Syracuse from 1998-2001, and served as captain of the 2000 NCAA championship squad.
Brennan and Panarelli are all set to serve as co-captains for the defending Nassau County boys lacrosse champion Dalers this spring. In their first three seasons on varsity, the pair helped Farmingdale compile a 56-8 record. This past fall, the duo helped the Daler football team earn a county championship. As juniors, their squad captured a Long Island football championship.
A 6-1, 195-pound midfielder, Brennan has totalled 10 goals, 20 assists, 150 groundballs and a .705 faceoff winning percentage during his scholastic career. He was a member of the Long Island Empire State Games team that won gold in 2001 and 2002. He was named to the All-Long Island and All-Nassau County teams as a sophomore and a junior. Brennan's older brother, Kevin, will be a senior on the Duke University men's lacrosse team this spring. His sister, Dee, played basketball and lacrosse at Hofstra University from 1996-2000.
In addition to being a leader on the football and lacrosse fields, Panarelli is a captain of the wrestling team, where he has earned all-county honors the past two seasons. At 6-0, 185 pounds, he is a defenseman in lacrosse. He is a three-time all-county lacrosse player and last year earned All-America honors after being recognized as the Defensive Player of the Game in the Nassau County Championship contest. In 2001 and 2002, Panarelli helped the Long Island Empire State Games team win gold. This year, he was selected to the United States Under-19 lacrosse team.
Palmer is a 6-1, 200-pound defenseman who gained valuable experience playing for Team Colorado from the time he was a freshman. He earned all-state honors in lacrosse his junior year when his team took home the state championship. He was also a first-team All-Centennial League selection. As a defensive lineman on the Cherry Creek High School football team this past fall, Palmer earned second-team All-Centennial League laurels. He was voted his lacrosse team's co-Defensive MVP in 2002, and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Syracuse is the defending NCAA Division I men's lacrosse champion. The program has won eight national titles (1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2002), and has appeared in 20 consecutive final fours.
