Whether it’s the long history with the high school game, numerous successes of local colleges, or the presence of a local professional team, the Rochester area has always had strong ties to lacrosse. And it’s no secret that Section V is one of the top talent producers, not only in New York state, but the entire country.
The United States’ 250th anniversary has prompted our mission to find the top players across several high school sports, and boys lacrosse’s time is here.
We parsed through lists of All-Americans and All-Greater Rochester selections, and sought input from several local high school coaches in an attempt to answer this question: Who is the best boys lacrosse player in Section V history?
Of course, there is no right answer. One historian’s preference surely wouldn’t match another’s. In a sport that’s evolved to such a drastic degree, how can one possibly compare excellence back in the heyday to now?
Regardless, that’s the task at hand. We’ve whittled our list down to 20 players, though many more could warrant consideration. See an obvious omission? Let us know.
Drew Coholan, Irondequoit
Coholan was named to three All-Greater Rochester teams and was a two-time All-American for the Eagles while flipping between attack and midfield. He played at Hofstra after high school.
Jared Conners, Pittsford
One of the top defenders to step foot in Section V, Conners’ resume includes two AGR picks, two All-American selections and was twice named Section V’s top defenseman. At one point during his high school career, Conners was considered the No. 4 defenseman in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse. After his time at Pittsford, Conners competed at Virginia for five seasons and was a three-time All-American. In 2021 he led the nation in ground balls among non-FOGOs.
Terry Corcoran, Corning East
Believe it or not, Corning was a member of Section V from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s. The Corcoran family fingerprints are all over New York state’s lacrosse history. Terry Corcoran, prior to numerous coaching stops in both high school and college including Aquinas and McQuaid, was a two-time All-American in high school. He later starred at Hobart, helping the Statesmen win two Division III national titles (which included an undefeated season in 1977).
Thomas Gravino, Victor
The most recent Section V player on this list, Gravino is still competing collegiately at Maryland. The midfielder helped Victor reach the state final during his senior year in 2023, scoring 73 goals from the midfield position. He was named an All-American twice, and All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year his final varsity season.
Dan Groot, Canandaigua
Groot led Canandaigua to back-to-back Section V titles in 2004 and 2005, and was named an All-American, Finger Lakes Player of the Year and Section V Offensive Player of the Year the latter season. Groot then attended Maryland, where he was considered one of the nation’s top midfielders.
Jack Hinderland, Webster Thomas
Another two-time All-American during his high school career, Hinderland was Monroe County’s Player of the Year as a senior when he led Section V with 79 goals. After high school, he attended the US Naval Academy.
TD Ierlan, Victor
Arguably the sport’s greatest FOGO at any level, the 2016 Victor graduate’s list of accolades is long. A few of note: Ierlan was a two-time USA Lacrosse All-American, two-time All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year and the Democrat and Chronicle’s All-Decade top player for the 2010s. His sterling performance at the faceoff X helped Victor capture state titles his junior and senior seasons. Ierlan had collegiate stops at Albany, Yale and Denver and holds several NCAA records.
Jeff Long, Irondequoit
One of a few players on this list to compete in the Upstate Lacrosse League, it’d be impossible to tell the history of Irondequoit lacrosse without Long. A member of the USA Lacrosse, Greater Rochester Lacrosse and US Naval Academy hall of fames, Long’s success on the field can be traced back to his time with the Indians in the 1970s, when he exited high school as Section V’s all-time scoring leader. That scoring ability continued at the Naval Academy, where he became the team’s all-time leading scorer and a three-time All-American.
Michael Manley, Penn Yan
When the Democrat and Chronicle resurrected All-Greater Rochester for boys lacrosse in 2007, the then-senior Manley was an obvious choice for inclusion. A long-stick midfielder, Manley still managed to contribute 21 goals and nearly 50 points to Penn Yan’s dynastic program. Prior to his professional career, Manley was also a key player for Duke University.
Paul Murphy, Penfield
Recently named to the Greater Rochester Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Murphy was a two-time All-American at Penfield in the late 1980s. In college he helped Princeton win two national titles and was a team captain for one of those groups.
Brice Queener, Penn Yan
The Queener family is well-known for its contributions to local boys and girls lacrosse, and it’s Brice that receives the nod in this respect. Queener was a member of Penn Yan’s state title-winning team in 2001. That year, he recorded seven points and was named section tournament MVP in the Class B final, and was named an All-American after the season before heading to Georgetown. Queener became heavily involved in the women’s game as a coach following his playing career. He is currently the head coach at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Ben Reeves, Pal-Mac
The most prolific scorer in Section V history, Reeves’ 585 points rank third all-time in New York state history. The 2014 Pal-Mac grad is also the only local player to exceed 500 career points. He amassed 86 goals and 170 points his final varsity season, while leading the Raiders to their first section final appearance. The offensive production continued at Yale, where he is the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer and in the top 10 in NCAA history. Reeves won the Tewaaraton Award as the nation’s top player in 2018.
Blaze Riorden, Fairport
The 2012 All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year, Monroe County Player of the Year and All-American selection led Fairport to a 20-1 record and state semifinal appearance his final varsity season, when he posted a 68.4 save percentage. Riorden later backstopped UAlbany. During the 2017 NCAA tournament, Riorden became a viral sensation when he became one of the few known goalies to go coast-to-coast for a goal. That play was nominated for an ESPY.
Tom Rosa, Rush-Henrietta (Sperry)
Rosa won nearly 300 faceoffs in 1982, an eye-popping total for the sectional championship team. But Rosa wasn’t a typical faceoff specialist, as he stayed on the field and contributed strong offensive numbers too. In college, Rosa led Hobart to four consecutive national titles and was the Division III Player of the Year in 1986.
Brent Rothfuss, Penfield
Rothfuss was a star player for Penfield in the early 1990s, leading his team to two straight Section V titles. Rothfuss later attended Nazareth, where he pushed the Golden Flyers to national titles in 1996 and 1997. He graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer and was the Division III Player of the Year in 1997. Rothfuss has also had a major impact in the youth lacrosse circuit. In 2017, he founded the Aces girls club program, home to many of the area’s top high school players.
Tim Soudan, Fairport
Soudan is the only player on this list to make the inaugural All-Greater Rochester team in 1986. He helped Fairport win consecutive Section V titles his sophomore and junior seasons, scoring a then-school record 56 goals the latter year. Soudan’s greatest success, though, might’ve been as a professional. He competed for both the Rochester Rattlers and Knighthawks, and was named to the latter’s inaugural hall of fame class in 2009.
Jamie Trimboli, Victor
The second player on this list from the Blue Devils’ 2010s dynasty, Trimboli won a pair of state titles and was twice named All-Greater Rochester and an All-American. Trimboli also played for Syracuse, where he was an impact player from Day 1. The midfielder was a four-time All-American and two-time captain for the Orange.
Guy Van Arsdale, Geneva
Geneva is the region’s oldest program, so it’s only appropriate such a program is represented. And who better than Van Arsdale, a two-time All-American goalie for the Panthers. Van Arsdale played collegiately at Hobart, and has enjoyed several coaching stops including RIT.
Joe Walters, Irondequoit
A decorated high school player, Walters was the top scorer on Irondequoit’s championship team in 2001 and led the Indians back to the final in 2002 as a senior. His playing career really took off in college at Maryland. He was named the ACC’s top rookie in 2003, then the conference’s top player in 2004 and 2006. He was drafted No. 1 overall in the Major Lacrosse League after his final college season. Walters’ professional career also included three league titles with the Rochester Knighthawks.
Andrew Whipple, Irondequoit
Before his time leading a powerhouse program at Pittsford, Whipple was a star in his own right for a storied team in Irondequoit. A sectional champion each year of his high school career, Whipple was a two-time All-American (1992, 1993) who exited high school as Section V’s all-time leading point-getter. After high school, Whipple enjoyed a strong collegiate career at Maryland, where he competed in three NCAA championship games, was the ACC’s Freshman of the Year in 1995 and an All-ACC selection in 1997.
Justin Ritzel is a sports reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on Section V athletics and high school trends.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Vote for Section V’s greatest boys lacrosse player of all time