LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell men's lacrosse head coach Ed Stephenson announced the addition of 17 student-athletes that have signed with the River Hawks for the 2021 season. 
 
"These young men encompass the characteristics we've been targeting to build a nationally prominent program," commented Stephenson. "These are very bright and talented student-athletes who will be foremost ambassadors for UMass Lowell."
 
The incoming class features attackers Niall Cremin (Northborough, Mass.), Jake Davis (Franklin, Mass.), Ben Greco (Franklin, Mass.), Justin Longo (Kingston, N.Y.) and Ben Peffer (Newburyport, Mass.); midfielders Mason Carroll (Hollis, N.H.), Charles Katin (Pelham, N.H.), Sam Heppenstall (Duxbury, Mass.), Christian Moss (Upton, Mass.), Garrett Murphy (Billerica, Mass.) and Sean Parker (Flemington, N.J.); long-stick midfielders Gavin McGuckin (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Jack Sullivan (Franklin, Mass.); defenders Tanner Soudan (Fairport, N.Y. ) and Ethan Zupko (Livonia, Mich. ); faceoff Jack Bird (Buffalo, N.Y.); and goalie Anthony Mancino (Holbrook, N.Y.). 
 
RIVER HAWK LACROSSE PROFILES

Name: Niall Cremin
Hometown/High School: Northborough, Mass. / Lawrence Academy
Position: Attack
Height: 6-3 Weight: 190
Club: Laxachusetts
Major/Minor: Exercise Physiology
 
High School/Previous School: Captain of lacrosse team in his senior year… Awarded honorable mention for All-Independent School League Midfielder during his junior campaign. 
 
Personal: Son of Eileen and Cornelius Cremin of Northborough, Mass. … Has two older siblings, Aidan and Jackalyn … Enjoys reading, video games, podcasts and swimming … Likes to watch Game of Thrones and Workaholics … His favorite teams are Liverpool FC and the Patriots … Lists Steven Gerrard and Tiger Woods as his favorite athletes … Favorite sports memory was beating rival, Thayer Academy in overtime during his junior year. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I chose UMass Lowell because of the instant connection I felt with the coaching staff and the opportunity to contribute to a building program."
 

Name: Jake Davis
Hometown/High School: Franklin, Mass. / Franklin High School
Position: Attack
Height: 6-1 Weight: 185
Club: Piatelli Kings
Major/Minor: Civil Engineering
 
High School/Previous School: Member of the varsity lacrosse and football team … Named Franklin High School Athlete of the Year during his final season … Named team captain of his senior lacrosse squad … Currently holds the school record for touchdown receptions with 12 … Finished career with 110 goals and 61 assists (171 points) … Two-time Hockomock League All-Conference selection … Eastern Mass All-Star … Rookie of the Year … Member of the National Honor Society … Student Government representative. 
 
Personal: Son of Kathy and Peter Davis of Franklin, Mass. …Has two siblings, Will and Luke … His brother, Will, is currently a member of the Saint Anslem's men's lacrosse team … Father Peter, played on the Merrimack lacrosse team from 1988-1992 … Enjoys going to the beach and being outside … His favorite shows are Prison Break and Friday Night Lights … Lists the Boston Celtics and Patriots as his favorite teams … Jayson Tatum and Tom Brady are his favorite athletes … Favorite sports memory was beating BC High School in overtime his junior year. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "Between the academics, facilities, and people it was a place that I could not pass up being a part of. Also, the coaching staff made me feel right at home."
 

Name: Ben Greco
Hometown/High School: Franklin, Mass. / Franklin High School
Position: Attack
Height: 5-11 Weight: 180
Club: Central Kings/Piatelli Lacrosse
Major/Minor: Civil Engineering 
 
High School/Previous School: Captain of his senior lacrosse and football squad … Hockomock League champions in his junior year … Awarded Hockomock League All-Star and Daily News All-Star … Currently holds school single season assist record with 72 … Member of the Honor Roll.
 
Personal: Son of Lori and Mark Greco of Franklin, Mass. … Has two siblings, Jack and Avery … Enjoys fishing, boating, traveling, music and hiking … The Office and SpongeBob are some of his favorite TV shows … Names the Red Sox and Patriots as his favorite sports teams … Tom Brady and Ed Reed are his favorite athletes … His most memorable sports moment was when he broke the single season assist record in high school. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "It gave me the grateful opportunity to play at the next level all while getting a great education and a nice feel on campus."
 

Name: Justin Longo
Hometown/High School: Kingston, N.Y. / Kingston High School
Position: Attack 
Height: 5-9 Weight: 160
Club: Swarm / New Jersey
Major/Minor: Business / Finance
 
High School/Previous School: Along with lacrosse, participated in football and track … Named to the league's All-Star team in football and reached the state semifinals in track during his final season … Two-time All-Team All-Star … Section IX All-League recipient … All-American Attackman in his junior campaign … Earned Rookie of The Year … Earned High Honor's. 
 
Personal: Son of Vikki and Dan Longo of Kingston, N.Y. …Has three younger siblings, Tyler, Brooke and Reese … His father played soccer at Buffalo University and his mother played softball at SUNY New Paltz … Enjoys fishing, swimming and hanging out with friends … True Crime is his favorite TV genre … Lists the New York Giants as his favorite sports team and Lionel Messi as his favorite athlete … Favorite sports memory was getting called up to varsity in ninth grade. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I liked the school and felt like the team was a good fit for the style of my play."
 

Name: Ben Peffer
Nickname: Benny Peff
Hometown/High School: Newburyport, Mass. / Phillips Exeter Academy
Position: Attack
Height: 5-7 Weight: 145
Club: New Hampshire Tomahawks
Major/Minor: International Business
 
High School/Previous School: Named team captain in his final season … Robert Kessler Boys Lacrosse Award recipient … Four-year varsity teammate … Participated in multiple school clubs including Kids Create and Beach cleanup.
 
Personal: Son of Jen and John Peffer of Kittery, Maine. … Has two siblings, Sam and Ali … His sister Ali, played for Drexel women's lacrosse (2017,2018) … Enjoys fishing and boating, golf and economics … Favorite TV show is Peeky Blinders … His favorite sports teams are the Boston Bruins and Patriots … Lists Tiger Woods as his favorite athlete … His favorite sports memory was beating Andover in the annual E/A junior year of high school.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "The wonderful business school reputation, as well as the Division I lacrosse program."
 

Name: Mason Carroll
Nickname: MaseCat
Hometown/High School: Hollis, N.H. / Bishop Guertin High School
Position: Midfield
Height: 6-5 Weight: 210
Club: New Hampshire Tomahawks
Major/Minor: Business Administration / Finance, Information Management. 
 
High School/Previous School: Four-year varsity lacrosse and basketball team member … Named lacrosse and basketball captain in his senior year … 2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19 but continued leadership role virtually and during sanctioned Bishop Guertin lacrosse events … All State Selection Division I … Coaches Award recipient … Selected to participate in the Life of an Athlete (LoA) Program - prevention program developed by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) … Student Ambassador … Honor Roll student. 
 
Personal: Son of Marybeth and Michael Carrol of Hollis, N.H. … His father Michael is a 1982 alumn of UMass Lowell … Has one older sibling, Bryn who played women's lacrosse at Holy Cross from 2016-2020 … Enjoys boating, surfing, being outdoors and hanging with friends … Lists Friends and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as his favorite TV shows … Names The Boston Bruins, Celtics and Seattle Seahawks as favorite professional teams … Russel Wilson and Kobe Bryant are some of his favorite athletes … Favorite sports moment was scoring a crucial goal in the Division I championship his junior year.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I chose UMass Lowell because I was extremely impressed with the campus, people and academic opportunities. From my first campus tour to the overnight stay with the men's lacrosse team it just felt like the right place for me."
 

Name: Charles Katin
Nickname: Charlie
Hometown/High School: Pelham, N.H. / Pelham High School
Position: Midfield
Height: 5-8 Weight: 180
Club: New Hampshire Tomahawks
Major/Minor: Exercise Science 
 
High School/Previous School: Varsity lacrosse and football team member at Pelham … Captain of his senior football squad and two-time lacrosse captain … Two-time Division II First Team All-Safety … Two-time Lowell All-Star and Honorable Mention … Two-time All-State Midfield … Honors in his junior and senior year … Member of the Athletic Leadership Group.
 
Personal: Son of Lisa and John Katin of Pelham, N.H. … Has two brothers, Joe and Tyler … Enjoys doing anything outdoors and hanging out with his brothers … Names his favorite TV show as Avatar … Names the Patriots and Bruins as some of his favorite sports teams … Lists Tom Brady as his most influential sports figure … Favorite sports memory was defeating Hopkinton his junior year to end their three year win-streak.  
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I have only heard great things about the exercise science program and wanted to be a part of it. From a lacrosse standpoint, I liked where the team was going and wanted to be able to compete at the highest level. After talking to some of the coaching staff, I felt they had the best interest for me as an overall student-athlete, wanting to help me succeed on and off the field."
 

Name: Sam Heppenstall
Nickname: Hep
Hometown/High School: Duxbury, Mass. / Duxbury High School
Position: Midfield       
Height: 6-0 Weight: 170
Club: Laxachusetts
Major/ Minor: Business
 
High School/Previous School: Three-sport athlete at Duxbury High, competing in lacrosse, football and basketball … Named captain of his senior lacrosse squad … Patriot League All-Star … Recorded 39 goals and 20 assists in his junior season … Three-time Patriot League Champion … Awarded Midfielder of the Year by his team …Three-year honor roll recipient. 
 
Personal: Son of Beth and John Heppenstall of Duxbury, Mass. … Has one older sister named Alex and younger brother named Rob … Enjoys boating, going to the beach, playing Xbox and road tripping with friends … Lists The Last Dance, Criminal Minds and All-American as his favorite TV shows … The Boston Bruins, Red Sox and New England Patriots are some of his favorite sports teams … Named Sean Taylor, Tom Brady and LeBron James as his most influential athletes … Favorite sports moment was playing in the football state championship at Gillette Stadium.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "It felt like a perfect fit for me to get a great education while competing at a high level of lacrosse at the same time. I also loved the size of the school and knew it would be a great community to get to know more people."
 

Name: Christian Moss
Nickname: CMoss
Hometown/High School: Upton, Mass. / Nipmuc Regional High School
Position: Midfield
Height: 5-11 Weight: 165
Club: Coyotes Lacrosse / Central Mass.
Major/Minor: Civil Engineering
 
High School/Previous School: Captain of his junior squad … Named to the First Team All-State … Two-time First Team All-League selection … Picked up a Second-Team All-League nod as a freshman … Member of his class Executive Board and Peer Leadership program.
 
Personal: Son of Janet and Thomas Moss of Upton, Mass. …Has one older sibling, Maggie … Enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding and mountain biking … Lists The Office as his favorite TV show … Named the Patriots as his favorite sports team … Favorite sports memory was scoring a game-tying goal and game-winning goal in same game. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "The academics and the team felt like home."
 

Name: Garrett Murphy
Hometown/High School: Billerica, Mass. / Billerica Memorial High School
Position: Midfield
Height: 5-10 Weight: 180
Club: Laxachusetts
Major/Minor: Civil Engineering
 
High School/Previous School: Three-sport athlete, participating in lacrosse, hockey and golf … Named captain during his senior season … Two-time All-Conference Second Team…Recognized as a Lowell Sun All-Star in his junior year … Earned High Honor Roll throughout high school…Member of DECA. 
 
Personal: Son of Donna and Steve Murphy of Billerica, Mass. … Both his mother and father are 1987 graduates of Lowell … Has three siblings, Shauna, Ross and Paige … Enjoys gaming, going to the beach and hanging out with friends … Lists Two and a Half Men, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the Big Bang Theory as his favorite TV shows … Named Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant as his favorite athletes … Favorite sports moment was getting to visit the Tsongas Center with his hockey team. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "Because it is close to home and both my parents went there. Also, it's a great engineering school along with a great lacrosse program."
 

Name: Sean Parker
Hometown/High School: Flemington, N.J. / Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Previous School: UMass Amherst
Position: Midfield
Height: 6-0 Weight: 180
Club: Leading Edge
Major/Minor: Finance / Economics
 
As A Freshman (At Amherst, 2019): Two-Time CAA Commissioners Honor Roll recipient… Made two appearances on the season against NJIT (3.9) and Utah (3.17). 
 
High School/Previous School: Varsity member of both the lacrosse and football team at Hunterdon Central … US Lacrosse All-America selection … First Team All-New Jersey … First Team Group 4 … Named to First Team Skylands Conference in his senior campaign … Member of the National Honor Society and Society of High School Scholars. 
 
Personal: Son of Pamela and Jeff Parker of Flemington, N.J. … Has one younger sibling, Shannon … Enjoys watching sports, Netflix and reading … Lists favorite TV Show as Last Chance U … Names the New York Jets as his favorite sports team … Favorite athlete is Tim Tebow ... Favorite sports memory was winning his first lacrosse county championship in his junior year. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I chose UMass Lowell for the combination of competitive athletics and excellent academics."
 

Name: Gavin McGuckin
Hometown/High School: Ann Arbor, Mich. / Northfield Mt. Hermon High School
Position: Long Stick Mid/Defense
Height: 6-0 Weight: 185
Club: True Michigan
Major/Minor: Business
 
High School/Previous School: Two-year varsity lacrosse captain … Named to All-League Western New England Prep School Team …Received academic honors throughout high school career. 
 
Personal: Son of Beverley and Thomas McGuckin of St. Petersburg, Fla. … Has two older siblings, Calum and Connor … Enjoys dry-walling and being a part of Big Brother Big Sister … Lists How I Met Your Mother, Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Letterkenny as his favorite TV shows … His favorite sports teams are the Detroit Lions and Detroit Red Wings … Favorite sports moment was beating rival, KUA, in his junior year … Can speak Chinese and lived half his life in China and Japan.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I chose to attend UMass Lowell because of the coaching staff and the team. I am excited to be apart this great new program!"
 

Name: Jack Sullivan
Nickname: Sully
Hometown/High School: Franklin, Mass. / Franklin High School
Position: Long Stick Mid
Height: 6-0 Weight: 165
Club: Central Kings
Major/Minor: Business / Marketing
 
High School/Previous School: Three-year varsity lacrosse member … Named team captain in his senior year … Earned youth lacrosse scholarship … Honor Roll Member … Part of DECA and Young Investors Society.
 
Personal: Son of Janet and John Sullivan of Franklin, Mass. …Has two younger siblings, Megan and Connor… Kevin Sullivan, uncle, played for the UConn men's ice hockey team and professionally for the Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder … Enjoys fishing and going to the beach with friends and family … Favorite TV show is Parks and Rec … Lists his favorite sports teams as the Boston Bruins and Patriots … Lists Tom Brady as his favorite athlete … Favorite sport memory was beating local rival in double overtime. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "I loved the coaches and players along with the emphasis on academic and athletic success. The coaches showed that they want you to be the best you can be in the classroom and on the field."
 

Name: Tanner Soudan
Hometown/High School: Fairport, N.Y. / Fairport High School
Position: Defense
Height: 5-11 Weight: 175
Club: 3D Upstate, Rochester
Major/Minor: Biology / Ecology
 
High School/Previous School: Two-year varsity captain … Named to First team All-County … Awarded Second Team All-Section 5 in his junior year … Honorable Mention for All-Greater Rochester … Part of Eighth Team All-State … Member of the National Honor Society. 
 
Personal: Son of Colleen and Tim Soudan of Fairport, N.Y. … Has one sibling, Kaitlyn … His dad played lacrosse at UMass Amherst from 1986-90, then played professionally in the Major Lacrosse League (Boston Blazers-1991-94, Rochester Knighthawks-1995-2005 and Rochester Rattlers-2001-2003) … Was also a member of Team USA lacrosse (1994-1998) … Enjoys playing video games and spending time with friends … Lists Rick and Morty as his favorite TV show … Lists The Chrome Lacrosse Club as his favorite sports team … Mike Manley, Joel White and his dad are some of his favorite athletes … Favorite sports memory was being able to play in a state championship.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "Great coaches, beautiful campus and a variety of majors I may be interested in."
 

Name: Ethan Zupko
Hometown/High School: Livonia, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central
Position: Defense
Height: 5-10 Weight: 170
Club: True Michigan
Major/Minor: Mechanical Engineering / Business
 
High School/Previous School: Named to Second Team All-State in his junior year … Helped lead his team to the state championship during his sophomore campaign … All-Region selection as a sophomore … Honor Roll … Member of the Latin Club. 
 
Personal: Son of Cari and Thomas Zupko of Livonia, Mich. … Has one older sibling, Dylan … Enjoys playing spike ball and making edits … Favorite TV shows are Lost, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead … His favorite sports teams are the Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and Patriots …Lists Kyle Hartzell as his favorite athlete … Favorite sports memory was winning the state championship against his high school's rival. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "Being on the east coast, the engineering program and close to family."
 

Name: Jack Bird
Hometown/High School: Buffalo, N.Y. / City Honors School
Position: Faceoff
Height: 6-0 Weight: 175
Club: Performax Prep / Buffalo
Major/Minor: Business Management
 
High School/Previous School: Two-time varsity lacrosse captain … Member of Team England Lacrosse … Faceoff Academy National Showcase Invitee featuring a 74% faceoff percentage … Team England Training Squad ...Won CDOS award and earned IB Certificate.
 
Personal: Son of Hinako and Jonathan Bird of Buffalo, N.Y. … Has one younger sibling, Maika … Enjoys fishing, hiking and Photoshop … Favorite TV show is The League … Favorite sports teams are the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabers and The Waterdogs Lacrosse Club … Lists Kobe Bryant, Josh Allen and Joe Nardella as some of his favorite athletes … Favorite sports memory was calling Coach Stephenson with family and friends after a practice to tell him he was committing to UMass Lowell and being the first Division I commit on his high school team.
 
Why UMass Lowell: "As soon as I stepped on campus, the facilities to the coaching staff to the campus all felt right. I immediately felt at home and wanted to be a part of the vision Coach Stephenson has for the program."
 

Name: Anthony Mancino
Nickname: Ant
Hometown/High School: Holbrook, N.Y. / Sachem North High School
Position: Goalie
Height: 5-8 Weight: 180
Club: FLG / Huntington
Major/Minor: Psychology
 
High School/Previous School: Named team captain of his senior squad … All-County selection his junior year … Called up to varsity lacrosse, starting in sophomore year.
 
Personal: Son of Claudette and Charlie Mancino of Holbrook, N.Y. …Has two siblings, Charles and Michael … Likes to read, bike and walk his dog … Favorite TV show is The Office … His favorite sports teams are The Chaos Lacrosse Club, New York Jets and Toronto Raptors … Lists LeBron James as his favorite athlete … Favorite sports moment was when he held the best team in Suffolk to a tie game. 
 
Why UMass Lowell: "The great education UMass Lowell offers and being a part of the lacrosse program."