First impressions go a long way in forming opinions. For Riley Glemnitz of Pitt Meadows, a recent trip to Baltimore with the Burnaby Mountain Selects senor elite field lacrosse team, helped cement what NCAA coaches have noticed dating back two years.
Burnaby Mountain Selects head coach Brent Hoskins says the big mid-fielder made a name for himself since he joined the renowned program two years ago. But a knee injury knee injury in the summer of 2011 put a small cloud on the promising player’s future hopes.
But Hoskins says dedication to overcoming that adversity has allowed one of his best players to rebound and establish himself as a top high-school recruit in Canada.
“First and foremost, Riley is a fantastic athlete,” says Hoskins, who also serves as head coach at Simon Fraser University. “He’s a gifted, physical player who makes his presence felt up and down the field.”
Glemnitz recently competed at the Fall Lax Invitational Tournament, considered one of the top recruiting events hosted by Hall of Fame coach Dave Cottle.
The Baltimore coach has compiled a 279-115 record in 28 seasons at Loyola College and the University of Maryland. He ranks fifth all-time in career victories and is tied for first all-time with 22 NCAA tournament appearances.
Hoskins says Glemnitz’s strong performance at the tournament should land him a scholarship from an NCAA Division 1 team.
For Glemnitz, he says he’s just thankful to be given the opportunity to play with the Selects.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to play in those kind of tournaments,” says the senior at Pitt Meadows secondary.
“We have such great coaches and players. The team’s success is testament to their hard work. I have nothing but great things to say about them.”
Hoskins says he was confident Glemnitz would bounce back following his injury. Seeing him play such a complete game while in Baltimore should open doors for the Pitt Meadows native.
For his part, Glemnitz is ultimately looking for the right fit should the NCAA come knocking. While he has talked with some coaches, he says a good education and the right playing environment will be his deciding factor.
“It needs to be the right place if I’m going to spend the next four years there,” says Glemnitz. It would be nice to play somewhere where we could compete for a national championship.”
Competing against some of Maryland’s top club teams, the Glemnitz and the Selects competed in front of more than 100 NCAA college coaches and recruiters at the event. The team finished with an impressive overall record of 4-2.
“Riley is such a great kid,” says Hoskins. “He’s the type of athlete that will be able to step up and contribute to whatever program he goes to.”
In six games in Baltimore, the Selects’ senior elite team out-scored their opponents by a margin of 42-27, posting an undefeated record of 3-0 on the first day of competition. They kept the ball rolling day two with an opening game win, before dropping their final two contests.
Coach Hoskins says Glemnitz proved he belonged against the e top high school players in Canada and the U.S.
The exceptional two-way player says that great coaching lead to his team’s overall success. He says it’s evident in how they were able to not only compete, but dominate against far more established U.S. programs that have been together far longer than the Selects.
“As a team, we’ve accomplished so much in our short time together. A lot of that credit goes to Brent and the rest of the coaches,” he says.