DETROIT (8/12/2014) -- Coming off a fourth-straight appearance in the MAAC Championship Semifinals, the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team has added seven talented student athletes for the upcoming season in Andrew Cook, Will Kane, Connor Maks, Greg Marzec, Austin Ross, Brett Spanski, and Terry Yarbrough II.
 
Cook, Marks, Kane, Ross and Spanski will enter as freshmen this fall, while Yarbrough will have three years of eligibility coming from a junior college and Marzac with three as he played his freshman year with Boston University. 

"These seven guys are very athletic and a good mix of offensive and defensive talent to add to our program," said head coach Chris Kolon '09 (MBA). "They are a great group of kids who have stayed with us during this entire transition, and tt has been great to really get to know all the recruits and their families at the SOAR events that we have had here at the University this summer."
 

Terry Yarbrough II * Midfielder * 6-0 * 180-LB * Alexandria, Va. * Hayfield HS/Northern Virginia CC
Yarbrough spent the last two years at Northern Virginia Community College and was the first person to ever sign with the newly formed lacrosse program. After redshirting as a freshman in 2013, he scored 22 goals with 10 assists in 2014 and was also named a scholar athlete. In high school, he earned 11 varsity letters with four in lacrosse, three in basketball and golf and one in track and field. As a senior, he again led his team in scoring and ended his prep career with back-to-back team MVP honors and was twice tabbed All-District, All-Region and All-State. In his junior campaign, he led the team in scoring with 45 goals and set a school record with eight markers in one game. He was the runner-up to Player of the Year for the National District.









Andrew Cook * Goalie * 5-7 * 162-LB * Cincinnati, Ohio * Archbishop Moeller
Cook is a goalie from Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati - the same high school that has produced a number of professional athletes including Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Larkin - is coming off a senior campaign that saw him earn All-Region accolades as he posted a .610 save percentage. The netminder was a Brine All-American playing for Team Ohio at the Brine National Classic last summer and plays club for Titanium Ohio. He was selected an All-Star at the Summer Slam in 2013 and also played for Titanium at UP Lax and the Tri-State National Lax Fest and attended Top 205. 








 

Will Kane * Defense * 6-1 * 210-LB * Dallas, Tx. * Dallas Jesuit
The first-ever Titan recruit from the state of Texas, Kane is a three-year letter winner in lacrosse and earned a letter in football. He guided a defensive front that helped the Rangers to three-straight state semifinal appearances and a runner-up effort. He was selected the team defensive MVP as a freshman and earned Texas T99 All-Star and Laxachusetts Tournament All-Star while playing for the Iron Horse Lacrosse Club.
 










Connor Maks * Attack * 5-11 * 185-LB * Beverly Hills, Mich. * Detroit Jesuit
Marks attended Vermont this past year, but did not play lacrosse leaving him with four years of eligibility. He earned three varsity letters in lacrosse and tennis at Detroit Jesuit and had numerous accolades. A two-time team captain and three-time All-League recipient, he was an All-American and First Team All-State as a senior. He was also All-Region as a sophomore, Second Team All-Midwest as a junior and senior and Second Team All-State as a junior.
 










Greg Marzec * Midfield * 5-8 * 205-LB * Livonia, Mich. * Brother Rice
 
Marzec comes to Detroit after he spent his freshman campaign with first-year Division I program Boston University. With the Terriers, he saw action in four games and was 2-of-3 in faceoffs with a ground ball. A local kid from Brother Rice, he was a two-time varsity letter winner in high school and was named First Team All-Midwest and All-League as a senior. He helped Brother Rice win a state title as a junior as well as back-to-back conference championships in his two years. 










Austin Ross * Midfielder * 6-1 * 190-LB * Warren, Mich. * Warren Mott
A midfielder from nearby Warren, Ross was a four-year letter winner in lacrosse. He was named All-State Third Team Specialist as a defensive midfielder in 2014 and was also All County and All-Conference First Team as a junior and senior and First Team All-Region as a junior. He poured in 126 goals and added 77 assists in his prep career. He played club with East Side Lacrosse and Go Blue Lacrosse, helping East Side to a Roller Coaster Rumble title and a Michigan Wolverine Tournament Championship with GBL.
 










Brett Spanski * Midfielder * 6-4 * 220-LB * Traverse City, Mich. * Traverse City Central                               
Spanski hails from up north in Traverse City and is believed to be the first Michigan player north of Grand Rapids to sign with a Division I school. He played four years of varsity lacrosse as well as two on the hardwood. He tallied over 80 goals and 35 assists in his prep career and was the Northern Michigan Lacrosse Conference (NMLC) Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior as well as a NMLC All Star in 2011, 2012, 2013. He played club with the Traverse City Thunder Squirrels and was the squad's Offensive Player of the year in 2012 and 2013.

The seven signees also join a 2014 recruiting class that saw Detroit ink nine student athletes earlier in the year in Mark Anstead (Potomac, Md./Gonzaga), Sean Birney (Plymouth, Mich./Catholic Central), Jeff Fernandes (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson), Brady Gagner (Scottsdale Ariz./Brophy Prep), Charlie Hayes (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower), Adam Perroni (Whitby, Ontario/Donald A. Wilson), Austin Polson-McCannon (Prior Lake Minn./Prior Lake), Travis Sparling (Novi, Mich./Novi) and Michael Turnbull (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne). 

The Titans - who announced Chris Kolon '09 (MBA) as their second head coach in school history on July 14 - are set to return over 35 players from last year's team, including All-MAAC First Team members in senior attackman Shayne Adams, junior defender Paul Bitetti and sophomore goalie Jason Weber along with two-time All-Conference midfielder in senior Mike Birney and 2014 Second Team midfielder Scott Drummond.