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There’s plenty of family lineage tying Marco Petruccelli to Harvard. Both of Petruccelli’s parents, Armando and Susie, are Crimson alums. The Team 91 2027 Machine and Manhasset midfielder also had the requisite elite grades to be considered for a spot on an Ivy League roster.
So it made a lot of sense that Petruccelli would give Harvard a strong look once Sept. 1 finally hit and college coaches could finally talk to players in the class of 2027. Despite that, though, Petruccelli was confident that he would take his time to make sure he gave schools a good look before making his decisions.
Best-laid plans and whatnot, though there was nothing awry for Petruccelli.
“I had a lot of schools reach out after midnight and had many calls scheduled for the next day,” Petruccelli said. “I definitely would have taken those calls and some visits. (Harvard head coach) Coach (Gerry) Byrne texted me to talk later, and I actually shot him a FaceTime at 1:30 in the morning. It was one of the best phone calls I’ve ever had in my life. After that happened, I knew I was going to commit to Harvard. I didn’t go into the call expecting to commit, but after the call, I didn’t want to think about being anywhere else.”
No Need to Wait
Petruccelli issued a verbal commitment to the Crimson, becoming the first Team 91 2027 to commit. He’s the fourth 91 alum to commit to Harvard, joining a trio of St. Anthony’s alums in those ranks. ’19 Orange LSM Greg Campisi was an All-Ivy LSM for the Crimson before playing at Notre Dame last year as a grad transfer. ’23 Bandits attackman Jack Speidell was a second-team All-Ivy selection as a sophomore last year after scoring 46 goals and adding 13 assists. ’23 Bandits midfielder Jackson Greene has battled injuries in his first two years but should figure prominently in the Crimson’s offense over the next two years.
A dynamic high-IQ lefty midfielder who seemingly always makes the right play, Petruccelli was a bit apprehensive heading into Sept. 1 because of the uncertainty that comes with the whole recruiting process. His nerves relaxed once he saw how in-demand he was, and he saw no reason to deviate from the checklist he carried into the process.
“I wanted to go to a school where I could compete for a national championship and Harvard is definitely getting there. Their playoff run this year was exciting,” Petruccelli said. “The academics are huge, obviously. It’s one of the greatest schools in the world. My parents always told me academics came first and that I wasn’t allowed to do much other than see my family if I didn’t have good grades. From my limited conversations and meeting through camps and prospect days, Coach Byrne and (Harvard assistant coach) Coach Hutch (Neil Hutchinson) are great. Everyone just seemed so amazing. It checked every single box that I had and it was hard to not say yes right away.”
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters
Big Get for the Crimson
Petruccelli has established himself as one of the top midfielders in the class for some time. A four-star recruit by the National Lacrosse Federation (No. 59 overall) and Inside Lacrosse (No. 61 overall), he is a true midfielder in every sense of the word. An outstanding passer, Petruccelli can initiate the offense off the dodge. He collected 21 goals and doled out 15 assists for a Manhasset team that reached the Nassau County championship game this spring. The Crimson landed a player comfortable in any situation, and he’s the type of middie that every championship team needs. He’s been filling that role for the Machine for a long time, too.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Marco for his commitment to Harvard’s admissions process,” Team 91 founder and 2027 Machine head coach Brian Spallina said. “He’s a lifer with the Machine and completely bought in to everything that we preached. Marco’s got an incredible work ethic both on and off the field as you can tell from him having the on-field talent and off-field grades for Harvard. He’s a fierce competitor that’s made so many plays all over the field for us and he’s been a vital part of all of the success that the Machine has had. I’m so excited that he’s going to such a phenomenal school and I can’t wait to see the impact that he has for the Crimson.”
Long Time Coming
It’s been a long time coming for Petruccelli, who joined the Machine at a young age and has been a mainstay of what’s continually been one of the country’s top teams in the 2027 age group. He’s seen the impact that the year-round practices and tournaments have had, particularly with a tight-knit group that’s already in high demand with college coaches.
“I credit most of my development to the 91 program,” Petruccelli said. “My Manhasset coaches, along with other coaches along the way, have helped me as well. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to join 91 at a young age. We’re fortunate to have the founder of Team 91 as our coach and he’s very devoted to our team. People often have to choose between quality or quantity, but we had both. We practiced four to five times a week for years and we weren’t going through the motions. We were competing, and you’re going to improve when you’re playing the best competition every day. My teammates are awesome lacrosse players and human beings, and I’m so thankful for them.”