Bethel Park lacrosse goalkeeper Owen Peters makes Division I commitment

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, July 25, 2021 | 8:01 AM

Bethel Park goalkeeper Owen Peters has been looking to advance his lacrosse career to the next level.

Mission accomplished.

Peters, a junior in 2020-21 who was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American following the spring season, recently announced his commitment to play for Mount St. Mary’s in the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference.

“It is the best fit for me athletically and academically,” Peters said. “I have much respect for the staff, lacrosse program and university.

“The lacrosse program is building something special there, and I want to be a part of it. My family is thrilled to have me three-and-a-half hours away so they can easily visit and watch all the home games.”

Peters plans to major in sports management.

“I’ve had the opportunity to take some high school classes in this field, and I knew immediately it was something I wanted to study more of and pursue as a career,” he said. “When I toured Mount St. Mary’s, I was able to meet one of the sports management professors. I learned I would possibly be able to intern with Baltimore-area professional teams, which sparked my interest even more.”

Mount St. Mary’s is a Catholic liberal arts university located near Emmitsburg, Md. In NEC men’s lacrosse, the Mountaineers compete against St. Joseph’s, Hobart, Bryant, Long Island (LIU), Merrimack, Wagner and Sacred Heart.

Mount St. Mary’s compiled a 2-5 conference record and was 4-9 overall this season.

“I’m very familiar with the NEC schools,” Peters said. “These teams are well-rounded, very competitive and have great potential in making the NCAA tournament each year. I look forward to playing with and against some of my summer friends from club lacrosse in this conference.”

Peters also heard from the likes of UMass, Saint Joseph’s, Towson, Bryant, Robert Morris, VMI, Seton Hill and Cabrini on his college recruiting trail.

“Recruiting was a long process, especially with the pandemic delaying Division 1 coaches from seeing me in person initially,” Peters said. “I was still able to enjoy the process, talking to multiple coaches, and eventually was able to step on many different college campuses to see what they had to offer. The coaches found more creative ways this past year to recruit, like Zoom calls and watching film.

“I want to thank my parents, coaches and teammates who have supported me throughout this process.”

Bethel Park coach Tim Schreiber believes Peters made an excellent choice in choosing the Mountaineers.

“I have high expectations for Owen at Mount St. Mary’s,” Schreiber said. “I believe Owen is a great fit as a goalie in the NEC. Many of the conference’s teams recruited him; they see him as a game-changer at that level.

“Top to bottom, the NEC one of the most competitive lacrosse conferences in the country. In most seasons, the NEC will usually have one to three teams make an appearance in the NCAA top 25 rankings. The winner of the NEC tournament gets an automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament. In recent years, Byant and former NEC member Robert Morris have played in some high-profile and highly competitive NCAA first-round games.”

Along with his All-American honor, Peters was voted all-WPIAL and all-section in Class 3A this season. He made 182 saves and averaged 6.8 goals allowed.

“Owen’s biggest strengths are his consistency and athletic ability,” Schreiber said. “Owen plays at a high level every game, and he moves very well in the cage.

“His consistency also carries over to the classroom. He puts in the work he needs to and doesn’t let his grades slip.”

The Black Hawks finished third in Section 1-3A, went 1-1 in the postseason and ended up 10-6 overall this spring.

“I look forward to building relationships with the incoming freshman for my last year at Bethel Park,” Peters said, “and I’m looking forward to a WPIAL championship run. I’m going to give everything I have to make that happen.

“The goalie’s job is to be the general of the defense. I try to be a leader for my teammates.”

In the offseason, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Peters competes for Dukes Lacrosse Club in Philadelphia, which was ranked 36th of 359 teams across the country this year.

“It’s a very competitive club team that has helped give me a lot of exposure to college coaches,” Peters said.

Peters, who enjoys working on graphics and film editing in his spare time along with bike riding and pickup basketball games, was named an all-star at the Adrenaline Platinum Cup event.

“During the offseason, I will continue to work on conditioning and footwork,” he said. “And it never hurts to keep practicing your stick skills.”

But next up — after a busy few months of showcases and tournaments, plus a tiring recruiting period — is a much-anticipated summer vacation.

“My mom, dad, sister and I are heading to Cape May, N.J.,” Peters said. “It’s one of our favorite places, and it’s been a while since we’ve been there due to the pandemic.

“I plan to relax on my vacation. And I’m looking forward to taking some downtime to celebrate my commitment to Mount St. Mary’s with my family at the beach.”

Tags: Bethel Park