STATE COLLEGE, Pa., January 8, 2002 - Penn State men's lacrosse head coach Glenn Thiel recently announced the signing of five new recruits from three different states. Elliot Jones (Potomac, Md.), Sean Etter (Annapolis, Md.), Greg Gurenlian (Springfield, Pa.), Chris Gannett (Downingtown, Pa.) and Steve Solomon (Woodson, Va.) will join the team beginning the 2003 season.

Two of the signees hail from the state of Maryland. Jones is a midfielder from Potomac, Md. He is a three-sport athlete at Bullis School earning letters in lacrosse, football and basketball. An All-Prince Georges County selection, he has excellent field speed.

Etter a defenseman from Annapolis Md. He also earned All-Anne Arundel County as a junior and is a member of the lacrosse and football squads at the Severn School.

Gurenlian and Gannett are Keystone State natives. Gurenlian is team captain of the lacrosse and soccer teams at Springfield High School. A quick and aggressive player, he was named Most Valuable Player by his teammates as a midfielder and selected 2nd team all-state as a junior. Gurenlian will assist the Lions with the face-off game.

Gannett is a speedy attackman from Downingtown High School. He led the team in scoring as a junior and was picked 1st team all-conference.

Rounding out the list of 2002 signees is Solomon. Solomon is a 6-5 midfielder who played lacrosse and football at Wooden High School in Woodson Va.

Coach Thiel is very enthusiastic about the new group of future.

"We are very pleased with the athletic and lacrosse potential of this group of young men," states Thiel about the incoming freshman. "The three midfielders are all around middies that play both ends of the field. Sean [Etter] is a tenacious defender and Chris [Gannett] has the makings of being a fine Division I attackman."

The Nittany Lions open the regular season on the road at Notre Dame on Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. Prior to that game, Penn State will scrimmage the Alumni on Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. and Division III powerhouse Gettysburg on Feb. 9. Both scrimmages will be played at Holuba Hall.

Penn State returns 25 letterwinners from last year's 7-6 team. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 16 in Face-Off Yearbook's preseason poll.