Eastside Catholic senior Colin MacIlvennie has signed a National Letter of Intent to play NCAA Division I lacrosse at the University of Maryland.

A Maple Valley, Wash. resident, the 2013 US Lacrosse High School All-American and two-time All-State midfielder now becomes the third Crusaders student-athlete in the last two weeks to commit to play Division I lacrosse and fourth this year to the NCAA level.

Last week, two Crusaders committed to NCAA Division I schools with sophomore goaltender Josh Matte making a verbal commitment to play at the University of Denver, while junior defender Arend Broekmate committed to Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College. At the Division III level, attackman Ross Komenda has committed to play lacrosse at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

When MacIlvennie joins coach John Tillman's Terrapins squad for the 2014-15 school year he will be one of just three Maryland players from West Coast high schools, and all time just the second from Washington state to play for the Terps. O’Dea High School lacrosse coach and MLL stand-out with the Denver Outlaws Drew Snider was the first.

“To be able to play for such a rich and traditional program as Maryland and such a well-respected coach as John Tillman is great honor,” said MacIlvennie who signed his NLI on the Eastside Catholic campus this afternoon with friends, teammates and the Crusaders coaching staff looking on. “I knew right when I stepped on campus that Maryland was the place for me. It feels great to be a Terp.”

In 2013, Maryland advanced to the NCAA Men’s Division I Tournament for the 11th consecutive year finishing its season with a 10-3-0 record.

The Terps’ 2013 NCAA opening-round loss to Cornell came on the heals of back-to-back NCAA title game appearances where Maryland finished as Men’s Division I runner-up in 2011 and 2012.

At Eastside Catholic, MacIlvennie is a two-sport athlete starting at midfield in lacrosse and wide receiver in football.

In lacrosse, MacIllvennie finished first among Crusaders during the 2013 spring season with 73 points (44g, 29a) and led Division I with 64 ground balls. His performance helped Eastside Catholic finished with a 13-3-0 record advancing to the semifinals of the Washington Lacrosse Boys State Tournament before falling to eventual state champion Bellevue High School.

Last spring, a record 53 high school graduates from Washington state earned varsity lacrosse roster spots at NCAA Division I, II and III schools.