Freshman Jeff Teat joins Cornell as the team’s star recruit from Canada — originally hailing from Brampton, Ontario. The attackman graduated from lacrosse powerhouse Hill Academy and even added to his resume by attending the U-19 World Cup, scoring 11 points against the United States.
A top-20 prospect, Teat was a surprising catch for the Big Red. He was recruited three years ago as a sophomore in high school, and Teat chose Cornell due to the school’s excellent academics, proximity to home, and strong coaching staff. Teat especially emphasized the Big Red academics and his immediate affinity to the campus and location for playing major factors in his decision, adding that other top lacrosse programs “were never really a consideration.”
When asked to compare lacrosse at The Hill to Cornell, he said that training here is similar, except there is more emphasis on the weight room. Also, The Hill incorporated many elements of box lacrosse into its style, which is not commonly played in the U.S. Overall, Teat claims the athleticism, speed, and level of play is comparable to his past teams.
Teat grew up in a lacrosse family — his dad, Dan Teat, played professionally and he also spent time playing box lacrosse. He first transitioned to field lacrosse at nine years old, and his talents were tough to ignore. Box lacrosse still influences the way Teat plays, in fact, as he claims to prefer it over an outdoor field because of the intense pace and tight spaces.
Outside of Cornell, Teat continues to play for the Canadian National Team, this year getting promoted from the U-19 squad to a first spot on the roster of the senior group. Teat’s presence on the senior team is certainly an anomaly since only a small handful of players are even still just playing in college. He debuted this October in a showcase game in Denver and plans to continue his lacrosse career for as long as possible.
Teat is not the first to join the Big Red from The Hill Academy. Sophomore captain Clarke Petterson also attended, as yet another star produced by this renowned school. Teat went to The Hill for his entire high school career, and, despite it being one of the top high schools in the world for lacrosse (nearly every member of the class of 2020 is now playing Division I lacrosse), Teat always stood out.
In terms of goals for the upcoming season, he hopes to branch out of his strengths and try new things. For example, Teat would like to work on playing with his off right hand for at least passing. As for team objectives, he sees the Big Red coming together as a group to win some games and aims for an Ivy League Championship as the ultimate goal. Of course, Teat will play no small part in leading the offense through a strong season.
When asked if his dad will be coming to games and critiquing his play, Teat smiled, “Always.”
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