Hills West’s Own Commit to ACC Powerhouses

Two of the most sought after recruits in the class of 2025 lacrosse players in the country, and Hills West’s own, Anthony Raio (number 14 nationally) and Joe Filardi (number 29 nationally) have committed to NCAA D1 and ACC powerhouses. 

These two have been playing sports together since they were little kids, whether that be on the football field or for the 2025 powerhouse team 91 LI Shock. Now they have both committed as Anthony Raio committed to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, while Joe Filardi committed to Syracuse University. 

For Raio “September 1 was nerve-racking for me because I did not know what to expect. Raio went on to say, “the thing that swayed me toward UNC was the balance between great academics and great lacrosse. I liked the vision they had for me and my future as a Tar Heel and I also loved the direction the team was heading”. Raio visited other schools such as Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia, and Syracuse. At UNC he will be teaming up with other highly talented prospects, even one of his 91 Shock teammate 

As for Filardi, he said that “after my Syracuse visit, comparing it to the other schools it felt like the best fit for me and my family. The Syracuse coaches made a very strong effort in recruiting me by coming to my house on September 2nd and also staying in contact over the phone a bunch.” Joe was also in contact with other well known schools such as North Carolina and Virginia. Joe will be with many high ranked recruits at Syracuse and a strong line of players from Long Island

Good luck to Filardi and Raio as they look to have a strong final 2 seasons here at West and take their talents to the next level.