Toll commits to Vermont
Zack Toll just celebrated his 17th birthday and already has his future mapped out.
The Oshawa native recently committed to the University of Vermont for the 2025/26 season to play lacrosse and study communications.
Toll, who is in Grade 11 at Culver Military Academy in Indiana, is thrilled to have the matter settled.
“It was really stressful, especially with the structure here. Your schedule is already busy to begin with and then dealing with colleges coaches wanting to call you, but it went pretty good,” Toll said.
Toll said it was love at first sight when he took a tour of the campus earlier this month.
“I really fell in love with their campus, the way academics is on the one side and athletics and lacrosse was on the other side. I fell in love with that part of the campus and the coaching staff really stood out to me. They’re great people who I could see coaching me,” he said.
The Vermont coaching staff had been following Toll since seeing him play in a couple of showcase events last summer. They reached out Sept. 1, the first day schools can officially contact players, and quickly arranged a visit.
“Another school was talking to me and I couldn’t get out to their campus and I can’t imagine picking my next four years of college off a phone call,” he said. “It was huge to go to the school, meet the team. I saw a practice and it was great being there in person.”
Toll is coming off an outstanding rookie season with the St. Catharines WMKL Athletics, who made him their first selection (fourth overall) in the 2023 Ontario Junior Lacrosse League draft.
Zack Toll, whose father Steve Toll is the A’s head coach, collected 17 goals and 41 points in 16 games and quickly showed he was going to be a standout junior A player.
“I’m thankful for all those coaches, they taught me my first year playing with older guys and taught me to grow up a little bit,” Zack Toll said. “You’re going to get bumped around a little bit but that’s what you get when you’re playing with these bigger guys. They set me up huge for the future and I can’t thank them enough.”
A’s general manager Jeff Chcoski is thrilled for Zack Toll.
“We obviously knew when we drafted him he was going to be an impact player for many reasons,” Chcoski said. “He is a quiet guy in the dressing room and gained respect pretty darn quick. We all know the situation with his father and we had planned to draft him since I was here.
“He’s a special kid and the sky is the limit for him.”
Toll is preparing for Vermont at Culver, where dad is the school’s defensive coach.
“I thought this place was the best to prepare you for college. It’s the best move to decide to come here,” Zack Toll said.
Life at Culver is strictly regimented beginning with a 6:30 a.m. wake up call, followed by several inspections, school and lacrosse.
“At the start it took a lot. It was a whole new world I was living in when I first got here with all the obligations you have,” Zack Toll said.
He said the first week at school focused only on military training.
“They’re just pounding you with military stuff and then when you just drill it into your head it becomes more natural,” he said. “Once you get into the routine it gets easier from there and this place is super helpful. If you reach out to anyone, they will help you to the best of their abilities.”
Three other members of the Athletics organization recently committed to schools and will be profiled in the coming weeks — Noah Snyder (Marquette), Ty Wilson (Robert Morris) and Carson Robins (High Point).
“We’re super excited for him and all the kids that committed,” Chcoski said.
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