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Sports

Hewlett Grad Leading the Way for Hofstra Lacrosse

Steven DeNapoli named captain for second consecutive season.

Steven DeNapoli has spent his life proving people wrong, both on and off the field.

"Not being the biggest guy around or being gifted athletically, I guess I tend to get overlooked," DeNapoli, 21, said. "It makes me work harder. I carry around a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I know I always have to prove myself."

Despite being vertically-challenged, the 5-foot-9-inch DeNapoli’s hard work and perseverance enabled him to earn All-America honors on the lacrosse field and All-County as quarterback while at .

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DeNapoli has continued to shine on the college lacrosse field at Hofstra. DeNapoli, one of the nation’s top short-stick defensive middies, was selected by his teammates as a captain prior to the 2011 season. It’s the second straight season that DeNapoli has been named a team captain.

“It’s a huge honor for me,” DeNapoli said. “Last season was a little different, because I was a junior and didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. I try to lead by example."

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Head coach Seth Tierney knew there was no doubt that DeNapoli would be one of his captains.

“Steven isn’t the most vocal guy around, but he’s one of the top lead-by-example guys I have ever coached,” Tierney said. “Everyone respects him because of how hard he works in practice, how much time he puts in off the field, and how well he plays on game day. On the field, he’s our heartbeat. He's not the biggest guy, but he covers the opponent’s best midfielder, and never backs down. He has a will to win that’s unparalleled.”

DeNapoli also has the honor this season of wearing the #27 jersey, the number of former Hofstra player Nick Colleluori, who died in November 2006 after a 14-month battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. One senior who best epitomizes Colleluori's spirit and toughness is selected each season to keep the number in play.

On the field, DeNapoli has performed stalwartly for the Pride. He’s the type of player who likes to get in between the lines, clear the zone, pick up ground balls, and make things happen in transition. As a junior, he led the team with 49 ground balls and was tied for second with 13 caused turnovers. He was named second team All-CAA as a sophomore, and was a member of the CAA All-Rookie team as a freshman.

"We had a disappointing ending to the season last year, so this season I have spoken up a lot more about trying to do things different from the way we have in the past," he said. "We’ve done a lot more bonding as a team, and have been focusing on trying to be as unified as possible. We’re a very close group.”

Hofstra, the fourth-ranked team in the nation, is off to a terrific start in 2011. The Pride knocked off Colgate and Sacred Heart, and followed those victories up with an 11-9 win over nationally-ranked Princeton, and a 15-9 win over Harvard. DeNapoli has 19 ground balls on the season and a team-leading eight caused turnovers.

DeNapoli’s gritty play has also caught the attention of the professional ranks. He was recently selected by the Chesapeake Bayhawks with the sixth pick of the fifth round in the 2011 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft.  

He'd like to give the pros a shot. “I definitely want to continue competing,” DeNapoli said. “Obviously, I’m going to have to compete for a roster spot. I really wasn’t expecting to get drafted, so it was a pretty big surprise. I’m excited about it. I’m going to go there, work hard, and see what happens.”

DeNapoli, who is the son of Frank and Marina DeNapoli, has a brother Dom who was a standout lacrosse player at St. John’s, and a sister Valerie who currently plays lacrosse, soccer and basketball at Hewlett High School.  

DeNapoli gives a lot of the credit for his growth as a player to Chris Passuello, his lacrosse coach at Hewlett, and Jay Iaquinta, the head football coach at Hewlett.

“Both taught me so much about how to prepare and compete, and also how to act off the field,” DeNapoli said. “I learned so much at the high school level from them, and it has all translated here at Hofstra.”

His admiration for his football coach is mutual.

“Steven was one of the toughest kids I have ever coached,” Iaquinta said. “He has the heart of a warrior. He comes from a great family. His parents taught him well. He was as smart as anyone on the field. As a coach, he’s the kind of young man you want leading your team."

Iaquinta added, "He wasn't a rah-rah guy, but more of a guy who led by example. We miss having him.”

DeNapoli is proud of all he's accomplished, but is far from satisfied.

"For me to come from a high school that really isn't known as a lacrosse power, at my size, it definitely feels good to have gotten this far," he said. "But, there's so much left to do. I want this team to do some special things this year. I know I can't afford to take a day off." 

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