On Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, Abington senior Austin Pifani was recognized for signing a letter of intent to play lacrosse at the University of North Carolina.
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Austin Pifani – University of North Carolina (Lacrosse)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: UNC, Maryland, Syracuse
Reasons for choosing UNC: “It’s a high class school with a top of the line education. The team is all about family, education and sports. I absolutely loved the campus, and the coaches were like father figures to me. My incoming class should be amazing. At my official, I met all of them, and they were a bunch of nice guys.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “I really didn’t start 
playing lacrosse until fifth grade. I didn’t put a D-pole into my hands until about seventh grade. I played ALC for a while with (La Salle High School and Maryland-bound) Matt Rambo and covered him pretty much every day in eighth grade. From there, it just kind of built up. My freshman year I started (varsity), and I just loved the game. When I got my first acceptance letter, I was just shocked.”
Former Abington coach Randy McNeil says: “Austin started playing later than most kids, but he had the size and the ability, and you could just see that he was going to be a great talent. He had a lot of raw ability, and he grew into a great player over the years.
“What stands out about Austin is that he’s just a great kid, and as a coach, you could tell him something, and you could see him trying to do it. He wants to learn, and he wants to get better. Even not coaching the last year or two, I’ll drive by another field, and I’ll see Austin out there playing with a couple of other kids who are going to play in college. That’s why he’s good.
“Austin is offensively oriented, and he likes to join the play offensively. In my last year of coaching, he played man up for us with his long pole. He can just get up and down the field. He has good speed, great size, and his stick skills are very good.”
Abington coach Joe Staerk says: “Austin is an amazing young man. He’s a natural leader, and you can tell he has a great passion for the game. Between his physical presence, his size, his speed, and he can handle the ball exceptionally well – he’s probably going to play a role on offense for us yet he’s a defensive player. He’s got an incredible shot and a great awareness of the game. He’s a special player. I think North Carolina is lucky to have him.”
About Austin:
Favorite food: Chicken Parmesan
Favorite movie: Ted
Favorite music: Lil Wayne
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