« Lacrosse 2017

Austin Pifani

School
University of North Carolina
Position
Defenseman
Major
Strategic Communication

Classroom

Austin Pifani has a cumulative 3.271 GPA and was named to All-ACC Academic Men’s Lacrosse Team in both 2015 and 2016. He also was named to ACC Academic Honor Roll in both 2015 and 2016 and selected for UNC Dean’s List in the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters. Pifani is seeking a career in finance or sales and is majoring in strategic communication in UNC’s School of Journalism and Media.

Character

UNC Head Coach Joe Breschi considers Pifani to be one of the two greatest defensemen to ever play at Carolina. Coach Breschi says Pifani is arguably the greatest team leader on the defensive end that has ever played for the Tar Heels. He was elected team captain in an unanimous vote as a junior for the 2016 NCAA Championship team and also as a senior for the 2017 team. He is a leader who is driven by hard work, passion and humility, and his strengths as a person and player are centered on his skills in strategic management, his commitment to teamwork, his being goal-oriented and his innate charisma. He is only the third junior in the history of the program (dating to 1949) who has been elected a captain.

Community

Pifani is a Community Outreach Team representative for UNC’s men’s lacrosse team and an active member and the elected lacrosse team coordinator of Carolina Dreams and the “Share A Holiday” campaign. He coordinated team visits to entertain children being treated at UNC Children’s Hospital and was a volunteer for the Vs. Cancer Foundation. He has collaborated with team members in order to fund childhood cancer research and to directly support children undergoing cancer treatments in local hospitals. Pifani has raised over $100,000 in four years with the UNC lacrosse team for the organization. He founded the Austin Pifani Defensive Strategy Lacrosse Clinic in July 2011 and founded a company to provide private lessons to lacrosse players in the Philadelphia area where he used word of mouth to expand his business to more than 50 clients. Pifani also has served as coach with Dukes Lacrosse Club, mentoring and acting as role model for approximately 20 ninth graders.

Competition

A four-year starter for Carolina as a close defenseman, Pifani has started every game he has played in during his UNC career, missing only three games due to injury in his junior year. Heading into his senior year, he has played in and started 47 games and has 95 career ground balls and 43 career caused turnovers as well as two goals and one assist. He captained the Tar Heels to the 2016 NCAA Championship and was named the UNC defensive MVP in both 2015 and 2016 and UNC’s outstanding freshman player in 2014. In 2016, he was named All-ACC, All-NCAA Tournament, third-team USILA All-America and to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List. Pifani was named a second-team USILA All-America in 2015 and an honorable mention USILA All-America in 2016.