Jake Shapiro’s road to Division I lacrosse began in Lido Beach on Long Island.
It has now taken him to Trinity-Pawling School in New York’s Hudson Valley en route to his ultimate destination — Siena College.
Shapiro, who is a post-grad student at Trinity-Pawling, is currently competing in the 170-pound weight class as a wrestler.
The 5-foot-9 midfielder also excels in lacrosse’s equivalent of wrestling — in the faceoff X,
It’s a skill that drew interest from several collegiate programs, in addition to the Saints.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Jake on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
Going to a school with a noted high level of academic excellence, which will help me make connections for future jobs. The true main factor came in a one on one conversation with (Siena) Coach (John) Svec. He portrayed the exact type of man I want to spend my time at college working hard for and be part of a winning program.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I was also considering Sacred Heart and St. Lawrence.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I came to Trinity-Pawling from Long Beach High School. I made the decision to go to T-P and it has changed my life.
Trinity-Pawling not only gave me an opportunity to better myself, it became a home away from home.
Coach Bell took a chance on me and we are working hard to surprise the lacrosse world and make a statement in the Founder’s League.
How and when did you first start taking faceoffs and how have you gone about perfecting your skills in the faceoff X?
I started playing lacrosse in third grade and my team needed a faceoff guy. My coach put me in and the legend was born.
Growing up on Long Island, I have faced the best of the best. I molded my style off a variety of different players growing up. I try and absorb everyone’s varying styles like a sponge and squeeze out the things that aren’t needed.
From my stance to my technique, it’s all molded around my size, build and athletic ability.
Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
I’ve been fortunate to grow up in a great lacrosse community where everyone acts as a family. My PAL Coach Sofield taught me the game at a young age. He would have us run motion offenses and slide packages, which no other teams were doing. He just gave them funky names like “Pizza,” and we thought it was funny and went with it.
My high school coach, (Long Beach Head) Coach (Jim) Kasper, broke me down and molded me into an aggressive player. We have a love-hate relationship, but we formed a bond that most people cannot understand.
After four years he was able to make me disciplined. My dad has always been there for me and never stopped believing even when, at times, I just wanted to give up.
Finally, Coach (Nic) Bell at Trinity-Pawling believed in me without even knowing me. We spoke a couple times before school started, and before I knew it, he was already making sure I would get into college and have chance to showcase my talents. He gave me an opportunity and I pounced on it.
What travel team did you play on and what were some of the big showcase events you participated in last summer?
I played for For the Love of the Game(FLG) and last summer I represented Long Island in the Brine National Showcase.
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Posted In: New England prep schools, Recruiting Rundown
Congrats big guy!
Congrats Jake.