Joe DeMarco was happy with his college choice.
But during a course of a standout senior season in which he helped Massapequa win the Nassau County Class A title, other options began to present themselves.
One of them couldn’t be overlooked.
Now, national finalist Syracuse University is the college destination of the faceoff specialist, who had committed last summer to play at Division III Connecticut College.
It was quite a turn of events. Let’s find out more about what let to it.
Here’s a Q&A with Joe on his commitment:
What were the main factors in your decision?
It came down to ‘Where am I going to get a great education and also play lacrosse at a top Division I school?’ I was admitted to one of the most prestigious schools of business in the country (Syracuse’s Whitman School of Business) which played a large part in my decision, but also the opportunity to play at a school which has been a dream of mine since I first picked up a lacrosse stick.
When did you commit to Connecticut College and, at that time, what other colleges did you consider?
I committed to Connecticut College last August. I also considered Albany, Wagner and Quinnipiac.
What other schools did you now consider in addition to Syracuse and what schools did you visit?
Hofstra University, a school that has an outstanding lacrosse program and with a coaching staff that has great character and integrity, but I had to follow my dream to Syracuse
When did you first start taking faceoffs and how did you continue to improve your skills taking faceoffs?
I have been taking face offs all through middle school and high school but never got serious about it until 11 grade. I went to a camp by Matt Schomburg during Christmas Break from school and continued to attend clinics by him each weekend.
While attending clinics and going against some of the top faceoff men in the county, it helped me tremendously in learning the keys to becoming a successful faceoff specialist. Although I didn’t have as much experience as them at the beginning, I was also told that practicing on your own time will pay off. Indeed it did.
Massapequa broke through with the Nassau Class A title this year. What are your thoughts on this past season and the keys to the team’s success?
Winning the Nassau County Class A title leaves me speechless. We have had the talent in past years but never came out on top. This year was different. Our slogan was “Unfinished Business,” but the slogan wasn’t just for us, but all the others ‘Pequa teams that have come short of this goal in the past. All of us on this past year’s team had one mission: band together and accomplish the task at hand.
We came together so well, that was the key to our success. I am sad to see it go, but now I know that this past year team helped each and every future Massapequa Chiefs to accomplish the next goal, which is to win the Long Island Championship.
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Posted In: Long Island lacrosse, Recruiting Rundown, Section 8
Wow. What a great story.