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Dan DelBene and his twin brother, Nick, found a useful purpose for lacrosse sticks long before they started playing the game.

“We used sticks to get wiffle balls out of the gutter,” Dan said. “But by the time the fourth grade came, our father had sticks in our hands for a different reason.

“When we were born, my dad predicted that we would play college lacrosse, which is intriguing to think about today.”

Nick became Yorktown’s first Class of 2015 commit when he decided on Towson in August 2013.

Dan DelBene is also Division I-bound. The junior defender gave a verbal commitment to Manhattan College this past weekend, as first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound DelBene, a righty, was selected to play for the Red team in the 2015 Maverik Showtime National Lacrosse Recruiting Spotlight all-star game in July.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Dan on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
One of my main concerns in the process was the academic reputation. Manhattan has one of the best Engineering programs in the United States, which was a big influence on my decision.

Also, Manhattan’s coaching staff, led by (Head) Coach (Steve) Manitta, (Assistant) Coach (Matt) Nealis and (Assistant) Coach (John) Lade, were very hospitable and gave me an at-home feeling whenever I went to visit.

Lastly, the size of the school was very important to me, and the small size of Manhattan really sparked my interest.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
My first priority was always education, so I also considered Dartmouth, Colgate, Drexel and West Point.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
Some of the things I take pride in are my lacrosse IQ, stick checks and my ability to carry the ball down the field. I try to play as fundamentally sound as possible, by keeping my attackman in front of me at all times, and never losing sight of him.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
My main areas that I could pay more attention to are my weak hand, ground balls, and foot speed (quickness).

What other sports have you played?
Before I started lacrosse, I played football, baseball and basketball. Now, the only sport that I play besides lacrosse is football, where I hope to make a big impact next year

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
During my first two years of high school, I have been playing for the Yorktown Ballers, a team made solely for our varsity squad. I also played for Moonlight Lacrosse during the fall for the past three years.

I attended Maverik Showtime twice, where I made the all-star game once, and I attended the National Invitational 175 twice.

Any final thoughts?
First off, I would like to thank my parents for supporting me through the entire recruiting process. Next, I would like to thank all of my Yorktown coaches: (Head) Coach (Dave) Marr, (Assistant) Coach (Sean) Carney, (Assistant) Coach (Rob) Doerr and (Assistant) Coach (Dave) Graham for teaching me everything I know now about the game.

Lastly, I would like to thank Barry Bocklet and Ernie Lupinacci for also helping me with recruiting, and always being there for me.