Austin Pifani

Position:
Defenseman
Height:
6-2
Weight:
215
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Roslyn, Pa.
High School:
Abington

General: Arguably one of the best defensemen ever to play at Carolina...also considered one of the best leaders in Tar Heel history...an intensely passionate player...considered the voice of the team...his energy sets the tone for the team at the defensive end...quarterback of the defense...team captain as both a junior and senior...three-time letter winner and starter on close defense...named USILA All-America three times...started every game on close defense in his first two years as a Tar Heel...also started all 15 games in which he played as a junior.
2016 (Junior): One of the captains of UNC’s national championship team...played in 15 games, starting all 15 times...missed three games at mid-season due to injury (UMass, Manhattan, Richmond)...had 22 ground balls and tied for second on the team with 14 caused turnovers...had season-high for ground balls with four against Michigan...season high for caused turnovers was three in regular-season game against Syracuse...had three ground balls and two caused turnovers in NCAA semifinals versus Loyola...his only point of the season was an assist against Furman, a game in which he had two ground balls and two caused turnovers...named third-team USILA All-America...selected for All-ACC Team...co-defensive MVP of the team with Jake Matthai...All-NCAA Tournament honoree after Final 4 weekend...earned Dean’s List designation in both fall semester 2015 and spring semester 2016...selected for All-ACC Academic Team...merited ACC Academic Honor Roll accolades...named to 2016 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List...garnered first-team preseason All-America squad accolades as named by Face-Off Yearbook...named preseason All-ACC.
2015 (Sophomore): Started all 17 games at close defense for the Tar Heels...had 41 ground balls and led the Tar Heels with 19 caused turnovers...that latter total was the eighth most in a season in UNC history...tallied a goal versus Massachusetts...had five ground balls versus High Point and four each against Furman, Richmond, Duke and Colgate...his top game for caused turnovers was three against UMass...also had two versus Furman, Johns Hopins and Richmond...named a second-team All-America by the USILA...was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player on the 2015 Tar Heel team...named a second-team preseason All-America in 2015 by Inside Lacrosse Magazine...ACC coaches’ preseason all-league selection as a close defenseman...active in Carolina Leadership Academy as a Rising Star...named to All-ACC Academic Men’s Lacrosse Team...named to 2015 ACC Academic Honor Roll.
2014 (Freshman): The only freshman to start in all 15 games for the Tar Heels…won the Jay Gallagher Memorial Award as the most valuable freshman on the 2014 team…named honorable mention All-America by the USILA…earned ACC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his work in the Maryland game…held Maryland attackman Matt Rambo pointless in the game…picked up 32 ground balls on the season, including multiple ground balls in eight games…recorded five ground balls in back-to-back games versus Duke and Harvard…caused 10 turnovers, the most of the starting close defensemen…had three caused turnovers against Dartmouth and two each against Harvard and Maryland…scored his first career goal against Dartmouth as the final goal of the first half.
Prep: 2013 Under Armour All-America selection…an alumnus of Abington High School where he was coached by Randy McNeil…four-year varsity starter on the lacrosse team…two-time high school All-America…member of Philadelphia Under Armour All-America underclassman champions…two-year lacrosse captain at Abington...led Abington to three Suburban One championships…rookie of the year for his high school team in 2010…consistent player all through his high school career…had 140 ground balls as a senior to go with 14 goals and 15 assists…as a junior, he scooped up 120 ground balls and had eight goals and five assists…combined in his freshman and sophomore years for eight goals, five assists and 220 ground balls…awarded “The Order of the A” for courage, loyalty, athletic ability, scholarship and sportsmanship...in club competition he played for Duke’s Lacrosse Club and Wet Bandits.
Personal: Full name is Austin Nicholas Pifani…son of Joe and Annette Pifani…was born May 17, 1994 in Abington, Pa. ...has a brother, Anthony, age 27…majoring in strategic communications in the Journalism School...has volunteered for Vs. Cancer Foundation events.

Catching Up With Austin Pifani
Section #1: Lacrosse Related
My favorite thing about wearing Carolina Blue is it’s uniqueness.
I love competing for this incredible coaching staff because they are my family.
My most underrated strength about my lacrosse game is my offensive ability.
My best friend on my high school lacrosse team is Matt Rambo and he is now playing at Maryland.
Every high school recruit should dream of becoming a Tar Heel because it’s life changing.
Section #2: Your Interests
An ideal Saturday afternoon in the summer is spent down at the beach with my family and friends.
My teammate with the best taste in music is Jack Halpert because he has great DJ skills.
My favorite professional sports team is the Philadelphia Eagles.
The best movie I’ve ever seen on a lacrosse bus trip is Shutter Island.
The foreign country I would love to visit most is Italy because my family is from there.
Section #3: Food
My favorite tailgate food is Al’s Burger Shack’s burgers.
My favorite fast food restaurant is Lucha Tigre because of the General Tso.
Sweet, salty or both? Sweet.
My favorite food made by a relative is Aunt Stacey’s rice crispy chicken.
My favorite Chapel Hill dining spot is Lucha Tigre.
Section #4: Digging into your Personality
If I possessed the gift of time travel, I would go back to the 2016 men’s lacrosse national championship game.
The person in history I would most want to have dinner with is Dick Butkus.
People would be very surprised to know I love sky diving.
In a quarter century I would love to be living in Philadelphia and working at a business I own.
The most interesting or fascinating person I’ve met in my time at UNC is Dr. Hedgepeth because he is so intelligent and witty.

Austin Pifani’s Career Statistics
Year   GP/GS   SH   SOG   G   A   PTS   GB   CT
2014   15/15   3   3   1   0   1   32   10
2015   17/17   4   2   1   0   1   41   19
2016   15/15   1   0   0   1   1   22   14
Totals   47/47   8   5   2   1   3   95   43
Career Highs: Ground Balls: 5 vs. Duke, 3-15-2014; 5 vs. Harvard, 3-18-2014; 5 vs. High Point, 2-10-2105; Caused Turnovers: 3 vs. Dartmouth, 2-22-2014; 3 vs. Massachusetts, 2-14-2015; 3 vs. Syracuse, 3-16-2016.