Hempstead, NY –Hofstra senior
Finn Sullivan has been named the Nicholas Colleluori Memorial Award recipient for the 2016 season, Pride Head Coach
Seth Tierney announced. The announcement was made at the Nicholas Colleluori Classic Long Island event on October 10 at James M. Shuart Stadium.
Sullivan, a defenseman from West Roxbury, Massachusetts, will wear the uniform number 27, that the late Hofstra student-athlete wore, for the upcoming season.
Since 2010, the Hofstra Men's Lacrosse program has selected one senior player, who embodies Nick Colleluori's relentless attitude and spirit. Colleluori, who was a three-sport athlete and graduated from Ridley High School in June 2004, joined the Hofstra Pride Lacrosse team the next fall. With hard work and determination, Nick earned a role on the Hofstra team the spring of his freshman year. Nick was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in September 2005, which started a courageous 14-month battle with cancer. He lost his battle on November 28th, 2006.
During his illness, Nick not only battled cancer physically, but also mentally. He reached out to others with the same illness and counseled them to have the same positive outlook that Nick always possessed. It was Nick's hope and dream in his waning days and weeks to begin the HEADstrong Foundation, to help those who had been diagnosed with blood cancers, as well as put an end to this horrible disease.
Sullivan started in all 14 games on defense and recorded 37 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers last season. He picked up season-highs of seven ground balls and three caused turnovers in the Marist contest. As a sophomore in 2014, Sullivan started all 16 games and tallied one goal, one assist, 30 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. He posted a season-high four ground balls against Delaware and Drexel and four caused turnovers against Georgetown.
Sullivan follows previous Colleluori Memorial Award recipients, Adam Swarsen in 2010, Steve DeNapoli in 2011, Cole Koesterer in 2012, John Antoniades in 2013,
Anthony Zappone in 2014 and
Ryan Rielly last season.
Hofstra begins its 2016 regular season on Saturday, February 20 at the University of North Carolina at 2 p.m. The Pride's first home game at James M. Shuart Stadium is Saturday, February 27 against Princeton at 3 p.m.
