Hempstead, NY - Hofstra University Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Seth Tierney announced today that graduate student Corey Kale has been selected as the Nick Colleluori Tribute Award recipient and will wear the prestigious #27 this season for the Pride. 

The Nick Colleluori Tribute Award is presented to a Hofstra player in the form of assigning Nick's number 27 to a student-athlete who exhibits the same selflessness, team spirit and relentlessness that Colleluori displayed on and off the field. Colleluori, who played for the Pride and would have been a member of the Class of 2008, fought a courageous 14-month battle against non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma before passing away on November 28, 2006.

"Corey defines Hofstra lacrosse and represents our program the same way that Nick did," commented Tierney. "This award means so much to our program and each individual selected and I know Corey will represent Hofstra, HEADstrong, and especially Nick Colleluori each time he steps out on the field."

"Nick Colleluori was a former lacrosse player here at Hofstra that I strive to be like every day of my life," mentioned Kale. "While I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I've heard countless stories of his mental and physical toughness from both coaches and former players. The fact that he thought about others and created the HEADstrong Foundation while going through chemo treatments shows the type of person he truly was. I'm honored to have been selected by our coaching staff to wear #27 this season. It means a lot to me to be chosen as the guy on our team to represent Nick, as well as the HEADstrong Foundation." 

Kale, the 12th player to be named the Nick Colleluori "27" Tribute Award recipient, has played in 46 games during his four-year Hofstra career. He has totaled eight goals, including six during the 2022 season, and also added 73 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers during his career. A SSDM, Kale played in a career-best 15 games last season. 

Hofstra will host its annual HEADstrong Foundation Nick Colleluori Classic on Saturday, October 8 at James M. Shuart Stadium. The Pride will welcome Wagner, Quinnipiac, and Lehigh for the special day. 

Nick Colleluori "27" Tribute Award Recipients
2010 – Adam Swarsen
2011 – Steven DeNapoli
2012 – Cole Koesterer
2013 – John Antoniades
2014 – Anthony Zappone
2015 – Ryan Rielly
2016 – Finn Sullivan
2017 – Brendan Kavanagh
2018 – Brett Osman
2019 – Robert Casey
2020 - Keegan Santos
2021 - Tim Hegarty
2022 - Corey Kale