Former Ole Miss Coach to Help Lead Pinecrest Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team

Pinecrest Academy welcomes Coach Patrick Aiello, former Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Mississippi, as Associate Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach for the school’s inaugural Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team.  He joins Head Coach Sam Lialios, who lead the JV Boys Lacrosse Team to a successful 2014 season.

A relatively new athletic offering at Pinecrest, lacrosse debuted on the Middle School level in 2012, fielding a Middle School Boys team.  With much success during its first season, coupled with increased interest in the sport, Pinecrest expanded the program to include JV Boys, JV Girls and Middle School Girls teams for the 2013-2014 school year.

All teams enjoyed successful seasons in 2014. The JV Boys Lacrosse team, under Coach Lialios, finished their inaugural season with a 6-3-2 record, with convincing wins against North Forsyth High School, South Forsyth High School, Buford High School, The Wesleyan School and St. Pius X High School.  

The girls debut season included JV and Middle School teams, and under the leadership of Coach Jillian DiFazio, the JV team finished their first season with an 11-2 record. They played a competitive schedule and won games against West Forsyth High School, North Springs High School, also winning a JV Tournament in Gwinnett County.  

Pinecrest plans to also add a Varsity Girls schedule to the mix for the 2014-2015 school year under the continued leadership of Coach Jillian DiFazio. 

To maintain the momentum of a successful lacrosse program and to take the sport to the next level, Pinecrest hired coach Patrick Aiello to help lead the school’s very first Varsity Boys Lacrosse team.  Originally from Long Island, New York, Aiello received a full lacrosse scholarship to Molloy College, a Catholic College on Long Island, where he received a Bachelors in History in 2006. He was a member of the men’s lacrosse team, where he was a three-time New York Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Selection and a member of the 2005 ECAC men’s lacrosse championship team.  Aiello continued on to receive his Master’s Degree in Secondary Education at Molloy College, graduating in 2008.

Prior to joining Pinecrest Academy, Aiello was an Assistant Athletic Academic Counselor at the University of Mississippi, as well as an adjunct instructor for freshmen experience courses.  He also served as Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Mississippi for three years.

“I am very excited to get the program going and meet my new team and the Pinecrest Lacrosse community.  My vision is to build a strong program at Pinecrest and to teach our young men to work together as a team, instilling in them life lessons that they will carry with them forever,” commented Aiello.  “My aphorism as a coach has always been that, whenever you step on that field, you follow the three C’s – CLASS, CONFIDENCE AND COMPOSURE, which foster the physiognomies we are trying to teach at Pinecrest,” he continued.  

Pinecrest’s Athletic Director, Tom Palmer, sees the addition of Aiello as key to continuing efforts in his quest to build a ‘top notch’ athletics program. "To be blessed with the opportunity to bring a coach with Pat Aiello's playing and University of Mississippi coaching experience is somewhat unbelievable. The work-together spirit of Fr. Robert, our Head of School, Ed Lindekugel, our High School Principal, and our lacrosse community, embraced the challenge and made it happen.  We are excited to welcome Coach Aiello to our growing lacrosse program."

In addition to his new role as Varsity Lacrosse Coach, he will join Coach Winter as part of the coaching staff of Pinecrest’s Varsity Football team.

About Pinecrest Academy
Pinecrest Academy is a PreK3 through 12th grade, college preparatory Catholic school, located at 955 Peachtree Parkway in Cumming, Georgia, a northern suburb of Atlanta.  The school provides an atmosphere of academic rigor and critical thinking, while offering personalized attention in a Christ-centered environment of faith and reason.  Pinecrest prepares students to become committed Christian leaders, eager to transform a global society. This mission is accomplished in a gender separate environment on a co-ed campus. Following the educational philosophy of the Legionaries of Christ, Pinecrest implements Integral Formation to develop the spiritual, intellectual, human, and apostolic dimensions of the whole person.  Students are challenged to identify and use their gifts in service to others.  Recognizing the parent as the primary educator of the child, the school’s mission embraces the entire family.  Pinecrest provides a safe, moral, and spiritual environment which leads to positive peer groups and joyful, caring and confident students. Pinecrest serves the Archdiocese of Atlanta, local parishes, and local Christian and civic communities.  The school also serve international students, their families, and others who embrace its educational philosophy.  For more information or to schedule a tour, visit www.pinecrestacademy.org or call 770-888-4477.