Lakeland/Panas Star Monteferante Chooses Lacrosse at West Point

The motto at West Point, "duty, honor, country," is fitting for  senior Chris Monteferante who has handled the immense duty of manning face-offs the past three years for Jim Lindsay's Lakeland/Panas lacrosse team.

The two-sport standout (Monteferante plays soccer at Lakeland as well) made a verbal commitment on Saturday to play lacrosse at Army. His final decision a recruiting process that began two years ago.

"It wasn't just one thing that led me to make this decision," Monteferante said. "All the benefits after you graduate, a guaranteed job following graduation, it's all worth it. The advantage of being a West Point graduate almost assures you a job when you apply, I feel. Plus, it's a top-level Division-I school.”

Monteferante had the honor of hoisting a Section 1 championship plaque in the sky in 2010, when the Rebels gutted out a dramatic win over Yorktown in sudden death overtime. He will embrace the honor of team captain and pursue the shin souvenir again next season. The All-American candidate has the chance to be one of the best in his native country.

Monteferante selected Army over Drexel and C.W. Post.

The man recruiting Monteferante at C.W. Post was once his middle school physical education teacher at the Lakeland school district. C.W. Post assistant coach Frank Vitolo (a member of Lakeland High School’s athletics Hall of Fame) lives a stone’s throw from the Monteferante residence and has kept tabs on his production for several years.

Knights coach Joe Alberici who reeled in the sought after recruit, who played various showcases this summer. Alberici and his coaching staff has scoured the local Hudson Valley for talent. The Knights recently received a verbal commitment from Somers’ Kevin Schurr. Schurr's father, John Jay-Cross River coach Tim Schurr, coached Monteferante on the lacrosse travel team circuit.

"The coaches in all of the colleges I was looking at are good coaches and good men," Monteferante said. "That made it hard to choose but I knew I chose a school not because of their coaching staff or because of the program reputation. I chose West Point because it’s the best combination of lacrosse and education."

Monteferante has always been up for a challenge. He knows that attending Army will present new challenges he won’t face elsewhere. He'll have papers due at 6 a.m. He will have 18-hour days. He will have a barracks inspection at 7 a.m.

As a teammate, Monteferante has been selfless. He’s set up other teammates for goal-scoring plays and battled valiantly for possession. At Army, he’ll be the consummate teammate to help fellow cadets make it through the rigors and workaday challenges.

While he still has time ahead of him, the idea of a military career intrigues Monteferante.

"I have always enjoyed military history, as a child I played with the idea of being in the army all the time," Monteferante said. "I am honored. The idea that one day I will be able to serve my country and to be able to positively make a difference in the world is a tremendous one."

The athlete is following a lineage of Lakeland lacrosse players who are pursuing their career at the higher level. Class of 2011 graduates Conor Prunty and Robbie Caffrey will play for Siena and Providence College, respectively.