Steve Heaps brings positivity, leadership to Cavs

Hailing from Street, Md., senior defenseman Steve Heaps has a lot to look back on during his tenure with the Cavaliers lacrosse team.  With his fourth year as a Cavalier defender just around the corner, Heaps is hoping the new season brings an illustrious national championship to Cabrini.

An individualized biology and business major, Heaps has been playing lacrosse for 11 years and has always found himself on the defensive side of the game.

“My friends from home began playing and everyone switched from baseball to lacrosse,” Heaps said.  “I have always played defense since I started.”

When not playing lacrosse, Heaps enjoys spending time with friends, snowboarding and hunting.  He also played high school soccer at North Harford High School but now focuses solely on the sport of lacrosse.

On the lacrosse field, Heaps is a recognized leader, team captain and All-American.  As much as the honor reflects his stellar defensive play, Heaps admitted the All-American selection last season came as a bit of a surprise to him.

“It was unexpected, but I felt proud to be distinguished as an All-American,” Heaps said.  “I have always pushed myself to get myself to that level.”

The honorable mention is an award he shares with fellow teammates Paul Skulski, senior attackman and John McSorley, junior defenseman.

“He is a positive leader and hard worker,” McSorley, elementary and special education major, said of Heaps.  “He leads by example on and off the field.”

Wherever Heaps is to be found, rest assured that his teammates and friends are giving him nothing but praise and compliments.

“He has a great personality,” Skulski, marketing major, said.  “He is a great athlete and a great lacrosse player.  He knows the game really well.”

Head coach Steve Colfer, in his 11th season with the team, echoed the positive remarks many of Heaps’ teammates glorified him with.

“As a captain and starter, a lot of our younger players look up to him, especially on defense,” Colfer said.  “[Since freshman year,] he is a better player and leader on our team.”

According to fellow teammates if you look beyond the duffel bag of lacrosse equipment and the stick in Heaps’ hand, there is one trait that you will instantly see in him: positivity.

“He always has a smile on his face, something positive to say,” Joe Arrell, junior midfielder and business administration major, said.  “I’ve only seen him mad a handful of times.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him mad,” McSorley added.

Positivity and having the right mindset have certainly gone a long way for Heaps during his time at Cabrini, especially when it comes to being a senior on the team.

“He is a leader and a lot of the younger guys look up to him,” Arrell said.

“All of the players learn from seniors,” Colfer said.  “They set the right example for everyone on campus and in the classroom, through their words and actions.”

In 2011, the lacrosse program has the opportunity to win yet another Colonial States Athletic Conference titlewith Heaps at the helm.

“This season we want to pick up our 11th CSAC [championship] in a row,” Heaps said.  “We’re striving for a national championship.”