BALL HAWK: Cody Triolo heads to goal in action this spring during his junior season for the Lehigh University men’s lacrosse team. Former Princeton Day School standout Triolo had two goals and two assists this spring for the Mountain Hawks in a two-way midfield role. (Photo courtesy of Lehigh’s Office of Athletic Communications)

For Cody Triolo, playing tough defense for the Lehigh University men’s lacrosse team helped give him the chance to display his scoring skills.

After playing in just five games as a freshman in 2014, the former Princeton Day School star made 15 appearances as a sophomore, scoring two goals and picking up 12 ground balls.

“I was able to step up and play a bigger role,” said Triolo, reflecting on his 2015 campaign.

“The way I actually started playing was more of a defensive midfielder, which got me on the field more and got me more touches. It got me a little more confidence, making plays and just being out there. Then I was able to transition back to the offensive side and play more of a two-way midfielder at the end of the year.”

Off the field, Triolo has found the way to excel, earning the team’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for 2015.

“It is just cool to see hard work pay off in an award like that,” added Triolo, who is majoring in civil engineering and posted a 3.95 spring-semester GPA this year in making the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for his junior season.

“The way I look at it, if I work hard and I get good grades and I am able to rub it off on some other guys academically, it gets the team in a better place. Coming out of high school I felt really prepared for college academically and athletically.”

Preparing to have a big spring, Triolo saw a lot of action in the early going as the Mountain Hawks produced a 4-1 start.

“I played the first five games, I was an O-middie,” said the 5’9, 177-pound Triolo.

“The first two lines would run two two-way guys because we were kind of short on defensive mids this year. My roommate, Ian Strain and I, played on the same line together. We would just roll the first two lines, offensively and defensively, and get a lot of runs that way.”

In early March, Triolo ran into some adversity as he was sidelined by injury.

“I ended up breaking my hand over spring break in practice,” said Triolo.

“It was a real bummer, I was pretty upset because I was starting to come on and play some of my best lacrosse.”

Triolo needed a cast and was out for a month, getting treated by Dr. Daniel Fletcher, father of former PDS teammate Connor Fletcher, who created a splint that he could wear under his glove for protection upon returning to action.

“After the injury I was able to play against Princeton; I had a goal and an assist in that game,” said Triolo, referring to Lehigh’s 13-6 loss at Princeton on April 12.

“I actually think I was playing better by the time I got back. There was this note of desperation because I had lacrosse taken away from me for a month. I couldn’t do anything, I had to watch. When I came back I was going to make the most of this. I just played loose and hard.”

While Triolo got back into rhythm over the last month of the season, Lehigh hit some hard times down the stretch as it ended up 6-9 overall and 4-4 in Patriot League action.

“I thought we started off really hot; what was special about this team is that we played really fast in transition,” said Triolo, who ended up with two goals, two assists, and five ground balls in 10 appearances this spring.

“We had a lot of young talented guys, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We had a ton of freedom; they would give us a set but after the first play was called we would be able to do what ever we wanted. We were able to play within the system. What really killed us was possession time; sometimes we struggled in the face-off department. We played a lot of defense and not a lot of offense. It was tough, considering that every little play gets magnified when you don’t have the ball that much.”

As he prepares this summer for his final college campaign, Triolo is keeping his nose to the grindstone.

“This is probably the hardest I have trained,” said Triolo, who is interning in Philadelphia with a civil engineering firm.

“This is it, there is a sense of urgency and I am really getting after it. I would say it is a combination of everything. I love going into school in really good shape because that is the way to set the tone for the rest of the year. I am doing a lot of running and a lot of weightlifting. Specifically to do with lacrosse, I am continuing to work both hands to be that dual threat. That is a thing of mine, get my right hand as good as my left and to be a complete player. I do a Thursday night league in Philly. I will do the War at the Shore and then the Lake Placid tournament this year.”

Triolo and his classmates are hoping to pass on that urgency to their younger teammates.

“I think next year it is just going to be important for my class being seniors; we have to lead by example, even if that doesn’t mean we are putting up the points,” said Triolo.

“We have a lot of young talented guys coming in and we have to be really good leaders for them. Personally, I would like to come out and play really well and do what I can to help the team.”