Craig Nitti

4

Class: RS Junior Hometown: Calabasas, Calif. High School: Crespi Carmelite HS

Height / Weight: 6-5 / 210 Position: D Experience: 2V

Briefly...
Craig Nitti enters his fourth year at LMU in 2013, but his third campaign on the field after redshirting in 2010... co-team captain... member of the Portland Timbers U23 squad in the summer of 2013...

At LMU...
2012...All-WCC Honorable Mention... WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention... a key member of the LMU back line, Nitti earned 17 starts and appeared in 18 total matches... logged 1,593 minutes, which was second most on the team... took 16 shots, including 10 on frame... tallied three goals and two assists for eight points... scored on a set piece in the season opener versus No. 4 UC Santa Barbara (Aug. 26)... headed in the game-winner in a 2-1 victory at Stanford (Sept. 21)... third goal was a PK in the season finale versus Saint Mary's (Nov. 11)... dished assists versus San Diego (Oct. 10) and versus Saint Mary's (Nov. 11)...

2011...
Appeared in 19 matches, earning nine starts... logged 980 minutes... took 11 shots, including three on frame... his first collegiate goal doubled as a game-winner as his header 36 seconds into overtime at San Francisco (Oct. 30) broke a scoreless tie and gave LMu the 1-0 victory... National Scholar-Athlete...

2010...
Redshirt season... National Scholar-Athlete...

High School...
Three-year letterwinner at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif., for Coach Rob Kodama... named NSCAA/adidas High School Boys All-Region VIII, first team All-CIF, first team All-San Fernando Valley and first team All-Mission League as a senior in 2009... led CCHS to back-to-back CIF playoff appearances... Mission League Defensive Player of the Year... voted team MVP and Most Valuable Defensive Player... team captain... was a defender/midfielder for Real SoCal of the US Soccer Development Academy... ...Real SoCal finished third at the 2010 National Championships... member of the Dean's List in six semesters and Principal's List twice...

Personal...
Craig Alexander Nitti was born on January 19, 1992 in Van Nuys, Calif.... his father, Gary, ran cross country and track at UCLA... his mother, Wendi, was a graduate of Cal State Northridge who swam in the 1976 Olympic Trials as a member of the Santa Barbara Swim Club... middle of three sons with older brother Christopher and younger brother Connor... chose LMU over Santa Clara, UC Davis, American University, Brown, Cal State Bakersfield, and UC San Diego because of LMU's excellent academic reputation and its soccer coaches... majoring in business management...