Notre Dame returns eight starters, including three All-America honorees, from semifinalist finish.
A very smart and driven player ... will look to improve physically ... a hard-nosed player ... a diligent and focused defenseman.
PREP AND PERSONAL: A three-year letter winner at Chatham High School ... earned all-state, all-conference and all-county accolades during his senior season ... team captain and team MVP as a senior ... lead team in ground balls during his senior season ... helped lead Chatham to the 2012 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group II title and the Morris County Tournament semifinals ... 2012 New Jersey all-star game participant ... earned Star-Ledger athlete-of-the-week honors ... participated in the Under Armour Underclassmen Games ... played club lacrosse for the Patriot Elite with fellow incoming Notre Dame freshman Cole Riccardi ... varsity letter winner in basketball at Chatham ... basketball squad captured the conference and county championships during his senior season ... received the Coaches Award as a senior ... four varsity letters in soccer at Chatham ... helped guide the soccer squad to 72 wins in a four-year span ... two-time team captain in soccer ... earned all-state, all-conference and all-county honors in soccer during his junior and senior seasons ... soccer team won the 2011 state title ... voted team MVP in soccer as a senior ... member of the National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America club ... representative of athletics on student advisory committee ... son of Karl and Patricia Stephan ... has an older brother, Christian, and an older sister, Emily ... enrolled in Notre Dame's First Year of Studies program.