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Zuva Chakabva’s introduction to the faceoff stripe was unexpected. Despite that, it delivered a ton of foreshadowing.
While playing a rec league game on his birthday in fourth grade, the then-defenseman was asked if he wanted to take a faceoff. Never one to back away from a challenge, Chakabva agreed. That day’s results started the process of building up one of the very best faceoff midfielders in the class of 2028.
He won all of his faceoffs that day. Since then, he hasn’t won them all, but he’s as good as it gets at the position. The Newark Academy standout has been a driving force behind all of the success that the Leading Edge 2028s have had. It made him a top priority for Army on July 1, when the military academies were allowed to start contacting class of 2028 recruits. It would have made him a highly sought-after recruit for the rest of the Division I schools, too, had he made it to Sept. 9 uncommitted.
The Black Knights didn’t give anyone that opportunity. Chakabva chose to commit to Army, becoming the first of what will be many Leading Edge ’28 Division I recruits. Ranked a four-star recruit and the top faceoff guy in the class by the National Lacrosse Federation, Chakabva gives the Black Knights a gamechanger at the faceoff stripe.
“When I visited, I just thought that they had a great coaching staff, great kids and an amazing campus,” Chakabva said. “I loved the weight room and it showed me how much pride they took and how they put in the effort to be stronger than everyone else. I loved how all of those guys played for each other. The coaches have also done a great job of instilling a winning culture. They went 13-4 last year, and I just love their playing style, which is a very aggressive style. I think that they showed that they wanted me pretty badly and I’m very grateful to the coaching staff for this opportunity.”
The Newest Black Knight
Chakabva shined for NA this spring, winning 82 percent of his faceoffs and showing a balanced offensive game after the win with 14 goals and 10 assists. This summer, he helped the ’28s to championships at Prime Time and CrabFeast, as well as playoff berths at NAL and the NLF National Championships. Chakabva didn’t necessarily know heading into the summer that he’d be a July commit to the Black Knights, but it wasn’t something that he’d ruled out, either.
“When the process started, I didn’t know where I’d end up,” Chakabva said. “Just kept an open mind and as July 1 got closer, I started looking more into the service academies. I feel good serving my country while also playing Division I lacrosse. I just couldn’t see any bad sides to Army, and if you can’t see a bad side, why turn it down?”
Chakabva’s mentality at the faceoff dot will serve him well at Army. While he has great hand speed, he knows that there’s much more to being a successful faceoff presence than just hand speed. It’s what helped him forge from a former defenseman relying on athleticism and power to a well-balanced specialist.
“I think I’m hard-working and I never give up,” Chakabva said. “You can’t always win everything cleanly, so you just have to be tougher than the guy across from you and muscle your way past the adversity.”
A Dominant Presence at the Faceoff Stripe
Chris Roy has seen that first-hand for the better part of four years since Chakabva joined the powerhouse ’28s. The Leading Edge director has seen some good ones come through, but Chakabva is certainly one of the top faceoff midfielders to come out of the Leading Edge program. Roy sees Chakabva and the Black Knights as a tremendous combination.
“Zuva is one of the premier faceoff midfielders in the class of 2028,” Roy said. “He has dominated so many games for us and he’s a big part of what has made our Leading Edge 2028 group so special. Zuva is a tireless worker that has put in the time and effort necessary to go from being a good faceoff guy to an elite one. He has exceptional hand speed and when he’s dialed in, he is so hard to beat. Coach Alberici is one of the best coaches in the country and he was very smart to prioritize Zuva as his faceoff guy in the class. I can’t wait to see Zuva dominate at West Point and we’re proud that he has chosen to serve his country while also playing for one of the nation’s very best programs.”
Not bad for a former defenseman.