very friendly and cheered them on from the bleachers. “It was such
an amazing feeling,” Olivia says. “The girls always wanted to trade
their things with us so they could get a USA shirt.”
After the tournament, the American
team explored Amsterdam, where
they visited the Anne Frank House.
Kaitlyn’s maternal grandfather
was from the Netherlands and she
remembers lots of family stories about
Dutch food and customs. Olivia ate
French fries covered in chocolate,
peanut butter and sweet mayonnaise.
She also appreciated Rotterdam’s
bold architecture: “We saw so many
elaborate, narrow houses along canals.”
Next, the team explored Paris for
three days and visited popular attractions, including the Eiffel
Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre Museum and the Arc de
Triomphe. This trip was Olivia’s first overseas journey and she says
it was an eye-opening experience to eat macarons and escargot in
Paris. “There is a whole world out there that I didn’t know was out
there,” she says. She hopes to participate in the tournament again as
a senior. “It was an amazing opportunity,” she notes.
Olivia started to play lacrosse because she didn’t want to be on
the sidelines as a cheerleader any more. “I wanted to be playing out
on the field,” she explains.
Emily has been playing lacrosse for eight years and urges aspiring
players to work hard. “Give everything 100 percent,” she says.
“Sometimes it’s hard and can be stressful, but remember you have
your team with you and all the other lacrosse players who are
working hard, too.”
Kaitlyn only started playing lacrosse as a freshman when a friend
urged her to join the team at Seton LaSalle. She plans to study
physical therapy in college and is considering several schools.
Whichever one she selects, Kaitlyn would like to continue playing
lacrosse. The sport has opened many opportunities and become
one of her biggest passions.
A good goalie is aggressive and a natural leader, she notes. “My
advice would be to take charge of the defense and keep your eyes on
the ball. My key to success is to always keep your head up and play
as a team.”
Kaitlyn has also played in an indoor league and sometimes is
loaned out to other teams that don’t have a goalie. As a result, she’s
played as many as five or six games in a day. “It is exhausting, but
with every drop of sweat I know I get one step closer to being a
better goalie than I was before.” ■
“MY KEY TO
SUCCESS IS TO
ALWAYS KEEP
YOUR HEAD
UP AND PLAY
AS A TEAM.”
USA Liberty Lacrosse Team
with Coach Brian Klisavage.
Canon-Mac | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 13