US Lacrosse Names 2011 U.S. U19 Training Team
by Paul Krome | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
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Midfielder Shannon Gilroy of Northport, N.Y., was one of 24 players named Wednesday to the 2011 U.S. U19 training team. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com |
CATONSVILLE, Md. – From an original pool
of 200 emerged 24 of the best women’s lacrosse players in the
nation, and now they’ll prepare to take on the world in one
year’s time.
US Lacrosse Wednesday named the 2011 U.S. Under-19 women’s
lacrosse training team following three days of tryouts at UMBC. The
24-player roster will comprise the core of an eventual 18-player
team that will attempt to defend America’s standing atop the
world at the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) U19
Women’s World Championship Aug. 3-13, 2011, in Hannover,
Germany.
“We really wanted to go after the top 24 athletes, with some
position in mind, and we were able to do that,” said Krystin
Porcella, head coach of the 2011 U.S. U19 team.
The 2011 U.S. U19 women’s training team in alphabetical
order:
Name, Pos., Hometown, High School, Grad Yr.
Madison Acton, M, Sudbury, Mass., Lincoln Sudbury Regional,
2012
Alyssa Blevins, D, Bel Air, Md., C. Milton Wright, 2011
Tatum Coffey, M, Toms River, N.J., Toms River North, 2011
Jennifer Cook, A, Towson, Md., McDonogh, 2011
Dene' Di Martino, M, Manorville, N.Y., Eastport South Manor,
2012
Kelsey Duryea, G, Beverly, Mass., Governor's Academy, 2012
Christine Ferguson, D, Weston, Mass., St. Paul's, 2011
Cortney Fortunato, A, Northport, N.Y., Northport, 2013
Shannon Gilroy, M, Northport, N.Y., Northport, 2011
Sally Jentis, D, Ridgewood, N.J., Ridgewood, 2011
Dani Lazo, M, Stevensville, Md., St. Mary's, 2011
Erin McMunn, A, Westminster, Md., Winter Mill, 2011
Kelly McPartland, M, Farmingdale, N.Y., Farmingdale, 2011
Allie Murry, G, Downingtown, Pa., Downingtown, 2011
Mikaela Rix, M, Garden City, N.Y., Garden City, 2011
Anna Salemo, A, Littleton, Colo., Heritage, 2011
Caileigh Sindall, D, Silver Spring, Md., Good Counsel, 2011
Brigid Smith, A, Rockville, Md., Good Counsel, 2011
Covie Stanwick, A, Baltimore, Md., Notre Dame Prep, 2011
Barbara Sullivan, D, Garden City, N.Y., Garden City, 2011
Sammy Jo Tracy, M, Bedford, N.Y., Fox Lane, 2012
Kayla Treanor, M, Niskayuna, N.Y., Niskayuna, 2012
Taylor Trimble, M, Rosemont, Pa., Episcopal Academy, 2011
Rachel Vallarelli, G, Hartsdale, N.Y., Holy Child, 2011
The team features 13 players who earned either first-team or
honorable-mention US Lacrosse High School All-America honors in
2010. The 17 rising seniors, six rising juniors and one rising
sophomore hail from Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
New York and Pennsylvania.
“The purity of these tryouts was really special,” said
Nathaniel Badder, director of national teams at US Lacrosse.
“More than 165 girls came from 25 different states, and the
selectors came from 10 different states to make it a truly national
event. Seeing the extraordinary level of enthusiasm and energy
throughout the week was inspiring.”
Team USA is gunning for its fourth straight gold medal in the
event after finishing second to Australia in its 1995 inception.
The Americans will do so with some familiarity at the top.
Porcella, a successful high school coach at John Carroll (Md.)
School, served as an assistant coach on the 2007 U.S. U19 team that
won gold in Canada.
“We have a great midfield group with great size and great
speed – and that’s what you want in the
midfield,” she said. “The attackers are very smart, and
that’s what you want on the attacking end. The defense is the
nitty gritty. They’re the scrappers that’ll do anything
to get the job done. We based some things on that, and we really
found players that fit those roles very well.”
Among other talents, the team includes attacker Jennifer Cook, who
led McDonogh (Md.) to Lacrosse Magazine’s top ranking in its
annual high school wrap-up issue, defender Sally Jentis, who helped
Ridgewood to its first New Jersey state championship, and Northport
(N.Y.) rising sophomore Cortney Fortunato, who led the Long
Island-based club program Yellow Jackets to the 2010 US Lacrosse
Under-15 National Championship in Orlando last month.
“The nicest part about it was everybody went so hard,”
Porcella said. “Nobody was afraid or timid. From the first
moment, they came out and wanted to show what they had. They pushed
and challenged each other. That made the selection process very
difficult. And that’s the toughest part – justifying
that a good player with the potential to make the team is going to
get cut.”
Wednesday’s announcement brought to a temporary conclusion a
process that began with a player pool of some 200, many of which
initially qualified for the tryouts at the US Lacrosse
Women’s Division National Tournament over Memorial Day
weekend. Player evaluations will continue at the team’s next
formal gathering, Oct. 9-11 at the US Lacrosse Stars and Stripes
Weekend in Boston. The FIL limits its event roster size to 18,
which must be declared prior to next summer’s world
championship.
