Лакроссистка Эмили Потенца привела команду The College of New Jersey в плей-офф элитного уровня

Emily Potenza has always been an athlete making sure to enjoy the offseason, and at the same time making sure she was always working to be a better player and teammate. This past lacrosse season Potenza was a force in the midfield for The College of New Jersey, earning a spot on the All-New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team. She led the Lions in ground balls with 53 and was third in draw controls and fourth in caused turnovers with 29. The former West Windsor-Plainsboro North star was just as impressive in attacking zone with 14 goals and 16 assists. Statistics, though, don’t mean much to Potenza. What matters most is helping the Lions in any way she can and being a teammate that everyone can depend upon. “I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to play with such amazing teammates,’’ stated Potenza. “A lot of the success comes from the people around me pushing me every day at practice and trusting me on the field. The recognition is definitely an honor, but I’m most proud of what we accomplished together as a team.’’ She was a key component in the Lions (18-3) reaching the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Middlebury (23-0). “Playing in the Elite Eight in Vermont was such an incredible experience that I’ll never forget,’’ declared Potenza. “It brought our team so much closer together, and I feel like this team truly proved a lot of people wrong by making it that far. The opportunity was amazing, and I loved getting to experience it all with my teammates.’’ One of the reasons the Lions were so successful was the play of Potenza down the final stretch of the regular season. Potenza produced five goals, four assists, 14 ground balls, and 10 draw controls in the final three games of the regular season. She recently surpassed 100 ground balls for her career. Potenza is 11th in program history with 70 career caused turnovers. She was an All-Trentonian selection at North where she scored 144 career goals and had 43 assists, 153 draw controls and 63 caused turnovers. “I loved my teammates at West Windsor North, and I learned so much from being on a team where everyone was so motivated to win,’’ recalled Potenza. “Coming to college was different because I was suddenly playing with girls from all different backgrounds, high schools, and playing styles. I’ve especially focused more on defense in college because the rules and style of play are different, especially with things like horizontal sticks and running through the crease. My high school experience really shaped my love for the game though. We always had fun competing, whether we won or lost.’’ A three-sport athlete at North with lacrosse, basketball and soccer, it was a tough decision for her choosing between soccer and lacrosse. “I grew up playing soccer, so leaving that behind was definitely sad,’’ said Potenza. “I think I’ve always loved being part of a team and being around my best friends more than any one specific sport, so of course I still miss soccer sometimes. But I’m grateful that lacrosse still gives me that same team environment year-round.’’ That year-round environment includes the summer as Potenza, who will be a senior in the fall, will be working on her leadership, game skills and enjoying her friends. “My mindset is always to work hard and be a good teammate,’’ stated Potenza. “Some days you might not have your best game, and you can’t control every aspect of how you play, but you can always control your attitude and effort. I always try to bring positive energy and do whatever I can to help the team succeed.’’ It’s something Potenza does year round.