This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/02/2016 12:00 AMLacrosse is played at a frenetic pace and that’s something Katharine Garnett took to heart through her offseason training this past winter. As a result, Katharine has developed into an even swifter force on offense for the Hand girls’ lacrosse team this spring.
Katharine fell in love with lacrosse in 3rd grade and she hasn’t stopped playing since. Following a strong junior year in which she posted 21 goals with 10 assists en route to Academic All-American honors for the SCC champion and Class M state finalist Tigers, the senior attacker worked diligently on increasing her speed and has seen resounding results. Entering the Tigers’ SCC Tournament final on May 26, Katharine has netted 25 goals and dished out 10 assists for a team that went 14-2 during the regular season and surged into the playoffs.
“I love how the sport is so fast-paced and that it requires a lot of skill and effort. Throughout the winter, I worked on my speed and quickness, along with my first-step quickness. I also worked on shooting a lot, as well,” says Katharine. “I also worked a lot on my cuts and throwing in fakes. We are a team with a lot of young attackers, so I also worked with them, too.”
Katharine’s knack for finding the back of the net is complemented her steady hand and solid stickhandling skills. This is because Katharine hardly ever puts down her lacrosse stick, even after she takes her last steps off the turf.
“I worked on positioning with my hand. I’ve been throwing the ball against my pitch back, wall, and chimney at home,” Katharine says. “We also have a lot of passing drills within practice, but it’s just been about getting used to having the ball on the stick.”
In addition to praising her offensive prowess, Tigers’ Head Coach Kevin Siedlecki says that Katharine makes a big impact on defense, while being an all-around great senior leader.
“Katharine is an amazingly hard worker and a positive role model for the whole team, both on and off the field. She came into her senior year in the best shape she’s ever been in—quicker than ever—and her stick skills were even smoother than the previous season,” says Siedlecki. “She has been a huge contributor on offense, as well as creating turnovers and controlling ground balls for us on the ride. She is also a great student and just a genuinely great person. She is always focused on giving her all in practice, but knows when to lighten up and joke around, too. She brings a lot of positive energy and laughter to the team, including us coaches.”
Katharine says her quickness has paid dividends on the defensive end as her Tigers unleash a relentless assault to gain possession of the ball by double-teaming and trapping.
“One of our big things on defense is working hard to get the ball back, right from the moment the other team’s goalie makes the save. We want to get right back into that offensive zone and my speed has also helped me with that,” Katharine says. “We like to double-team whoever has the ball because it creates a higher rate of a turnover. We also try to get them to the sideline area because they get trapped and it’s harder for them to turn back.”
All year long, Katharine and the Tigers have focused on being a better team than they were when they took the field the previous day. With a mission statement like that, plus a group of girls who share the same ideals, Hand is setting itself up for another prosperous postseason.
“We just talked about getting better each day and giving 110 percent daily. The sophomores’ confidence has been building and they’ve stepped up this season. We have a great team atmosphere with an unselfish team. We all have the same goals, along with great senior leadership and support,” says Katharine, who thanks her strength and conditioning coach Rob Mangino, along with her parents, Jeff and Kristin, and all of her Hand lacrosse coaches. “We are working hard every single day and believe we can achieve our goals of being SCC and state champions.”