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06/09/2016 12:00 AMThe more Alex Fitzgerald played lacrosse throughout middle school, the more passionate she became about the sport. Alex brought that fire to Guilford High School and used it to push herself through some pain this spring.
Alex, who recently completed her senior season as a captain for the Indians, immersed herself in lacrosse in 7th and 8th grade before joining a club team upon entering high school. Despite dealing with a knee injury in the recent campaign, Alex battled past it to post 32 goals with 22 assists, while helping Guilford return to the Class M State Tournament, where her team netted an 18-5 victory versus Law in the qualifying round.
“It’s because of my teammates. I feel I’m playing for them and, especially when it is my senior year, I’m more motivated to do well for them. They set me up for success and vice versa,” says Alex, who played attack. “I tore a joint in my lower knee. I wore it out versus Hand this year in one of our biggest games. My teammates kept encouraging me and, again, with it being my senior year, it kept me motivated because I didn’t want to waste the season on the sidelines with an injury.”
Guilford Head Coach Steve Jewett says that Alex not only set the bar high for her teammates through her desire to succeed on the turf, but that she also played a pivotal role in originating the Indians’ motto for the season.
“She is a fierce competitor, who is a motivator to her teammates and is a good communicator,” says Jewett. “The focal point of the team has been ‘Take the risk,’ and Alex came up with it. She is also a compassionate teammate.”
Those three words stemmed from the fact that Guilford had a young group with several girls suiting up for the first time at the varsity level this year. The Indians adhered to their credo and unlocked a whole new level of confidence and skill.
“I and the other two captains, Sarah DeLucia and Emma Jewett, tried to create a saying. We lost six starting seniors from last year, so we had such a young team. We also learned that many of the girls had never played varsity before, but they took the risk,” says Alex, who will play at Division III Endicott College in Massachusetts, where she’ll study physical therapy. “They did it by playing their personal best, especially in hard games. It turned out to be a better phrase than I thought because it carried over all the way to the freshman team.”
Alex has also shown a knack for coming up clutch as she scored the game-winning goal in overtime when Guilford beat Norwalk to snap a three-game losing streak. Alex feels those types of moments stem from her always giving her all on the turf and she gets a little inspiration from her teammates to do so.
“That’s just how I am. I’m here to win and give 110 percent. When the team works hard, it pushes me to work hard and give that 110 percent,” Alex says. “Emma Jewett set me up for that goal and it was a very rewarding goal and win to get. It was a great win to pick us up. We couldn’t get the wins in the close games, so it meant a lot to get that one.”
When reflecting upon all the laughs, memories, and life lessons she’s experienced during the past four years, Alex says that nothing compares to the time she’s spent as a member of Guilford girls’ lacrosse.
“These have been the best years of my life so far. I have some of my best friends on this team and I’ve grown in my awareness of life through it. I also learn off of how I help the younger girls,” says Alex, who thanks her family and the entire Guilford girls’ lacrosse program. “There were ups and downs, but this team is awesome with awesome personalities. I love the sport itself, but these will be the most memorable years of my life.”