On Mar. 16, junior Emily Kennedy announced her commitment to play lacrosse at Muhlenberg College via Instagram.
Kennedy has been playing lacrosse for nine years. She began her lacrosse career playing for Westfield’s town-run programs and since then, she joined the club team Dew Lax. Kennedy has also played on the WHS varsity team since sophomore year.
Kennedy serves as a defender for both Dew Lax and WHS. She is seen as a key aspect of the Blue Devils’ defensive unit, head coach Kathryn Dasilva said, “Emily is a very smart defender. She has a great lacrosse IQ which is a huge asset on the team.”
Kennedy’s lacrosse skills are not the only thing she brings to the team. Off the field, Dasilva said, “Emily is one of the sweetest and most kind people, I love that she has almost an ‘alter-ego’ on the field.”
Adding to that, senior co-captain and defensive player Emma Blake said, “She is super positive and a crucial aspect of our defensive unit. She is a true team player who is a solid support system for the team”
Kennedy knew her sophomore year that playing lacrosse at the collegiate level was the path she wanted to take and said, “I knew if I finished playing lacrosse after senior year I would not have been fully fulfilled.”
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, PA. Kennedy said, “I chose Muhlenburg for the academic side and their solid lacrosse program. My teammate Maddy Coen is also going there, so I knew I would have a sense of home there, and the distance is not too far but not too close.”
The Muhlenberg women’s lacrosse team is ranked 32nd under the NCAA Division III program. The team has a successful 2024 season record of 12-5-0 and Kennedy will join the team for their 2027 season.
As Kennedy enters her 2025 high school season, she said, “I want to go far in the Union County Tournament and state tournament. But my goals are not just on the field. Off the field, I want to build a strong team bond and we are already very close this year. I feel that being close off the field will help us on the field going through those tournaments.”
From a coaches perspective, Dasilva said, “Since freshman year, Emily’s confidence has grown tremendously and that confidence has translated into her game play. This season, I would love to see her step into a leadership role on the defensive side, since two of our starting defenders are graduating this year.”
