On Sept 15, junior Lorelei McGorty announced her lacrosse commitment to Elon University.
A key contributor to the girls lacrosse team since her freshman season, McGorty has amassed a total of 60 goals and 17 assists over her high school career.
Girls lacrosse head coach Kate DaSilva said, “Freshman year she was more on the sidelines as a game changer for us but now she’s just grown into a starter for us as well as our draw specialist.”
Looking back on her high school career so far, McGorty’s freshman season was a highlight for her, as the team won its first ever state title with McGorty scoring in the final. “She’s scored in a lot of close games which helped us to win those games,” said DaSilva.
Lacrosse has always stood out to McGorty, with the idea of playing at a high level in college always in the back of her mind. “I started playing when I was really young in about first grade. I always thought that it was more fun than other sports. A big part of that has also been the people I’ve met through playing and building bonds with teammates.”
Off the field, McGorty’s value of her teammates is evident, as senior Kate Paris said, “Lorelei is the type of person who will always be there to lift you up and is focused on the wellbeing of her teammates. She’s always putting others before herself which is really admirable and contributes to our team culture.”
The importance of team culture and environment were at the forefront of McGorty’s mind throughout her recruiting process stating that “When I got to meet the team, I watched one of their practices when they ran stairs for 9/11. They were very committed to it even though it was so hot to the point of the event almost being canceled. Being a community like that where everyone really just wants to work hard and is so committed really stood out to me.”
Elon felt like the perfect fit, offering her opportunities to balance both athletics and college life, such as having the opportunity to study abroad, which is rare in college athletics. “I felt like coaches care so much about their players, growing the program and I also felt like they really cared about me as a person, not just an athlete,” McGorty said.
Elon competes in the Coastal Atlantic Association (CAA) conference and also boasts a competitive out of conference schedule, playing teams like Duke, Stanford and Notre Dame. Last year, the Phoenix’s finished fourth in the CAA with an overall record of 7-10.
McGorty is looking forward to playing, making an impact and fulfilling her dream.
