On Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, Upper Dublin seniors Alycia Hildebrand and Anna Petrucci were recognized for making commitments to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Cardinal Camera sponsors all SOL college signings on SuburbanOneSports.com. For additional information about purchasing a commemorative keepsake of the signing, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/forms/college-signings.
Alycia Hildebrand – Ursinus College (Lacrosse)
Major: Biology with a minor in Exercise Sports Science
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “Ursinus is close to home, which is good so my parents can come to my games, and they also have a known reputation for their sciences. When I walked on the campus, it just felt like a perfect fit for me.”
What was the progression that led you to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level? “Last year I just felt like I really grew as a player, and I thought I could do it. I talked to coach Cross, and she said – ‘You could,’ so then we started the hunt.”
Coach Dee Cross says: “Last year, as a junior, when we were at indoor practice, I said to her, ‘You are going to do something this year.’ She’s a field hockey player too, and she loves field hockey. Lacrosse was her second sport, but I just noticed she had a different intensity level at indoor practices and indoor games. She came out during the season and was a starting defender and really was a game changer. She learned how to play proper defensive positioning, her stickwork improved, and she’s the type of defender that if you take the ball from her, she’s going to get it back. She’s got that inner drive that you can’t coach. It was just a real pleasure to see last year how she raised her game, and the next thing I know she was talking about playing in college. Everything fell into place. She went to visit Ursinus and loved it, and the coach is really excited to have her. Her biggest asset is her tenacity and her aggression. It’s innate – it’s not something you can coach. She’s a lot of fun to watch. She’s improving every single time she steps on the field.”
About Alycia:
Favorite food: Mac ‘N Cheese
Favorite movie: The Great Gatsby
Favorite music: Time Flies
Anna Petrucci – University of Scranton (Lacrosse)
Major: Nursing
Reasons for choosing Scranton: “The coach reached out to me for lacrosse. I didn’t really think much of it, but when I went there, it was very welcoming, and the people were so nice. When I did an overnight with the team, they made it seem like home. It made feel as though I would fit there.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I honestly never really thought about it until coach Cross brought it up my sophomore year and said, ‘You should really do summer lacrosse because that’s when they’ll start looking at you when you go to tournament.’ So going into my junior year, I did summer lacrosse, and going into senior year, I did it again. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have done it, but now that I’ve looked into it, I know I’ll enjoy it.”
Coach Dee Cross says: “Anna is a leader. If you have one girl that is a rock on your team, she’s that girl. She’s the one that doesn’t get rattled. She started varsity since her freshman year. She wasn’t the most flashy player, and she didn’t get accolades her first two years because she kind of blended in with the other defenders who were older than her, but last year, she stepped up and controlled the defense. She’s very excited to play in college and made that happen. Scranton is the perfect fit for her. She does things that are just innate. I guess it’s her protective sense to protect the crease, to protect her teammates. She’s just that kind of kid that always knows where to be, always makes the play but does it without any fanfare. She’s that one you want on the field in any kind of situation because she knows how to calm everyone down, she knows how to get through it, and then she knows how to move on to the next situation. She also has been a pleasure to coach and just watch mature over these last three years. I’m real excited to see what she can bring in her senior year.”
About Anna:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: The Notebook
Favorite music: Country
- Log in to post comments
