On Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, Souderton seniors Kirstin Russell, Danielle Notvest and Melinda Wojt were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to play lacrosse at the collegiate level.
“The three of them are our leaders – Kristin is our attack leader, Danielle is our midfield leader and Melinda is our leader on defense,” Souderton coach Nicole Bauer said. “It’s nice that the three of them all have that competitive edge since they’re all going on to play at a high level in college. They all have a goal they want to reach this year as well as continuing to learn for next year.
“All three of them have improved so much since last year, and it’s not like they needed to improve a lot. They are just really stepping out of their shells, and I think it’s the confidence of knowing they’re going to that next level.”
Kirstin Russell – George Mason University (Lacrosse)
Major: BusinessFinal list of colleges: George Mason, Rutgers, William & Mary
Reasons for choosing George Mason: “The team is just really closely knit, and I love the coach. As far as the school goes, it has one of the top 10 business programs in the nation.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I probably started thinking about playing in college the summer before ninth grade when I started playing for my club team. From there, I started the recruiting process right away, just looking at schools and everything, but really, the majority of it happens in 10th grade and the summer after 10th grade – e-mailing coaches, having them come to tournaments.
“For me, it was pretty easy. George Mason had everything I wanted. They have sports, they have athletics, and the team was just great.”
Coach Nicole Bauer says: “Kirstin’s stick skills have improved drastically this year. She is able to control the ball. In today’s game, she pulled three people on her, and her stick skills made one of them fall over, and she was able to roll the crease and go to goal.
“Kristin just has a tremendous game sense that she really has been sharing with the team this year – being in a leadership role, she knows she can do that. It’s great to see her develop her skills but also help others as well to learn the game and know the game. She’s smart about how she plays, and I think that’s three quarters of the battle.”
Danielle Notvest – Villanova University (Lacrosse)
Major: EngineeringFinal list of colleges: Villanova, Colgate, Penn, Richmond
Reasons for choosing Villanova: “I chose Villanova because I liked the strong academics.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I started at the beginning of my junior year, and I had a list of about 30 schools, so I had a lot of work on my hands. I always tried to keep my academics a priority even if that meant going to a school without lacrosse.
“Villanova offers so many opportunities. It’s amazing.”
Coach Nicole Bauer says: “Danielle is just continuously a consistent player. I can always count on her wherever I need her – in the midfield, on defense or on attack. She’s just very level-headed and smart with the things that she does on the field.
“With her shot, she’s able to place the ball and score a lot goals. She uses her height to her advantage.”
Melinda Wojt – Lock Haven University (Lacrosse)
Major: Middle School EducationFinal list of colleges: Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, La Salle
Reasons for choosing Lock Haven: “I chose Lock Haven because I decided I wanted to go high Division 2, so I will get good competition. Also, it has small classes. The team is really friendly - everyone gets along, and I love the coach.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “When I was playing for SAGLA, we went to a high school game at Souderton for SAGLA Night, and I saw the girls and how much they loved playing lacrosse, and that made me say, ‘I want to play high school lacrosse and even go on to play college lacrosse.’
“I started playing Ultimate Lacrosse, which is a travel team where you go to tournaments. The recruiting started in 10th or 11th grades, and last spring I started talking to Lock Haven. I verbally committed in the summer.”
Coach Nicole Bauer says: “Melinda is a totally new player this year. She has stepped up her communication, and she has stepped up her confidence since last year. Her defensive positioning is outstanding, and just the space she is able to maintain on defense- she is our hub on defense.
“Melinda keeps everybody together and directs everybody on defense. She brings knowledge to the huddle, and she’s not afraid to speak up and help us out.”
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