On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, North Penn seniors Brenda McDermott, Rachel Shaw and Aubrie Stouffer were recognized for signing letters of intent to play lacrosse at the collegiate level.
Brenda McDermott – Temple University (Lacrosse)
Major: Accounting
Final list of colleges: Temple, Duquesne, La Salle, St. Joseph’s
Reasons for choosing Temple: “I really like the city, and the campus is not too big. I also really liked the team when I was there on my visit, and coach Bonnie (Rosen) was kind of like (Jami) Wilus, so it wouldn’t be a huge change in coaching strategies.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I actually was planning on playing soccer in college. I have been playing soccer since I was five years old. I didn’t start playing lacrosse until I was in eighth grade, and my English teacher – who was the lacrosse coach – saw me play soccer, and he was like, ‘You really should play. I think you would be great for the team.’ I knew my sister played, so I just tried it out, and I ended up really liking it. I continued playing, and when I got to high school, I fell in love with it, and I knew I wanted to play in college.”
Coach jami Wilus Behm says: “Brenda is our field general. She really just conducts herself almost as a coach on the field. She’s excellent at defense and has become a great offensive player for us, but I think it’s her ability to see the field and understand the game of lacrosse that makes her stand out on multiple levels. Brenda is our first ever two-year captain. A lot of leaders are either vocal leaders or they lead by example. Brenda does both. She’s able to help out a lot of the younger players, and she’s not always worried about herself and what she needs to do but what other people need to do around her to make it a complete team. She’s not a selfish player, and I think that shows through with her leadership.”
About Brenda:
Favorite food: Ice cream
Favorite movie: The Town
Favorite music: Country music
Brenda McDermott lacrosse bio:
2011 season: 64 goals, 28 assists, 16 caused turnovers, 57 draw controls, 18 ground balls
Team captain
Played for the Philly Region in the National Tournament
Second team all-league midfielder
Three-year varsity starter
Rachel Shaw – Old Dominion University (Lacrosse)
Major: Early Education
Final list of colleges: ODU, La Salle, St. Joseph’s, Temple
Reasons for choosing ODU: “I liked the atmosphere a lot. I did not want to go to a big city. I wanted to stay close to home, and the schools that recruited me close to home were in the city, and I did not want that. The suburban area really clinched it for me. The coach was so welcoming, and I really loved the team.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “I started thinking about playing in college when I came up to the high school. Playing as a freshman opened my eyes that Wilus saw something in me and that I could play in college.
“At the beginning of my junior year, I started e-mailing a bunch of schools and made a list. I kept talking to the coaches and narrowing it down from there.”
Coach Jami Wilus Behm says: “Rachel is just a true scorer. She has the ability to score right-handed, left-handed and at different angles. She has almost a guy’s shot from the outside with a lot of power. She puts a lot of time into her offensive game, but I think one of the things Rachel has developed over the past year was being able to transition through the midfield. I think she will definitely become a bigger piece of our defensive to offensive transition game rather than just being the one who stands there and puts the ball into the back of the net. Rachel is also a captain, and she has great leadership and has been a three-year starter for us.”
About Rachel:
Favorite food: Tacos & ice cream
Favorite music: Country
Favorite movie: Despicable Me
Rachel Shaw’s lacrosse bio:
2011 season – 56 goals, 25 assists, 18 caused turnovers, 51 draw controls, 21 ground balls
Played for the Philly Region in the National Tournament
First team all-league attack
Three-year starter
Aubrie Stouffer – Merrimack College (Lacrosse)
Major: Athletic Training
Final list of colleges: Merrimack, West Chester, Roanoke
Reasons for choosing Merrimack: “They have a really good athletic training program, and they’re expanding it. It’s close to Boston, and I love the New England area. The coach is awesome, and I’m really excited to play for her.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “The summer going into 10th grade I first started playing lacrosse on a club team, and I really enjoyed playing lacrosse more and more. I realized that’s what I wanted to do in college.”
Coach Jami Wilus Behm: “Aubrie is going to be a key player for us this year because she’s capable of playing offense and defense. She’s a player that has really worked her way through our system and has been determined and very persistent. She played a lot this past summer and really improved to a level that she will be a key contributor for us this year.”
About Aubrie:
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite movie: The Guardian
Favorite music: Country
Aubrie Stouffer’s lacrosse bio:
2011 season – 3 goals, 2 assists, 6 draw controls
Three-year varsity player
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