On Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, Hatboro-Horsham seniors Maria Guerra, Jane Henry and Rachel Rausa were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent 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.
“They’ll all qualify for Academic All-Americans – they’re all top 10 or even top five percent of the class,” coach Duncan Swezey said. “They’re all great on the field, and they’re all awesome to coach. We teach the kids to lead by the folder – the folder is more important than anything else. It provides more opportunities, and you can see by the schools that they chosen, and that’s real important when you’re trying to teach younger kids.
“They’re all team captains, they’ll all leaders of our team. They have great personalities. They come out to make the girls better every day. There’s no senioritis, and there’s no hierarchy. They just have great attitudes. They all get along so well, and the way it’s set up this year – I have one of them up front (Rachel Rausa), one in the middle (Maria Guerra) and one in the back (Jane Henry). I’ll have three of my best players right up the middle of the field that have been best friends since whenever. Hopefully, it will lead to a successful season coming up.”
“I have been coaching for 19 years, and I have coached so many kids, but this group is one of my all-time favorites to coach because of the way they put out on the field, the way they love each other, the way they perform and just because of their love of the game,” said Jenny Duckenfield, who coached the trio’s Ultimate Goal Lacrosse team. “It’s been a great experience, a very humbling experience for me. It’s rare that you get that chemistry on the field and off the field. These kids are together all the time. From the moment this team became a club team for Ultimate Goal back when they were in eighth grade, they just connected. They have wonderful presence. They have always picked each other up, and they play with such firepower together. It’s exciting and fun to watch. I have just been very lucky.”
Maria Guerra – Boston University (Lacrosse)
Major: Biomedical Engineering or Biotechnology
Final list of colleges: Boston University, Princeton, Michigan, Virginia Tech
Reasons for choosing Boston University: “When I went to Boston, I met with the coach and all the girls, and they were just really welcoming, and I clicked immediately with them. I loved the city and also the academics as well, and that’s the most important part. I just feel like I fit in academically, and I can really thrive there.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse: “I had always played for Horsham Girls Lacrosse Club, and actually through Rachel (Rausa) I found out about Ultimate Lacrosse club. It was the summer going into eighth grade I started playing Ultimate for Duck (Jenny Duckenfield). From there, I knew I loved it. I loved playing club, I loved the atmosphere, and that’s when I really started to think, ‘All right, I can do this in college, ‘ and I just progressed from there.”
Coach Duncan Swezey says: “Maria is more of a hybrid – she’s a midfield defender. She was a track star, and in eighth grade set a record. Maria never tires. She can go up and down the field all day long, and I never have to take her out of the game. A lot of teams look at her as a defensive specialist, and at college next year, they may play her more as a defensive specialist, but she has the skills to move up on offense as well. In seven v seven, she’s one of the top players.”
About Maria:
Favorite food: Anything my dad cooks
Favorite movies: Pitch Perfect or the Harry Potter series
Favorite music: Zach Brown Band
Rachel Rausa – Georgetown University (Lacrosse)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Georgetown, Stanford, Columbia, Lehigh
Reasons for choosing Georgetown: “What’s not to love about Georgetown? They have everything I was looking for academically, and their lacrosse program is unbelievable. The coaching staff is really amazing, and I just felt really comfortable with all the girls, and D.C. is awesome. I had my official visit a couple of weeks ago, and it’s kind of like a tease – why am I not here now? The girls that I’m going in with are awesome. We’re already all so close, and they’re all so good, so it should be fun.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse? “Honestly, I can thank coach Duck (Jenny Duckenfield) – she’s the reason I’m playing lacrosse in college, and even the Swezeys – they have been so supportive. Honestly, I was going back and forth between field hockey and lacrosse for a while, but after playing for Ultimate Club, I realized how much I loved to play lacrosse, and I wouldn’t mind doing it for the next four years.”
Coach Duncan Swezey says: “Rachel is basically an attacking middie. She was our All-American last year. She’s really quick and really good on ground balls. She was like a ground ball machine. We call her the Eveready Bunny of ground balls. She executes the way you’re supposed to, and the way she executes makes her a better player. She’s tenacious. Her sophomore year she probably had more yellow cards than my entire team combined. She was overly aggressive, and she’s learned to tone it down. She’s a much smarter player, and she’s matured.”
About Rachel:
Favorite food: Mashed potatoes
Favorite movie: Harry Potter movies
Favorite music: Dave Matthews Band and Cold Play
Jane Henry – Central Connecticut State University (Lacrosse)
Major: Biology
Final list of colleges: Central Connecticut, Mercy College (N.Y.)
Reasons for choosing Central Connecticut: “The people are really nice. When I walked on the campus, it felt like a second home. It felt like I would belong there, so that’s what really sold me.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate lacrosse: “I think it was after 10th grade – I was playing in the summer, and I realized even though I loved lacrosse and field hockey, I could see myself playing lacrosse for a longer amount of time than I could field hockey because I loved it so much more.”
Coach Duncan Swezey says: “Jane is like the wall on ‘D.’ A lot of times defenders don’t get the accolades because they don’t get the stats, and it’s very hard to judge a defender, but Jane is the one to play that player on the other team you want to slow down. She’s a very smart player. She doesn’t turn the ball over a great deal, and she takes control of the defense - that’s her responsibility.”About Jane:
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak
Favorite movies: She’s the Man or Inception
Favorite music: Maroon 5
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