Sports
Kensington Native A Rising Lacrosse Star At UVA
At Holy Cross, they're still talking about Katie Slater's amazing game versus Bishop Ireton two years ago.
An alumnus and Kensington native is emerging as a new star on the University of Virginia’s women’s lacrosse team.
Katie Slater scored four goals and had an assist in the Cavaliers’ 13-8 victory over Boston College in the quarter finals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last week in Durham, NC.
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The Cavs lost in the semi-finals Saturday to top-seeded and North Carolina squad (third ranked nationally), then the Tar Heels were upset by the University of Maryland in the finals.
Only a sophomore, Slater has been a mainstay for the Cavaliers all season long. She’s scored 22 goals with two assists in the 13 games she’s played in so far this season. She’s also had eight draw controls and has started taking the draws consistently in the last three games.
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“She really started to takeoff near the end of her freshman year last year,” Corey Samperton, assistant athletic director and one of her coaches at The Academy of the Holy Cross, told Patch.
“I had the pleasure of coaching Katie for her senior year at Holy Cross in the spring of 2010, when we beat Bishop Ireton in the semis to make it to the finals for the first time in two or three years.” Samperton said.
In that game, Katie scored eight goals and made at least three key interceptions. “We still talk a lot here about that game and how well Katie played,” Samperton said.
“Katie’s raw athletic talent, elite skill sets and athletic mindset are a killer combination that makes her teammates dream come true and an opponent’s worst nightmare,” she added.
Samperton notes that Katie was “not the most verbal leader on the field,” but asserts that her drive, determination and leading by example stand out on every field she’s ever played on— starting at an early age.
“Her teammates and coaches here at Holy Cross are not surprised of her success at UVA and are extremely proud of her," she added.
Katie and the 11th-ranked Cavs will face a big test this Saturday in their final regular season game against No. 1-ranked Northwestern.