Fenton’s Premonition Comes True

Kelly Fenton has been playing lacrosse for a decade—she’s had a lot of success playing at and also on a club team, the Steps Elite Blue team.

But Fenton also knew for a long while where she wanted to go to college to continue her lacrosse career.

“When I was a freshman [in Bridgewater], one of my older friends on the lacrosse team with me had an older brother who went to Fairfield University and played lacrosse,” she said. “It was the first time I had even thought about college, and once she told me all about it I thought, 'that's where I want to go.' I never thought I would know that young, but throughout the long recruiting process I kept coming back to Fairfield."

“I've been looking forward to playing there since I was a freshman in high school, so it's easy to say I am very excited,” she added.

Fenton will play for one of the best lacrosse programs in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. As a center at BRHS—the Panthers went 11-7 last season—she will more than likely man the midfield and attack positions for the Stags.

“Fairfield is a great university and I look forward to learning so much there,” she said. “The level of lacrosse that they are playing there was very important to me."

“I can't wait to become part of the program and play with such talented girls,” she added.

Fenton plans to major in communications at Fairfield.

“There are so many things that appealed to me about Fairfield,” she said. “The most important aspect was the academics.”

Fenton was also a four-year performer on the Panthers’ soccer team, but lacrosse appealed to her at an earlier age.

“I've pretty much played or participated in every sport since I was a kid, and for some reason lacrosse stood out to me the most,” she said. “I love that it's the fastest moving game, and the strategy behind it.”

Fenton is part of a highly-acclaimed incoming class at Fairfield that boasts 11 newcomers. The Stags went 13-5 last season, and have won the MAAC regular season title four years running.

“I am excited to be playing with such skilled players that possess so much talent,” she said. “I expect to learn so much from them just by watching and being able to play with them."

“It’s going to be a big switch to go from my high school teammates to my new teammates, but I am hoping to fit in with such skilled players,” she added.

Helping Fenton in this change will be the fact that she’s familiar with most of her fellow newcomers.

“I’ve played against some of the girls in my recruiting class and they are all awesome players,” she said. “They all come from such big lacrosse towns and are very into the sport. I think all of us will be great additions to an already awesome program.”

Fenton's experience playing club lacrosse will serve her well in her acclimation to the college game.

“Playing on the Steps Elite blue team was a great experience,” she said. “All the girls on the team around me were so talented and it was awesome to be able to play with them."

"It was a very different kind of game then, playing with just my high school team because there were so many girls from different areas of New Jersey,” she added. “Each one of them brought their own knowledge and skills of the game that varied from town to town. It was also awesome to be able to play against them in high school and will be even more awesome to see them again in college and play against them."

Outside of her training for the upcoming college season, Fenton also coached at a lacrosse camp recently.

“It is so enjoyable for me to share my love and knowledge for the sport with little kids,” she said. “It's also awesome to see such young kids who are so interested in the sport and to see the lacrosse community growing.” 

With her high school career complete, Fenton is looking forward to the dawn of her college career—both on the field and off the field.

“I am also looking forward to starting a whole new chapter in my life—it's so exciting, but I'm still so nervous,” she said. “It makes it a lot easier having the girls on the lacrosse team going into school together."

“There are 10 of us and we all split in two's to be roommates so we're all very close already," she added.