Kleiman, DiGiovanni Named Athletes of the Week

Congratulations to our Athletes of the Week, Nicole Kleiman and Stephen DiGiovanni, of the girls' and boys' lacrosse teams.

Kleiman, a junior, scored nine goals against Union Catholic Tuesday in an impressive 16-7 victory. The achievement was a career-high performance.

"This is actually the first time I scored nine goals in one game," said Kleiman. "This was a really exciting game. We played really well together as a team."

Besides her penchant for scoring goals, Kleiman has become adept at helping the Lady Cougars maintain ball possession.

"Her height helps her to win the draws," said first-year head coach Lauren Leddy.  "She just sees the field so well. She plays all-around. She goes back and makes great plays on defense. She's great in the midfield and she can carry the ball."

Kleiman has come a long way when it comes to her sporting passion, considering she didn't pick up a stick until she entered high school.

"I actually started playing my freshman year and I just loved it since the day I started," said Kleiman. "A few of my friends played and they told me how much they loved it, and they wanted me to try it, so I tried it. It was difficult at the beginning because I really didn't know a lot of the rules. But once I started, everyone helped and it all came together."

Since then, she's become a force to be reckoned with on attack while making everyone take notice, including her coach.

"She handles the ball really well," Leddy said. "She sees the cage well, she looks to where the goalie is not, something I'm trying to teach the other girls to see. She hits those corners. She just has a great stick. She can beat her defenders, both left and right-handed, they're both solid."

According to Kleiman, determination is key for younger athletes who are thinking about joining this up-and-coming program.

"Just keep trying and doing your best, and always work your hardest, and you'll get to where you want to be."

Meanwhile, our boys' Athlete of the Week has his future already mapped out, with a scholarship to play lacrosse at Division-1 Hofstra in hand.

Stephen DiGiovanni also has a goal for his senior season with the Cougars, and that's to have fun and make his opponents miserable. He's doing a good job at both, having scored 15 goals in his first three games.

His most impressive performance of the season thus far came against Vernon Monday night, a match in which the Cougars prevailed 10-8 after traveling over an hour north to play under the lights in a tough environment. His five-goal effort, despite being a marked man, provided even more proof that he's become one of the top players in the state.

"I think that was the hardest game we ever played as a team together, maybe on Cranford for four years on varsity. I felt that was the first time we all stuck together and did it as one."

This season, his motivation comes from a place close to his heart.

"I play to make my family happy, that's all I do" said DiGiovanni. "I'm playing this season for my Aunt Angela, who passed away from pancreatic cancer and that's what my tattoo is for. I go out there every time and if she can go through all that, lacrosse is nothing, and I go out there and try my hardest for her."