Field Hockey: Lalli Gives Back to Alma Mater

When it comes to having a standout senior year in college, Fox Lane graduate Kirsten Lalli could certainly say she had one.

Lalli played four years of field hockey in college at Colgate University. Her senior year, she started all 17 games in net for the Raiders and led the nation in saves per game, with just over 10 per contest.

She was named Patriot League Goalie of the Year, was a first team All-Patriot League honoree and earned a spot on the NFHCA All-Region second team before graduating from the upstate school this spring.

She has spent this fall back at Fox Lane, as a volunteer assistant coach, where she was a three-year all-section player. She said that she enjoyed her experience coaching for a team that qualified for the Section 1 Class A field hockey tournament.

“Most of the girls I didn’t know, though there were a couple who lived in my neighborhood so I knew them,” Lalli said. “It’s been really nice to get to know a group of players that I hadn’t played yet with before. It’s also nice to play Division I in college and be able to impart my knowledge on to them.”

Two of the players she has worked closely with are varsity goalie Keely Connors and JV goalie Victoria Darling.

“They are both freshman, which is nice because they are more malleable, they haven’t played the game as long but at the same time have been pretty good at doing everything I tell them,” Lalli said. “I am sure for them it’s been nice to have one on one attention from someone who knows the position. Especially considering that they are both freshman, their level of play has been very good.”

While Lalli played goalie, she not only focused on that position as she assisted Fox Lane head coach Melissa Heyde in every aspect of the game.

“The girls look up to her a lot, she is a role model,” Heyde said. “Just having someone out of college is good because it is someone that they can relate too. It’s a great thing for a team to have someone like her. She has even helped some of the girls with tutoring. She has worn many hats.”

Formally, Lalli says that she has just tutored one girl on the team but has helped out those who have asked her for her assistance. Her experience includes tutoring in the Colgate biology department in addition to summer tutoring jobs.

“So they know they can come to me if they need help. As someone fresh out of school, they find me pretty approachable," she said, recalling an instance when she gave a player some academic help. "These kids know that school comes first and I can be a resource there as well as field hockey.”

Heyde feels having Lalli as a volunteer coach was especially beneficial to this year’s squad which has a few players that want to play at the next level.

“It’s great for them to see someone from Fox Lane go on to do what she did,” Heyde said. “Hopefully, some of these girls can aspire to do what she did. Some of these girls want to play in college and it’s great for them to be able to get advice from someone that graduated from their school, Fox Lane.”