The Girls Varsity Lacrosse program at Oyster Bay High School is just in its second year and already it is making a difference. Senior defender Danielle Maggi has committed to play Division III lacrosse at Albright College.
Last year Maggi was recognized as the “Most Improved Player,” and this year she is being recruited to play in college.
Maggi said, “We did very well in our first varsity season last year (12-2). This year we are 100 percent going for the conference. I’m excited we finally have a varsity team.”
Maggi plans to study computer science at Albright. She says she chose Albright as her school “because the lacrosse program is very strong. When I had my overnight official visit everyone around the campus had a positive attitude. Also, the school is big on sports, and very supportive. I also like to be involved with clubs; they offer multiple kinds that I can continue in college.”
While at OBHS, Maggi was a member of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and she was also a member of the OBHS Varsity Soccer team. As a junior she helped lead the soccer team into the playoffs.
OBHS junior Nicole Hauser plays on the Varsity Lacrosse team. About her teammate, she says, “Danielle is a very driven and hard-working player. She is a great teammate and leader, and I know that she will excel at the college level.”
Maggi says she “would like to thank my school coach, Mr. Charles Rizzuto, because he was one that pushed me throughout my seasons and got me to where I am today. He is a coach that cares about his players. He always had high standards for my team, which made us so successful. He does anything he can for us in and out of season.”
Coach Rizzuto had this to say about Danielle: “I am really proud of Danielle, and what she has accomplished in her time as part of this program. As a player, she is the vocal leader of the defense and someone we rely upon to make a big stop, or come up with a big ground ball when we need one. As a person, I have seen her mature right in front of me. For me, coaching is all about the little things, and one of my favorite moments so far this year was when we were playing Locust Valley. During a timeout, the team was jogging in, and our eighth grade goalie was jogging from her cage about 10 – 15 yards behind everyone else. Danielle stopped, looked back, saw her, and went back to jog in with her. When the two of them made it to the huddle, I looked at Danielle and said I love that. It was a cool moment because I do not think anyone but her and I knew what I was talking about. Danielle is the first person in the history of the program to commit to play lacrosse in college, and we are all very happy for her. It will definitely be very different next year not having Danielle around, but I wish her the best of luck and look forward to taking a trip to see one of her games in 2015.”
