By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/19/16
Shipley School 2019 goalie Grace Donnelly has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Grace Donnelly profile:
Grace Donnelly
High School: Shipley School
Graduation Year: 2019
Position: Goalie
College Choice: University of Colorado (Boulder)
Club Affiliation: Sky Walkers
Major lacrosse honors, camps and showcases: All Friends League Honorable Mention (freshman); Mainline Times Honorable Mention (freshman)
What will you major in/study? Undecided
Why did you choose this school? “I was interested in University of Colorado Boulder because my brother, Joe, moved to Denver a year ago and told me how beautiful the school was sitting right at the base of the Rockies. My brother, Zack, went out there and visited him this summer and loved it so much he’s moving there now too. They both told me I should go visit the school, so I signed up for a Sunday 5v5 camp there and my Sky Walker’s Club coaches sent them an email with my highlight tape and got me invited me to the Saturday Prospect Day. What can I say, it was love at first site. The campus is breath taking, the facilities are awesome, the school environment is so much fun, the academics are a perfect fit for me and the coaches there got me so excited about how well the young program is doing and where they see it going very soon. Coach (Ann) Elliot and Coach (Alex) Frank made me want be part of building something special at CU and I’m excited about the future there. I also liked that their goalie coach, Mitch, who played goalie in the men’s game which is the style I’m trained in, so we clicked right away. Lastly, I can’t wait to spend as much time as possible hiking in the Rockies with my brothers and snowboarding if Coach Elliot is OK with that.”
Outlook for 2017 HS season? “We graduated some key seniors, but also had a lot of freshman and sophomores get valuable playing time last year. We lost in the Friend’s League championship game last year and our goal is to get back there and hopefully win it this season. We know it won’t be easy, but our coach, Molly Fernandez, is great and we’re looking forward to the 2017 season.”
People to thank: “I would like to start out by thanking Coach Molly Fernandez for being such a great high school coach and also making it possible for me to join the Sky Walkers. I love both my Shipley and Sky Walkers teammates and couldn’t imagine playing for another high school or club team. It’s been a wonderful year playing with both teams. Thanks also to my Sky Walkers team coaches, Crissy Marchetti and Colby Rhea as well as team organizers Mike and Molly McLaughlin and a special thank you to Sky Walkers goalie coach, Scott Bentkowski, who was not only great with helping me develop as a goalie in boy’s style goalie technique, but was also so helpful with the recruiting piece. Lastly, I’d like to thank the crew at Basic Training Lacrosse, aka my family, The Donnelly Clan. Pop, Uncle Matt, JoJo, Z-man and Dad … thanks for shooting a million balls at me over the years and always encouraging me and teaching me. It’s been fun so far and I’m hoping the fun is only just beginning. Looking forward to post-game tailgating in the Rockies with all of you!”
Other schools considered: Boston College, Michigan, University of Southern California, The University of Phoenix On-line (the Harvard of on-line colleges)
Longstreth Women’s Sports, the official sponsor for Phillylacrosse.com girls’ recruits, congratulates Grace Donnelly. Longstreth specializes in equipment, uniforms and apparel for women’s sports. Longstreth carries a huge selection of all the best women’s heads, handles, goalie gear and player accessories – including shoes and apparel. Visit longstreth.com for directions and information.