Northwestern University Athletics
Friday Feature: Lasota and Stroup Bring Canadian Gold to Northwestern
9/25/2015 11:36:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
By: Preston Michelson
NUSports.com
It's pouring rain and cold in Edinburgh, Scotland, the location of the FIL Rathbones Women's Lacrosse U-19 World Championship.
The weather feels like home to Selena Lasota, the sophomore attacker for Northwestern and a member of Canada's U-19 team.
"I've always liked playing in the rain," she said. "Even at Northwestern, it gets me excited."
Canada is prepping to take on the United States, who has won the last four tournament titles.
The U.S. is a far more experienced program. Canada has a storied history of box lacrosse, an indoor variation of the game that has more contact and more similarities with ice hockey. Field lacrosse, the game played at the NCAA level, is just starting to grow for girls in Canada because of the collegiate opportunities it presents.
In the first game of the tournament, the U.S. defeated Canada 15-9. That was the only loss the Canadian team had suffered thus far into the tournament, and it stung for Lasota because the two teams were tied at halftime.
"When we woke up that morning, it just felt like it was going to happen," Lasota said of the team's rematch with the U.S. in the championship.
It happened.
Lasota took all of the draws, scored three goals, and notched two assists en route to a 9-8 Canada victory. Danita Stroup, a junior attacker for Northwestern, also recorded two helpers.
After the game, Lasota was named the Player of the Match and was named to the All-World Team for leading Canada to its first U-19 women's field lacrosse gold medal in the nation's history.
Stroup, who recently transferred from LIU-Brooklyn, said that the team was mentally prepared to win.
"From the very beginning of the tournament, we knew we were going to be in the finals," she said.
It was simply a matter of executing what they knew how to do.
"Everything that we had to do, we had already done in the tournament," said Lasota. "It was just a matter of putting it all together."
Close to Home
The two players have a special connection that runs deeper than the Canadian U-19 team and Northwestern. They both grew up in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada.
Lasota is a native of Campbell River, on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Stroup is from across the Georgia Strait in Port Coquitlam.
It's a hike to get to the mainland. Lasota had to take a four-to-five-hour trip that included a ferry ride to participate in Team British Columbia practices on the weekend. That's where she started playing field lacrosse and how she met Stroup.
It was when Team B.C. traveled to the President's Cup in Maryland that Northwestern assistant coach Danielle Spencer first discovered Lasota, who had mastered tactful and aggressive stick-handling that is rare among most field lacrosse-trained athletes.
Field lacrosse has grown significantly in British Columbia during Lasota and Stroup's lifetime. Their gold medal at Worlds has only helped the case for the sport in the province.
"For 14- and 15-year-olds in British Columbia and in Canada, the victory means a lot," Lasota said. "The growth in opportunities to play the sport in college has helped as well."
Back Together
When Stroup went off to LIU-Brooklyn to play lacrosse, Lasota continued to master her game at home in British Columbia.
At Northwestern, she shocked the lacrosse world with her stick handling and athleticism. In the third game of her Wildcat career versus Duke, Lasota fired a behind-the-back shot while sprinting to the right of the net. That move fits right in with Canadian box lacrosse. It sticks out and shines in collegiate field lacrosse. Defenders can't help but paying attention to her, freeing up the field for her teammates.
In the U-19 championship game, Stroup pulled off a similar nonchalant behind-the-back pass which ended up being one of her two assists.
Now that the two of them are both on the Northwestern attack, there's a big increase in the opportunities for behind-the-back action — and a showcase for the growing number of field lacrosse players in Canada.
Despite Stroup's collegiate and international experience, she says she's taking a step back and trying to best help the team.
"I'm pretty much treating it like I'm a freshman," she said. "Even though I have some experience, it's not experience at Northwestern. But I'm absolutely loving the practices. There is just so much energy."
For the two of them, but especially for Stroup, having a familiar face in practice, in the locker room, and on the field is helpful.
Lasota and Stroup also know two other players from the U-19 championship, but on the other side of the ball. Goalkeeper Mallory Weisse and defender Claire Quinn both played for the silver-winning U.S. team and both are new to the Northwestern program.
For all players involved, playing at such a high international level improves their game back at Northwestern.
"It's huge," Lasota said. "The experience is really great and makes us better players."
NUSports.com
It's pouring rain and cold in Edinburgh, Scotland, the location of the FIL Rathbones Women's Lacrosse U-19 World Championship.
The weather feels like home to Selena Lasota, the sophomore attacker for Northwestern and a member of Canada's U-19 team.
"I've always liked playing in the rain," she said. "Even at Northwestern, it gets me excited."
Canada is prepping to take on the United States, who has won the last four tournament titles.
The U.S. is a far more experienced program. Canada has a storied history of box lacrosse, an indoor variation of the game that has more contact and more similarities with ice hockey. Field lacrosse, the game played at the NCAA level, is just starting to grow for girls in Canada because of the collegiate opportunities it presents.
In the first game of the tournament, the U.S. defeated Canada 15-9. That was the only loss the Canadian team had suffered thus far into the tournament, and it stung for Lasota because the two teams were tied at halftime.
"When we woke up that morning, it just felt like it was going to happen," Lasota said of the team's rematch with the U.S. in the championship.
It happened.
Lasota took all of the draws, scored three goals, and notched two assists en route to a 9-8 Canada victory. Danita Stroup, a junior attacker for Northwestern, also recorded two helpers.
After the game, Lasota was named the Player of the Match and was named to the All-World Team for leading Canada to its first U-19 women's field lacrosse gold medal in the nation's history.
Stroup, who recently transferred from LIU-Brooklyn, said that the team was mentally prepared to win.
"From the very beginning of the tournament, we knew we were going to be in the finals," she said.
It was simply a matter of executing what they knew how to do.
"Everything that we had to do, we had already done in the tournament," said Lasota. "It was just a matter of putting it all together."
Close to Home
The two players have a special connection that runs deeper than the Canadian U-19 team and Northwestern. They both grew up in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada.
Lasota is a native of Campbell River, on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Stroup is from across the Georgia Strait in Port Coquitlam.
It's a hike to get to the mainland. Lasota had to take a four-to-five-hour trip that included a ferry ride to participate in Team British Columbia practices on the weekend. That's where she started playing field lacrosse and how she met Stroup.
It was when Team B.C. traveled to the President's Cup in Maryland that Northwestern assistant coach Danielle Spencer first discovered Lasota, who had mastered tactful and aggressive stick-handling that is rare among most field lacrosse-trained athletes.
Field lacrosse has grown significantly in British Columbia during Lasota and Stroup's lifetime. Their gold medal at Worlds has only helped the case for the sport in the province.
"For 14- and 15-year-olds in British Columbia and in Canada, the victory means a lot," Lasota said. "The growth in opportunities to play the sport in college has helped as well."
Back Together
When Stroup went off to LIU-Brooklyn to play lacrosse, Lasota continued to master her game at home in British Columbia.
At Northwestern, she shocked the lacrosse world with her stick handling and athleticism. In the third game of her Wildcat career versus Duke, Lasota fired a behind-the-back shot while sprinting to the right of the net. That move fits right in with Canadian box lacrosse. It sticks out and shines in collegiate field lacrosse. Defenders can't help but paying attention to her, freeing up the field for her teammates.
In the U-19 championship game, Stroup pulled off a similar nonchalant behind-the-back pass which ended up being one of her two assists.
Now that the two of them are both on the Northwestern attack, there's a big increase in the opportunities for behind-the-back action — and a showcase for the growing number of field lacrosse players in Canada.
Despite Stroup's collegiate and international experience, she says she's taking a step back and trying to best help the team.
"I'm pretty much treating it like I'm a freshman," she said. "Even though I have some experience, it's not experience at Northwestern. But I'm absolutely loving the practices. There is just so much energy."
For the two of them, but especially for Stroup, having a familiar face in practice, in the locker room, and on the field is helpful.
Lasota and Stroup also know two other players from the U-19 championship, but on the other side of the ball. Goalkeeper Mallory Weisse and defender Claire Quinn both played for the silver-winning U.S. team and both are new to the Northwestern program.
For all players involved, playing at such a high international level improves their game back at Northwestern.
"It's huge," Lasota said. "The experience is really great and makes us better players."
Players Mentioned
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