By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/24/09

Boyertown senior midfielder Emily Austerberry has signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I lacrosse at Old Dominion University.

Austerberry helped the Bears win their sixth straight Pioneer Athletic Conference title last year, earning first team PAC-10 honors. Boyertown advanced to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs, finished 19-4-1 overall and was ranked No. 9 in the final PA Media Rankings

Austerberry, who also was an Honorable Mention All-Phillylacrosse.com pick, collected 65 goals, 17 assists, 93 draw controls, 58 groundballs, 21 caused turnovers and eight interceptions in 2009. Austerberry, who plays for the Phantastix club team, enters her senior year with 109 career goals and 40 career assists.

Austerberry will play for ODU head coach Sue Stahl, a graduate of Upper Darby and Ursinus College and a former long-time assistant at Temple. Austerberry plans to major in Exercise Science.

“I chose Old Dominion because of the lacrosse program and because I loved the school,” Austerberry said of the Norfolk, Va., campus. “They built all new dorms; they just added a football team and got a new rec center. Everything is beautiful down there.”

Austerberry now can focus on helping the Bears win a seventh straight PAC-10 crown.

“I feel really good about next year,” she said. “We lost a lot of seniors, but coach (Pam) Wernersbach gets us back in the swing of things. We feel we can win the PAC-10, go to districts and compete at states.”

Why does Boyertown continue to succeed?

“I think it’s because of our love of the game,” she said. “When we practice, we always have the best time. We all have the same goals and everyone is dedicated.”

Austerberry joins Philly recruits Theresa Brady (Conestoga) and Kallie McCormick (Brandywine HS, DE, Phantastix) as signees at ODU.

Tags: Boyertown