By Natasha Wetten
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/17/10
Episcopal Academy rising senior defender Maggie Forker has verbally committed to play Division I lacrosse at Vanderbilt University.
Forker, a three-year starter, was a first-team All-Inter Ac League pick this year and anchored a defense that helped EA win its sixth straight Inter-Ac crown. She also was a mainstay for the Philly 1 team that placed third in the US Lacrosse National Tournament last month.
At Vanderbilt Forker will play under Cathey Swezey, who just finished her 13th season as head coach and led the Commodores to a 11-6 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Her assistant coaches are Susan Ellis and Amber Falcone.
“Cathy, Amber and Susan are so nice and fun and determined to keep the program moving forward,” said Forker of her visit. “They were a huge part of my decision.
“The girls were awesome as well,” she said. “A lot of them are from this area which made me feel a lot better about going far from home.”
Vanderbilt has three Philly players – rising juniors Kacie and Kelly Connors (Radnor) and rising sophomore Olivia Goodman (Agnes Irwin) – on its current roster. Three more Philly girls, Alyssa Dunlap and Elie Kraus (Radnor) and Sarah Tustin (Hatboro-Horsham), will be freshmen this fall at Vanderbilt.
Forker, who is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society, plans on studying medicine.
Forker, who also has started on the varsity field hockey team for Episcopal since her freshman year, said EA recovered from a slow start this year and truly meshed as the year reached the midway point. Episcopal Academy finished with 10 straight wins and defeated rival Notre Dame twice by one goal to ultimately win the crown.
“We had a rough start this season because we had lost a lot of talented seniors,” Forker said. “But towards the end we worked out all the kinks.”
Forker, who plays club for Ultimate Goal Lacrosse, will be co-captain in the 2011 season along with Taylor Trimble (committed to Duke). “We look forward to a strong season with a lot of young players returning with more experience,” said Forker.
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