By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/22/10
Unionville rising senior defender Christine Astarita has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Astarita was a key member of a Unionville (22-4) team that placed third in the District
1 tournament and reached the semifinals of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs.
Astarita also excelled for the Philly team in the Under Armour Underclassmen Games earlier this month at Towson. She plays club lacrosse for PA Express.
“I chose Marist because it has the perfect mix of academics and athletics for me,” she said. “I really liked coach Laura Campbell’s team philosophy and that was a big draw.”
Marist won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship this year and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Astarita said the 2010 season was a success for Unionville, which reached the state semis for the second straight year.
“We definitely had a great season,” she said. “Coach (Wendy) Landry really led the team and our captains and senior class helped the underclassmen grow on and off the field.
“Coach Landry has given me all my opportunities and really helped me grow as a player. Because of her encouragement and support I owe a lot to her.”
Astarita also said the Under Armour experience was a major boost to her confidence. The Philyl team, though young, rebounded from two early losses to win its final two games and place fifth in the eight-team field.
“I was ecstatic to be selected,” Astarita said. “It was a really big honor. I think we had nerves in the early games, but as the tournament went on and the weekend progressed, we came together and played great team defense while working it more on attack.”
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