Senior Spotlight on Millersville Women’s Lacrosse

Senior Spotlight on Millersville Women’s Lacrosse

3/19/2020 4:15:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

By: Amanda Graham, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – As they prepared for their home opener for the 2020 season at Biemesderfer Stadium, six seniors on the Millersville women's lacrosse team learned that their senior season, and their careers, had come to a premature end as the PSAC ruled early that morning that all spring sports would be canceled through the end of the academic year.

Sara Burney, Emily Jacobsen, Kelly Layton, Sarah Leverentz, Jasa Lorah and Michella Salvitti made up the senior class. All six were off to a strong start for the 2020 season as they tackled five games on the road in just over a two-week span and led the Marauders to three victories.

The squad has totaled three All-PSAC Third Team honors, five PSAC Scholar-Athlete titles and a PSAC Athlete of the Week award. The group helped to lead the Marauders in the 2019 season to their first PSAC Tournament appearance since 2016.

While they only spent two short years with head coach Cindy Wilson, the senior class left a lasting impact on the coach, their teammates and the program.

"They welcomed the new coaches with open arms last year and made us feel at home with the Marauder women's lacrosse program," said Wilson. "This year, they have continued to show what it means to be a Marauder and pushed to make the entire program better. While we are sad to have our time with them cut short, we are excited to see them shine in their next phases of life."

THE SENIORS

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Jasa Lorah
A sports business major, Lorah returned for her senior season after earning All-PSAC Third Team honors during her sophomore and junior seasons. She had led the Marauders in both 2018 and 2019 in ground balls. The two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete recorded a career-best 37 draw controls and finished second with 19 caused turnovers in 2018. She upped the number in 2019, forcing 20 turnovers. She started in all five of the Marauders' games in the 2020 season and forced a team-high 11 turnovers.

"Jasa has been an outstanding leader for our program. She has anchored our defense and been extremely reliable through her role on and off the field," said Wilson. "We will miss her contagious energy and the positive attitude that she brought each and every day."

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Sarah Leverentz
An early childhood education major, Leverentz returned for her senior season after earning her first PSAC Athlete of the Week honor and an All-PSAC Third Team distinction in 2019. A three-year starter and PSAC Scholar-Athlete, Leverentz led the team in caused turnovers (24) and finished second in ground balls (44) and draw controls (50) in the 2019 season. She has totaled 93 career points with 77 goals and 16 assists. She started in all five of Millersville's games in 2020 and led the team in ground balls (19). She ranked second in draw controls (27) and tallied seven goals.

"Levy has been a great example of what it means to be a team player. Her work ethic and positive attitude allowed her to be a constant source of energy on the field," said Wilson. "Her kindness and genuine care for others helped to connect her to her teammates while also serving as motivation to others to continue to be better."

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Sara Burney
A pre-athletic training biology major, Burney returned for her senior season after she totaled a team-high 26 assists, tied for sixth-most in a single season, in 2019. Her career-total 52 assists rank 10^th all-time in program history. A two-year starter for the Marauders, Burney started in all five of Millersville's contests in 2020. She totaled 13 points from nine goals and four assists. 16 of her 19 shots landed on the net.

"Burney has been a rock for our offense. She stepped into the role of quarterbacking the unit and did so with a great level of composure," said Wilson. "Burney doesn't always use a lot of words, but she has set an amazing example for the rest of her teammates and her leadership will be missed."

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Michella Salvitti
A dual biology and science writing major, Salvitti returned for her senior season after playing a key role in the Marauders' defensive efforts last year. She collected 32 ground balls, caused 13 turnovers and won one draw control in the 2019 season. During her sophomore campaign in 2018, she recorded 23 ground balls, forced eight turnovers and won one draw control. Salvitti started in four of Millersville's five games in the 2020 season and collected five ground balls and forced five turnovers.

"Michella's care for her teammates coupled with her ability to balance and multitask have made her someone that many of her teammates look up to," said Wilson. "She has been involved in a wide variety of activities on campus while still maintaining success in academics. She brought comic relief when we needed it, but her dedication to the team never wavered."

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Emily Jacobsen
A biology major, Jacobsen returned for her senior season after scoring nine goals and three assists for 12 points during the 2019 season. The two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete also collected 11 ground balls, caused two turnovers and won six draw controls. Jacobsen started in all five games for the Marauders in the 2020 season. She scored seven goals and two assists for nine points. She scooped up 11 ground balls and forced six turnovers.

"Emily's fire and feisty style of play spark energy all over the field. Whether she had a great caused turnover in our ride or a strong cut to score a goal on offense, she was always working to make things happen," said Wilson. "She brought comic relief when we need it and was a dedicated member of our team."

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Kelly Layton
A business administration management major, Layton has totaled 56 career saves off 174 total shots faced. The senior has totaled 392:16 minutes in the net over her four years at Millersville. Layton started in all five games for the Marauders in 2020. She recorded a season-high 10 saves in the game against Lock Haven. She finished the season with a .386 save percentage and faced 124 shots.

"Kelly is a true student of the game and constantly works to improve her physical and mental game," said Wilson. "She worked incredibly hard in order to come into her senior year ready to take on the position of our starting goalie, and we are so proud of her for that. Her dedication and love for the sport will be truly missed."