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Sports

The Dominating "D-Squad" of Girls Lacrosse

Harrison Patch's athletes of the week are the girls lacrosse team's last line of defense, the line is comprised of Marissa DeCarlo, Nicole Nannariello and Samantha Stump.

In the past this column has been reserved for athletes who enjoyed a week with an incredible win or some sort of individual statistical success. However, even in the girls lacrosse playoff loss, one would be remiss if the collective efforts of what Harrison Head Coach Wendy Swenson calls her "D-Squad" went unnoticed.

The D-Squad is comprised of three seniors: goalie Samantha Stump and defenders Nicole Nannariello and Marissa DeCarlo. Together the three players have anchored one of the best defenses in the section for over two years.

None of the three girls were named captain in the beginning of the season but each girl led the team at one point or another. As a cohesive unit the D-Squad has done a great job of teaching the younger members of the team the finer points of the game such as working hard in practice and being ready to play whenever they were called upon.

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Samantha Stump came into this year as a veteran net minder. In her third year on varsity she did everything from stopping shots to positioning her defenders. In one game she even took off her goalie pads and played attack for a half, she scored a goal making her the only player in Harrison's history to have 300 career saves and one career goal.

"No one ever wants to be a goalie to start," said Swenson. "We saw early that she had the potential to be a great player. She is loud and vocal on the field and she won't hesitate to help position the defense for the benefit of the team. Talent wise she has improved immensely in her time on varsity, she can now clear the ball close to fifty yards."

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In her senior season she also played field hockey and was the varsity team's goalie, but next year Stump will be furthering her academic career as a member of the Providence College class of 2014.

Stump benefited greatly from the experience of her defenders. Marissa DeCarlo proved throughout the season to be one of the team's most ferocious and intense defensive players. DeCarlo is a senior and in just her second year of playing on the varsity level she established herself as one of the veteran leaders on the team.

"Defense is a thankless job and Marissa accepts that," said Swenson. "She is a quiet leader in the backfield but no doubt a leader. She is a very agile defender, and she will do anything we ask her to do without hesitation. Marissa truly is a team player."

In her senior season she also played for the varsity field hockey team and will attend Northeastern University in the fall.

Nicole Nannariello is the third member of Swenson's D-Squad and perhaps she is the most aggressive and volatile. She is a leader in the backfield and always comes through in the clutch when Harrison needs a big stop.

"Nicole Nannariello is a great leader," said Swenson. "As a defensive player she came into this knowing that she wasn't going to get all the glory, but that never fazed her. Nicole is tough and aggressive and she immediately knew that she had a talent for defense and she accepted her role and became a great player in her time here."

In the fall Nicole will be joining the Demon Deacons as a member of the 2014 class of Wake Forest University. But in her time at Harrison she has amassed a resume unlike any other student.  In her senior year Nannariello established herself as one of the best defensive players on the lacrosse team, was a starting forward for the basketball team and captain of the volleyball team. Though Nannariello's athletic achievements are remarkable for any student athlete, she also took on the reigns of student body president.

"In their time on varsity each of the three girls proved themselves to me multiple times," said Swenson. "Samantha, Nicole and Marissa each established themselves to be good leaders on the field and excellent role models off of it. We are definitely going to miss them next season."

Best of luck and continued success to the Harrison Lacrosse D-Squad, Harrison's athletes of the week for May 16 to the 22.

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