USA
INSIDER
continued from page 51
Support Team USA at its annual showcase event at IMG Academy
SATURDAY, JAN. 14
3 p.m.: U.S. Women vs. Florida 5 p.m.: U.S. Women vs. Florida
SUNDAY, JAN. 15 10 a.m.: U.S. Women vs. Notre Dame 1 p.m.: U.S. Men vs. Notre Dame
For tickets and more information, visit
uslacrosse.org/springpremiere.
“There was no way you could tell she was younger than everyone else,” said Krystin Porcella, her U19 coach. “She’s just a smooth player.” In 2014-15, Fortunato made her first senior national team going into her sophomore year at Notre Dame, but Team USA released her last year. It was only the second time she had ever been cut from a team. She missed out on the 2012- 13 senior team after reaching the final 81, but then again, she was still in high school.
“I definitely didn’t think I had a chance the first time I tried out; I did it just to get the experience,” Fortunato said. “After making it and then getting cut, it was definitely tough.” Fortunato felt she had gotten in her own head and didn’t have a good tryout. She put the disappointment behind her and returned to Notre Dame, setting career highs in goals (64), assists (27) and caused turnovers (31). “Mentally, she came back and really she just got after it,” Irish coach Christine Halfpenny said.
“It might sound strange, but her not making the team last year was a great opportunity for her to get completely entrenched in the college game and take our team to another level, and we ended up in the [NCAA] quarterfinals.” When tryouts began for the 2017 team — from which 18 players will represent Team USA at the World Cup July 13-22 in England — Fortunato had her swagger back.
“NOT EVERYONE CAN MAKE THE TEAM,” FORTUNATO SAID. “YOU CAN’T LET IT TEAR YOU DOWN. YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET BETTER.”
“Playing against the best players in the country, you’re not going to be perfect every play; you’re going to make mistakes,” she said. “You have to brush it off and learn from it and move on. I did that a lot better this tryout.”
52 US LACROSSE MAGAZINE January 2017
USlacrosse.org
©PHOTO CREDIT
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
