BROOKLYN, N.Y. – LIU Brooklyn head women's lacrosse coach Allison Nuzzi has announced eight additions to the program for the 2015 season. Dale Cosgrave, Darrien Diez, Molly Gallagher, Kat Gosselin, Sierra O'Connor, Carlie Robinson, Carly Weiss and Christina Zolezzi all begin their Blackbird careers this spring.
Cosgrave, a 5-8 attacker from Brightwaters, N.Y., was a three-year letterwinner at Bay Shore High School. She was named All-Division as a senior, and helped Bay Shore to Suffolk County championship titles in 2012 and 2013. Cosgrave was also a member of a team that won the Long Island Championship in 2012. In her senior year, Cosgrave totaled 43 points with 21 goals and 22 assists.
"Dale comes to us from a great Top Guns program in Long Island," Nuzzi said. "She has great size and excellent vision on the attacking end. Her calming presence and spacial awareness already as a freshmen has complimented our style of play well. She comes from a no-excuses background and a championship program that knows what it takes to win."
A 5-0 goalie from Mastic Beach, N.Y., Diaz was a four-year member of the lacrosse team and a two-year member of the field hockey team at William Floyd High School. She was named her team's Most Valuable Player senior year. An integral part of the William Floyd defense, Diaz tallied 99 saves in her senior season. Diaz also received the outstanding academic achievement award all four years.
"Darrien is a reliable teammate and a tough kid," Nuzzi said. "She is a developing player; and we have no doubt that she will work hard to improve her techniques tirelessly to be a presence in between the pipes."
Gallagher, a 5-4 defender, hails from Bethel, Conn. She was a four-year member of the lacrosse team at Bethel High School and helped the Wildcats to a Southwest Division II Conference Championship. She led the team to the semifinals of the Connecticut Class S State Tournament. Also a member of the swim team, Gallagher set a school record in the 100 freestyle relay.
"Molly is our first player from Connecticut," Nuzzi said. "She is a very quick learner with a level head on her shoulders. We expect her to grasp our defense well to become another smart player for us in the backfield."
Gosselin, a 5-8 midfielder, attended Spectrum Community High School in Victoria, British Columbia. A three-year member of the Burnaby Mountain Selects lacrosse team, Gosselin along with teammate Carlie Robinson, won a national championship in box lacrosse in 2012. In addition, she earned the Most Inspirational Player award in 2010. Throughout her high school career Gosselin was also a member of the Spectrum Lacrosse Academy boys field lacrosse team and basketball team.
"Kat is an aggressive player with great size and a lot of versatility," Nuzzi said. "We will look for her to use her instincts on the defense and draw circle to be an integral part of our transition game. She is also such a positive presence on the field to all of her teammates and we expect her leadership to develop as she improves her lacrosse IQ."
O'Connor, a 5-3 attacker, from Baltimore, Md., was a four-year letterwinner at Perry Hall High School. She received All-Division honors her junior year after leading her team in goals. In 2014, she led her team in goals and overall points, earning her All-Division and All-County honors. O'Connor, a two-year captain, was also a Baltimore County All-Star Team selection. In addition, she was also a member of the volleyball and basketball team at Perry Hall. An honor roll student, O'Connor graduated in the top 15 percent of her class.
"Sierra is a fierce competitor and a finisher," Nuzzi said. "She also brings another dimension for us as she redefends hard to get the ball back on attack. She creates scoring opportunities with and without the ball and we expect her to impact for us immediately."
Robinson, a 5-5 midfielder from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, attended Riverside Secondary School. She was a three-year member of the Burnaby Mountain Selects and Team British Columbia. Robinson led Team BC to a national championship in 2012. In 2013, Robinson was named the Most Valuable Player for her provincial box lacrosse tournament. In addition, she was named Burnaby Mountain Selects offensive MVP in 2014. A well-rounded athlete, Robinson also ran track and competed in basketball and field hockey.
"Carlie has tremendous speed and endurance, " Nuzzi said. "She constantly pushes the team and raises the bar in all aspects of conditioning and transition. We will rely on her to be a true middie for us. She has no limits to her potential and we expect big things from her in her breakout season."
Weiss, a 5-3 midfielder from Mahopac, N.Y., was a three-year letterwinner on the Mahopac High School lacrosse team. She received All-League honors her junior and senior year, and was an All-Section Honorable Mention her senior year. Weiss tallied 86 goals and 49 assists in her varsity career at Mahopac.
"Carly has a great attitude and a strong one-versus-one defensive stance," Nuzzi said. "She has been improving her strength to put herself in the best position to disrupt opposing attackers. She's another versatile player who has been very coachable and open to new things this fall and we expect her to step into her new role without hesitation."
A 5-1 attacker from Lindenhurst, N.Y., Zolezzi won four letters in lacrosse at Lindenhurst High School. She was a two-time All-Division selection, and was the second-highest scorer on the squad. Zolezzi also earned the Coaches' Award junior and senior year. In addition, Zolezzi was also a member of the varsity field hockey team, earning All-Tournament and All-Division honors as a sophomore and junior.
"Christina is a sparky player who with confidence is not afraid to attack the cage," Nuzzi said. "She is shifty in the 8-meter and constantly willing to develop her shot selection. She brings positivity and hustle in everything we do and we hope that that becomes contagious to our entire team this season."