KUTZTOWN, Pa. (March 18, 2011) – Pumping herself up for the games with Lil-Wayne on her I-pod, junior Emily Solt (Bowmanstown, PA/Concord) of the women's lacrosse team turns to hip-hop and rap to get her amped up and ready to play.
Solt and the rest of her teammates will be pumped for their home opener Saturday afternoon against East Stroudsburg at Keystone Field. The match starts at 1 p.m.
For someone who never knew what lacrosse was until high school, Solt makes it hard to believe she hasn't been playing her entire life.
“I started playing lacrosse my freshman year of high school,” Solt said. “I'm from the north, so I didn't know what lacrosse was at the time. When I got to high school I tried it and I really liked it. I started playing for a lot of different travel teams and my high school team so I worked my butt off to get here.”
Solt originally began her college career at Widener University, a private school in Chester. “I backed out of Kutztown University my freshman year,” Solt said. “I wish I would have stayed here.”
Solt played for KU her sophomore year, getting recognized on the field as a new face on the team. She took a few minutes to answer a few question.
Who's your favorite athlete?
Emily Solt (Bowmanstown, PA/Concord): “I'm a huge Yankee fan. So, I have to say A-Rod. I get tormented a little bit for being a Yankee fan in Pennsylvania, but my whole family loves the Yankees too.”
Do you wish women's lacrosse has the same rules as the men?
E.S.: “Not at all. I think our game is full of finesse. The guys have more of a football aspect to their game with the physical content, ours is more of technique and strategy.”
Have you ever gotten any tan lines from the goggles?
E.S.: “Yeah, a lot of girls get really bad tan lines. Along with the crew sock tan lines and the v-neck we wear for the games. It's just funny to look at the girls who have white goggles on their face, even after they take their goggles off after the game.”
What's the funniest memory you have to look back on?
E.S.: “Last year on spring break one of the girls was wearing carpet skates. She was sliding down the hallway and fell and at the time it was really funny. It was one of those things where you had to be there.”
What do you want to accomplish this season?
E.S.: “We're looking to finish above .500. I really think we need to make a name for ourselves. Our biggest rival right now is probably East Stroudsburg.”
Who's your greatest support system/inspiration?
E.S.: “My parents. That was an easy one. When one of them can't make it, the other is usually always there. It's good to always have someone coming to watch me play.”
What's your favorite thing to do when you finally have free time?
E.S.: “I have a boyfriend. So, during the season it's kind of hard to see him because he lives in Delaware. But for the most part I love to just hang out with my friends and catch up on everything.”
How's your in-season schedule look compared to your out of season schedule?
E.S.: “Huge difference. Traveling on the bus is when I get a lot of it done. It makes you work harder though, it's well worth it. I think less time makes me focus and work harder. Being in season and maintaining that schedule puts more stress on me but it doesn't affect my grades.”
--KU--
