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08/30/2024 11:45 AMKatie Vaspasiano has always held the game of lacrosse and the North Branford girls’ lacrosse team in the highest regards. Her pride and passion for both truly shined through in her senior capstone athletic project–as she experienced great personal and squad successes in her first campaign as a full-time starter.
The North Branford Class of 2024 graduate has had a lacrosse stick in her possession since second grade and played every year until her eighth grade season, when the pandemic hit. After also taking off freshman year, she got back to the turf and joined the Thunderbirds as a sophomore. While she also joined the soccer squad for her fall sport, Katie emerged as a defensive stalwart and leader as a low defender for North Branford. She capped off her career last spring by helping the T-Birds claim a Shoreline Conference crown and reach the semifinals of the Class S State Tournament.
“Joining the lacrosse team was the best decision I have made. I love how it is so much of a team-effort sport. It takes the whole team to succeed, and it is great to experience everything together with your friends and teammates,” says Katie, who made the 2024 All-Shoreline Second Team and was also named to the All-State Team. “The biggest reason for my success has to be my coach [Head Coach Lori Connelly]. When I joined the team, I sat back and watched the other defenders and wondered how I could be that good. But once my time came, she helped me be the best defender I could be. She worked with me to help me be sure that no one would beat me to the inside. She also helped me learn how to never lose sight of your opponent or the ball.”
Connelly explains that while Katie was certainly a tenacious defender and adversary for opposing offensive players, she balanced that out by brimming with positivity each and every single day.
“One of Katie's greatest strengths was her ability to keep all opponents away from the net down low. Katie was an exceptional low defender whose job was to keep her player behind the goal and not let them get off a connecting pass to a teammate, ” says Connelly. “Her height certainly helped her in this endeavor, but ultimately it was her toughness, perseverance, and aggressiveness that led to her success. When she was on her player, she was always locked in and focused and never gave up, no matter how hard her opponent tried to push by her. Katie was a perfect example of how when you work hard and put in the time to grow, you will earn your chance to shine, which is what she did this past season. We are going to miss her smiling face and positive attitude next year.”
Katie took extra pride in being the last line of defense and being a sworn protector of the cage and its netminder. She explains there would be inevitable communication breakdowns where opposing attackers would penetrate the goal line, though it was nothing she and the T-Birds couldn’t move past.
“As a defender, I loved being able to not allow anyone inside the eight-yard mark and protecting the goalie,” Katie says. “It can be hard when communication is tough to get across, and an opponent cuts, gets away, and shoots. It was hard at first to try and keep focus on the girl and the ball at the same time, but once I figured that out, it made my defense better.”
She continued to harness the team spirit of the Thunderbirds when things would not go their way. Katie knew that she was never alone when enduring any hardships. She was also well aware that she could weather any storm while reminding herself that it is all for fun.
“When things got difficult, I kept reminding myself that no matter if we win or lose, we do it as a team,” says Katie. “No matter what happened, we knew we would overcome it together as a team. We also knew what things we could do better when we lost and applied it. I would get in my head sometimes, but I kept reminding myself that no matter how much I love it, this is just a game and to not put too much pressure on myself.”
Katie was a lockdown defensive wall that kept a laser focus on both the ball and her field assignment for any given play. She explains that no matter when the scheme changed, a constant was her eyes staying locked on the target.
“My strongest skills were not letting anyone inside the eight-yard marker and keeping a constant eye on my girl and the ball,” says Katie. “Anytime we switched our defense from zone to man-to-man and vice versa, I made sure never to lose focus. I would like to work on making sure I am watching all of the players on the field and being aware of everything going on.”
The University of Rhode Island will be Katie’s next stop in her academic journey. As she ventures into the world of psychology, one tool that will stay at her side is her trusting athletic implement that has been a permanent fixture for the last several years.
“Academically, I am going to URI and will major in psychology, so I want to use my degree to do something that really helps people. After graduating, I would like to do another two years of school while working,” Katie says. “I want to continue lacrosse and will bring my stick with me to college. I love the outdoors, so I will keep working out and doing hikes to stay in shape.”
Now in reflection of some of the best memories and years of her youth, Katie was extremely grateful for her time at North Branford. She came away from the tenure with a great understanding of essential life skills and personality traits to take her far–no matter where her future takes her.
“My time with North Branford lacrosse was truly the best time I ever had, and my favorite season on any team was my senior year there. We won Shorelines and made the third round of states, plus so many seniors made the All-State Team,” says Katie. “Lacrosse taught me how to always put my best foot forward. It taught me work ethic and sportsmanship, and Coach Connelly also taught me to keep my head up and never get down on myself. It was also where I learned that you have to work hard to succeed, but you can also have fun doing what you do.”