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8 CAVALIER CORNER cavalier sports I n the specialized world of women's lacrosse, the midfield position is rarely "one size fits all." The modern era is dominated by draw specialists and mid- fielders with distinct offensive and defensive focuses, making it rare to find a player capable of excelling in both roles. Even more extraordinary is discovering a versatile first-year like Kate Galica, who embodies all these qualities. A native of Wayne, Pa., Galica was intro- duced to lacrosse by her brother and uncle, who would often pass the ball around in the backyard. As a young athlete, Galica ex- celled in multiple sports, developing a love for both lacrosse and field hockey, making it difficult to choose which to ultimately pursue. In the end, it was her experience with NXT, a well-respected Philadelphia-area lacrosse club, that swayed her decision to commit to the sport. "Everyone was just so good at lacrosse that it made it fun to be around and in- tense," Galica said. "Being on a club team like that, I knew that I was going to be able to get recruited to a good college. My club team for field hockey was great, but it was just so different than lacrosse. There was a lot more consistency for me." By the end of her high school career, Galica had options when it came to where she would play in college. "I just felt like Virginia offered me more," she said. "There was interest from other schools, but at the time I felt like it was unrealistic to think I would play right away. I was deciding between a couple schools, but after my visits it was clear that Virginia was the school." As a first-year in 2024, Galica looked nothing of the sort, contributing as a two-way midfielder while stepping in as Virginia's primary draw taker despite lim- ited experience in the role. Her maturity as a player showed quickly when she came through for her team in crucial situations, scoring a pair of goals in the final minutes to force overtime in a 13-12 win over Boston College on senior day. In a fantastic first season, Galica accounted for 21 goals, and a UVA single-season first-year record 97 draw controls. She made contribu- tions in every aspect of the game, scooping up 27 ground balls and causing 14 turnovers on her way to the ACC Freshman of the Year award. Galica's success as a first-year may have come as a surprise to some, but not to her head coach, Sonia LaMonica. "She is an absolute star," LaMonica said following a win over Clemson in which Gal- ica recorded her first hat trick while pulling down five draw controls. "I think she is one of the best midfielders in the country, or at least trending in that direction, be- cause of her natural abilities and her competitive fire. "She's doing a phenomenal job, and I am just really ex- cited to see her continue to grow." — Quinn Hull getting to know First-Year Women's Lacrosse Standout Kate Galica Galica tallied 25 points (21 goals, 4 assists) and set a single-season school rookie record with 97 draw controls en route to being named the ACC Freshman of the Year. (Photo courtesy UVA)