Q&A With Mount St. Mary’s Women’s Lacrosse’s Kate Kinsella

Mount St. Mary’s women’s lacrosse graduate attacker Kate Kinsella recently spoke to PressBox about her favorite memory at the Mount, her decision to come back after the shortened 2020 season and more. The Wall, N.J., native posted 40 points (29 goals, 11 assists) in 2019 and 21 points (15 goals, 6 assists) in seven games last year.

PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Kate Kinsella: It was seventh grade or maybe eighth grade, I started playing for my town’s rec team. My mom, [Cindy], made me do it and I really didn’t want to. And then I fell in love with it.

PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
KK: I would say I really looked up to Kayla Treanor, who played at Syracuse. She was really enjoyable to watch. But other than that, I’d say my parents. They always pushed me to get outside and work hard and that kind of stuff.

PB: Why did you choose to come to Mount St. Mary’s?
KK: [Head coach Lauren Skellchock] was a really big reason that I came here. She was super welcoming and it just seemed like the best option for me, just a small, tight-knit school, and it was an up-and-coming program and I was really excited to be a part of trying to build the program with her.

PB: What’s your favorite memory at the Mount so far?
KK: Definitely my junior year, that whole season was just so fun. We all played really well together, but out of all that, when we beat Bryant at Bryant, that was my favorite. … Almost every offensive player was scoring a goal and we just really played well as a unit.

PB: Why did you make the decision to come back for a fifth year after the 2020 season was cut short?
KK: I felt like we had unfinished business from not even just my senior year but also my junior year when we lost [in the NEC championship game to Wagner] that year. I felt like we had a really good chance last year, and I think that we also have a really good chance this year. I’m getting my MBA, which is a super great thing to have, and I’m also a graduate assistant here, so I’ve just got a full [schedule].

PB: How frustrating was it for the season last year to get cut short?
KK: It was really frustrating because we all prepared. I think every single person on our team last year was really prepared, and we were doing really well. It was really the perfect senior year almost, and just to have it taken away in a day, it was really hard. But I’m really happy that I’m able to be back and play this year.

PB: What’s your favorite thing about the Mount and Emmitsburg?
KK: My favorite thing about the Mount is my teammates. We’re all really close. They’re my sisters. We’re all like family. My favorite thing about Emmitsburg is the views are very nice, the sunsets.

PB: Who is your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
KK: I would say Kaitlyn Ridenour. We have been together since Day One here. We started as freshmen, and Carly Miller was one of my best friends as well but she obviously didn’t come back [for a fifth year]. I believe that the three of us really helped change the program — our work ethic and how hard we play in every single rep, every single game — and were just big factors in bringing up our program to what we are today.

PB: Who was a player you looked up to early in your career at the Mount?
KK: I would say Emily Dees and Sammie Knapp. They’re both really hard workers and left everything on the field. They were really good leaders as well.

PB: What advice would you give to younger players?
KK: To keep working hard, to never give up no matter what the situation is, whether it’s on or off the field. Just always try your best. Just leave it out on the field.

PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
KK: I want to go back to New Jersey. A dream job of mine is working at Spotify, the streaming company. That’s just a long-term goal. I want to get possibly like a business analyst job or something along those lines, maybe in New York or around there. I just want to head back to [my] New Jersey home.

PB: What did you do last spring as far as lacrosse after the season was canceled?
KK: I ran — a lot. It was like an outlet, basically. I also went on a lot bike rides. I live pretty close to the beach, so being by the beach is really soothing. It’s very therapeutic. I picked up my stick a lot. We talked a lot as a team. We just kept in contact and it was really helpful to know that we were all going through the same thing.

Photo Credit: David Sinclair/Mount Athletics

Issue 267: February/March 2021

Luke Jackson

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