Gabby Jaquith took to lacrosse quickly. Her parents could never get the stick out of her hands after she first learned the game.

They knew they needed to find a way to put her newfound skill to use, so they looked for a girls’ team for Jaquith to play for, but none existed in their hometown of Cazenovia.

The Jaquiths then turned to the next best thing, an all-boys team.

‘The coach used to yell at her ‘Gabby back off the boys you’re going to hurt somebody,” Scott Jaquith, her father, said.

Jaquith became a tough, physical lacrosse player in those two seasons, putting her competitive fire on display while continuing to learn the sport at the same time. Now a freshman at Syracuse, Jaquith is just as competitive, but has had to tone down her intense style of play – something that took time to adjust to. Jaquith has been a consistent contributor at the midfield this season for the Orange, scoring 12 goals through 15 games.

Jaquith’s passion for the game developed when she began playing against the boys.

‘I chose lacrosse because I grasped the concept at a young age and I loved it and I excelled at it,’ Jaquith said.

She continued to excel at Caznovia High School, where she was a four-time all-league selection and earned All-American honors as a senior. Jaquith was also a physical presence on the field, often called for penalties. Though she mostly drew yellow cards, she also received one red card. Fans and coaches contested it, but she was still ejected from the game.

She learned a lesson from that experience and so far in her time at SU, she hasn’t received any cards. Her teammates credit this to her discipline and selfless style of play, as she rarely has the ball long enough to even make a controversial play before passing off to a teammate.

Against Georgetown last Saturday, the freshman had a career-high two assists.

‘She is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met,’ junior attack Michelle Tumolo said, ‘and that reflects on what kind of player she is.’

Lacrosse wasn’t always Jaquith’s passion, though.

She also participated in a variety of sports from indoor track, soccer and volleyball growing up. Jaquith, along with her brothers, also began ski racing when she was 5 years old and became one of the best in the country as a teenager.

But she walked away from the sport. She wanted to play lacrosse.

Jaquith was offered a scholarship and committed to Syracuse in 10th grade without hesitation. It was one of her dreams to play for the Orange.

In the season opener against Boston College, Jaquith’s potential as a college Division-I athlete was on display as she scored two goals in her first college game.

‘I was extremely nervous, it was my dream to always play college lacrosse, but I was freaking out,’ Jaquith said. ‘Everyone made me feel really comfortable.’

Since the start of the season, she’s continued to improve on the field.

Jaquith netted two early goals in the first half against Dartmouth on April 9, giving Syracuse the lead for good in a dominant offensive performance. Tumolo sent a brilliant pass to Jaquith, who quickly scored to ignite an Orange offensive explosion.

Syracuse assistant coach Regy Thorpe said it was only a matter of time before she made her presence felt.

‘We watched her play and develop over the years and we were very proud of what she had done,’ Thorpe said, ‘and we saw her potential was huge.’

Tumolo said Jaquith’s timely playmaking has been a big part of the team’s success, coming through with clutch goals throughout the season.

‘Gabby has been doing so well, really stepping up big with the goals she scores,’ Tumolo said. ‘Most of them have been when the clock is winding down and we’re either up by a goal or down by one, which has been a key to our success.’

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Published on April 24, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Melissa: [email protected]