Carina Barnes '15 Recruiting Profile

This has been an extremely exciting and intense year!  Our team was 21-0, WON the WPIAL Division I championship, and made it through to the semi-final round of the PIAA playoffs before our first loss to the #1 ranked team in the state!  We beat many of our rival teams, including a team that was ranked 12th in the DC area during our trip to Annandale, VA , the 9th ranked team in PA during state quarter-finals, and the team we lost to during the ill-fated WPIAL semi-finals last year.  

Please find below a link to our schedule and the games’ highlight tapes: 

http://www.hometeamsonline.com/teams/?u=lebolaxghsvar&s=htosports&t=c

Our team worked extremely hard this year, and we were considered to be the closest and one of the best teams to ever go through Mt. Lebanon High School.  We set our goals high:  Winning WPIALS and making it as far into states as possible!  For my second year as Starting Varsity Goalie, the coaching staff  tasked me with taking more of a leadership role on and off of the field, and I took this to heart.  The defense became a very tight and effective group, and our communication on the field  improved significantly.  This year I was very confident in goal and in giving more direction on the field.  It was great being a part of a hard-working, determined, and winning team; it pushed you to always give your best for every practice, every game!  Additionally, with only six seniors and sixteen juniors on our varsity team, we can look forward to another strong year, as seniors, in 2015!

My sophomore year was great as the Starting Varsity Goalie, and I am proud to have lettered.  We played some very challenging schools and came to really work well together as a team.  Overall, I feel I've improved my skills and have become more calm and confident under pressure. I had a good summer’s tournament season with Intrepid 2015, despite some challenging family circumstances!   I also attended Coach Bill Pilat's Girls Goalie School at Roanoke College with Coach Mary Schwartz following the IWLCA Champions Cup.  I also played in the President's Cup and the Sandstorm Tournament over the winter, between my sophomore and junior season.

During my freshman year, I was one of four Junior Varsity Goalies.  In early 2012, I was selected as goalie for the 2015 Intrepid Elite Team and participated in four tournaments that summer, including three in Maryland.  This was my first club experience, and it was eye-opening to play teams from beyond Western Pennsylvania!  Our team won the Big Dog Lacrosse Summer Chill Tournament in Canton, Ohio.  During the fall and winter, I played for indoor leagues on Saturdays and Sundays, including 3RL and Winner’s Edge, as goalie for my high school and Intrepid.  

I am very open to new opportunities and challenges to improve my skills as a goal keeper.  Whenever another team needed a goalie during indoor, I was there, and had the experience of playing for a variety of high school and club teams, which helped me to significantly improve my skills in goal.  Many weekends, I would play two to three games each day.  (Note:  This is a practice I’ve continued through every indoor season, which gives me the experience of working with a wide variety of teams and players, as well as adapting to new situations.)

During my eighth grade year, friends encouraged me to go out for the girl’s lacrosse team.  I did and instantly fell in love with the sport!  Though I started out as a field player, I later moved to goalie to fill in for an injured teammate.  The challenge of this position and the leadership potential of providing direction to my team on the field are things I really enjoy.  In the summer of 2011 and 2012, I attended Duquesne University’s “Raising the Bar” Lacrosse Camp to improve my skills and gain experience in playing with a wide range of individuals.

As a member of the Class of 2015 at Mt. Lebanon High School, I plan to attend an academically strong college, and Neuroscience, Biology, Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, Exercise Science, Kinesiology, Pre-Medicine, and Pre-Chiropractic are my majors of interest.  I believe I can find the perfect college or university that would be a great fit for me because of its educational prospects and the competitiveness of their women’s lacrosse team.  I can promise you an intelligent, creative, caring young woman who is committed to academic success, motivated to continually improve, and really dedicated to lacrosse and my team!  I would absolutely love to be a goal keeper for an outstanding Women’s Lacrosse Team and am looking forward to the challenge of playing with a team at the collegiate level!

For the past three years, I have maintained a 3.5+ GPA in a rigorous academic program.  I am a member of the Art Club and the Finance Club.  I enjoy art and have had pieces featured in my school’s art show.  Additionally, I have volunteered and provided assistance with the youth lacrosse program, working with elementary school girls, which was a lot of fun!  I also played field hockey in my freshman year and would consider playing it again.

Thank you for taking the time to review my profile!  I look forward to hearing from you soon and learning more about your college’s Women’s Lacrosse program!