Each athlete hits their stride in one way or another, whether that be winning an Olympic medal or leading a team to a championship game. For Marist Women’s Lacrosse goalie Delaney Galvin, it was her freshman year playing Division I lacrosse. After winning MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year, along with several player of the week awards, she is now focusing on her mentality in order to generate another successful season with the Red Foxes.
Galvin grew up in Smithtown, Long Island, where lacrosse is incredibly popular. She began playing lacrosse in second grade, but started playing the position of goalie in eighth grade. As she grew older, lacrosse became more competitive and became a more prominent part of her life. She joined the Long Island Express travel lacrosse team in fifth grade and attended a very prestigious and athletically inclined high school, Saint Anthony’s. Not only did Galvin play lacrosse, but she also played basketball and was an Irish step dancer, although she stopped both in high school. Galvin credits learning many aspects about lacrosse and about herself through Irish dancing. “I have done Irish dance since I was 3-years-old. It taught me a lot about hand-eye coordination and stamina,” she said. “It’s a lot harder than you would think. That is something no one really knows about me.” There came a time where Galvin chose lacrosse above all else in order to explore the opportunity of playing in college.
Galvin was pursued by a variety of colleges and universities from summer going into her sophomore year of high school until she committed in her junior year. She was looked at by several other prestigious schools such as John Hopkins University, University of Michigan, Yale University and Fairfield University. Eventually, when Marist reached out, one of the players on the women’s lacrosse team had also attended Saint Anthony’s and played for Long Island Express. This former teammate mentioned that Marist was looking for a goalie and Galvin reached out and decided to come to Poughkeepsie to see some of the games. Galvin explained, “I visited again in February of my junior year, and when I stepped on campus I instantly felt like I was home. Both of the coaches were very welcoming and I could tell that this team was a family. I looked at my mom as we were leaving campus and I told her that I am committing to Marist.”
It seems like this was the right choice for her considering how successful of a freshman year she had. After a torn ligament in her foot at the start of freshman year, it was quite the accomplishment to come out on top with several awards. However, Galvin says the awards were never for her alone, they were for the team. “I owe it all to my defense and my team because at the end of the day, they all have my back,” she said. “The saves that I make are the result of the effort from my defense.” For any athlete, it’s difficult to live up to high standards or stats that one has previously pulled off. That’s why Galvin is taking a step back to look at things from a broader perspective.
Mentality has been a very important aspect of her gameplay this year. Galvin pointed out that it can be difficult because she holds herself to such a high standard. “It’s a lot to live up to this year. I am trying to hold that standard, but it’s a lot of pressure. So I am trying to not let the pressure take me away from my gameplay,” she said. “It’s a new year and I can receive the same awards if I work the same or more than I did last year. My mentality is to pretend last year did not happen. It’s important for a goalie to have short term memory. We should not worry about past shots, only about the next one.” Galvin recognizes her strengths and looks to keep those aspects of her play consistent. The goalie in lacrosse has a big leadership role; she acts like the quarterback in football. She can see everything and because of this, communication is key.
Coach Jessica Wilkinson also mentions the infectious energy that Galvin displays on the field and how connected she is to her team, especially the defense. “The goalie position is definitely different from other field positions. Goalies are already put in a position to be away from their teammates on the field. Because of this, sometimes goalies can be closed off and just worried about themselves,” Wilkinson said. “But, Delaney was so involved with her team and she celebrated her teammates just as much as they would for her. That was a big thing for us.” Galvin also brings a lot of personality to the team and she makes everyone around her feel relaxed and wanted. Wilkinson emphasized, “That is something that is so hard to teach. We have to recruit those types of personalities so it spreads around the whole team.”
This season, both Coach Wilkinson and Galvin are going in hungry and with a positive mindset. The team has been studying their opponents and watching film on themselves in order to catch mistakes now, rather than later. With discipline and by sticking to the game plan, Wilkinson feels they will do very well this season. Having only lost three seniors last season, the team is full of experienced players. “We are doing a very good job in the positions that are crucial to perform well in, such as goalie and drawtaker,” Wilkinson said. “I would say that we have the most skill that I have seen ever in this program. It’s really going to come down to work ethic, discipline and sticking to the game plan.” The team as a whole are also working on focusing on their own game, not their opponents. “Going into the first couple games, we had the nervous thoughts about how great of a team our opponent is,” Galvin said. “We have to switch it around and say they’re playing us. No overthinking.”
Although they dropped their first two games, the team came out confidently and beat The University of Vermont in overtime 15-14 in their most recent matchup. The Red Foxes were originally down by five, but the team banded together and came back to secure a sudden death victory. With this confidence booster, this Friday at 4:00 p.m., the ladies set out to get the win against Binghamton University and they hope many more will follow.
Edited by Oscar Fick & Meaghan Roche