Marist women’s lacrosse sophomore midfielder Amelia Pirozzi saw the field just 11 times and did not score during her freshman year. Often watching from the sidelines, she was nervous to step out on the field, and questions about her role at Marist crept into her head. Head coach Keith Detelj noticed the extra second she took to make decisions, a sign that she was not quite herself on the field.
After the season, the two met to discuss what the next steps should look like. Detelj needed to see how motivated she was and talked to her about how good a player she wanted to be. He knew she could be an important part of the team in the future.
The midfielder regained her confidence with hard work over the summer, and when she finally played free of nerves, her production followed. In the first four games of her sophomore season, she scored 10 goals on the way to her first two career hat tricks.
“I was very excited for the way she set herself up,” said Detelj.
After her red-hot stretch, she became the leader of the offense. On March 25, the team lost to Mount St. Mary’s by a score of 18-1, its largest loss since 2010. The defeat forced the squad to look in the mirror and decide what kind of team they wanted to be. It became a turning point in their season — they made sure to never be in that position again.
Marist responded with two straight wins and looked like a new unit. Pirozzi played a key role in the team’s turnaround. In a conference matchup against Merrimack, she erupted for five goals, the most scored by any Red Fox player since junior midfielder/attack Anne Shine netted six against Rider last season.
Before that performance, Pirozzi mostly found success when teams played man-to-man defense. Against the Warriors, she adjusted seamlessly, finding gaps in their zone and scoring with low-angle shots off of passes from her teammates.
The coaching staff and her teammates started to see how she could be a force on offense right when the team returned to campus in the fall. The sophomore played confident lacrosse and consistently scored during individual matchups. She learned how to use her speed to her advantage.
“It was a pleasant surprise to see more hunger about her,” said Detelj.
The conversations she had with Detelj paid off as she applied them over the summer. During the summer, Pirozzi worked with her mother, Kristin, the head coach of her club lacrosse team, Team 91. She pushed her to be more aggressive on offense and develop new angles to convert on goals.
“She’s a great coach. She never treated us as daughters on the field,” said Pirozzi’s sister, Keira.
Pirozzi also went to the gym with her former Ward Melville High School teammates almost every day. They focused on speed and agility, working to get stronger for the transition to the college level. 11 of the team’s 14 players committed to play Division I lacrosse; training alongside them helped prepare her for her sophomore season.
She concentrated on learning her team’s offense and figuring out how she could fit in. During high school, her team played with an individual mindset, preparing for the future rather than developing team chemistry.
In Poughkeepsie, the team emphasizes sharing the ball and creating opportunities for one another. Detelj noticed that Pirozzi’s high school team played a different style of offense, relying more on scoring in isolation.
“We are all like family, and we all want to win games. It doesn’t matter who scores goals,” said Pirozzi.
The sophomore always knew she wanted to be an athlete at the Division I level, but at first she did not know which sport. Pirozzi chose lacrosse over soccer after playing both of them throughout high school. Soccer was her first love, until she picked up a stick in third grade. The transition clicked right away; she played midfielder in both sports.
“I loved the culture and the sport. I didn’t get that same feeling in soccer,” said Pirozzi, referring to lacrosse.
She committed to lacrosse instead of soccer, following in the footsteps of her mother. Kristin played at Villanova and Hofstra; she was twice recognized as an All-American during her career.
Pirozzi played midfield throughout her lacrosse career, but towards the end of the season, Detelj decided to split the position. This meant rather than running the length of the field, she subbed in only for the team’s offensive possessions. She felt the position change put more pressure on her because when she subbed in, her only job was to score goals.
“I liked playing midfield and playing defense, but it was a strategic move knowing we needed to win games to make playoffs,” said Pirozzi.
Junior midfielder/attack Gabby Kingston played well defensively over the last couple of games, and Detelj wanted Pirozzi to save her legs so she would be more of an offensive threat at the end of games. The change allowed the sophomore to see the field better and communicate with her coaching staff about what they saw from the sidelines.
The Red Foxes’ improved play alongside Pirozzi and her teammates earned them their best conference record since 2019 at 4-4.
Next season, Pirozzi’s sister Keira will join Amelia in Poughkeepsie. The two never played together in high school, but they will finally get to show their family connection at Marist.
“They are two peas in a pod, and we are very lucky to keep the family together,” said Detelj.
Pirozzi finished the season as the team’s leading goal-scorer with 33, a mark that ranked 11th in the conference. She also finished second on the squad in points with 39 behind senior draw/attack Jesse Manger. In a single summer, the sophomore became the driving force behind the Red Fox offense, earning her All-MAAC second-team honors.
“She put herself in a really good position to be a great player and a coachable player. When that happens, the sky’s the limit,” said Detelj.
Edited by Max Rosen and Mike Duda
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photos From Marist Athletics
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