NICO National Congratulates Six Italian American Women Selected for the Italian National Team in Women's Lacrosse
buzzz worthy. . .
FAIRFIELD, N.J. -- UNICO National, and its President Rick D'Arminio, are
proud to announce and congratulate six Italian American women who made
the Italian National Team in Women's Lacrosse and will be competing in
the European Championships this August - Alexa Cambi (Boston
University), Kerrin Maurer (Duke University), Cate Soccodato (Our Lady
of Mercy Academy High School/Marquette University Commit), Daniela Kelly
(University of Virginia), Anna Maria Carabini (St. Mary's College), and
Brooke Kiley (University of Pennsylvania). (Bios at unico.org)
The first part of the selection
process occurred in Italy, where players from across the country
traveled to Rome for tryouts. Through their efforts, these women formed
the foundation of the first ever Italian National Team for women's
lacrosse, pioneering the sport in Italy.
Simultaneously in the US,
hundreds of current and former students from the greatest athletic and
academic universities in the country, all of Italian descent, attended
tryouts last summer, with the hopes of representing Italy and competing
against power lacrosse countries in Europe. Those selected will be
participating, not only to help strengthen the existing Italian team,
but to help develop lacrosse in the land of their ancestors.
"On behalf of UNICO members,
and Italian Americans across the country, I express our congratulations
to these incredible young women," D'Arminio wrote. "It is very
gratifying to see these stellar athletes achieve something most can only
dream of - to represent the country of your ancestors in a sport you
love."
In June 2014, the Italian
Lacrosse Federation named University of Massachusetts's women's lacrosse
head coach Angela McMahon as head coach of the first-ever Italian
national team, which will compete against 16 other European countries in
the 2015 European Championships in Prague. Justin Serpone, McMahon's
husband and men's soccer coach at Amherst College, will serve as co-head
coach.
"I look forward to watching the
"Azzurri" women compete against England, Germany, Austria, and other
European countries", D'Arminio said. "I applaud their commitment to
excellence and wonderful representation of what it means to be a
confident, strong Italian American woman. They are not only world class
athletes, but also fine students and professionals, who succeed on and
off the field. These are the women the world should think of when
Italian Americans are mentioned."
The European Championships for
2015 is the largest international competition in women's lacrosse ever
held in Europe. Seventeen national teams, all from Europe, will be going
to the Czech Republic to compete in the first-ever independently held
women's lacrosse European championships. All games can be watched at http://www.ec15lax.com/.
To help support Italian
Americans in sporting scholarships, including lacrosse, contact Andre'
DiMino, Executive Director of UNICO 973-808-0035 – unico.org.
UNICO National, founded in
1922, the nation's largest Italian American service organization has
local chapters throughout the U.S. Its volunteer members support
charitable, educational, and community service while celebrating Italian
heritage and combating negative stereotyping.