At just 5-foot-3, Towson?s Megan Fitzgerald often is overlooked on the lacrosse field ? until the diminutive freshman opens her mouth.
“She has this loud ?crash? call,” junior midfielder Britt Woodfield said. “If there is someone running inside the eight [meter box near the goal], she yells out and is the loudest person on the field.”
Fitzgerald played in the first six games, but earned her first start in a 17-12 win over Richmond last week before cementing her spot in a 15-10 loss at third-ranked Maryland (9-1) on Wednesday.
“I had butterflies in my stomach when I first stepped on the field,” Fitzgerald, a Bowie native, said. “It was very nerve wracking, but when you take that first deep breath and relax, it?s just an awesome feeling.”
In eight games, she has recorded three ground balls and two draw controls and received experience guarding some of the top players in the country ? none bigger than Maryland?s Dana Dobbie (37 goals, eight assists) and Kelly Kasper (20 goals, 18 assists).
“The feeling you get when you get the ball back from the other team is the best feeling ever,” Fitzgerald said. “I don?t care about scoring goals. Me, personally, I would rather help my team by keeping the other team from scoring.”
But Fitzgerald, a former standout at Spalding, already had experience against some of the top competition in the country before she arrived at Towson.
Last year, she was an alternate member of the United States? Under-19 national team, which she refers to as her best lacrosse memory. It helped prepareher to play for Towson (6-3), but what she did at practice earned her a starting spot.
“Our young players are getting that kind of experience because they deserve being in the game and have made an impact,” Towson coach Missy Doherty said. “Ftizy is a great player and a great presence on the defensive end, is smart and has really come along.”
