Quinn finishes season second in goals in SRU history

With the 2011 season coming to a close, Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse midfielder Casey Quinn recorded 113 goals, moving her to second in career goal scoring as only a junior.  

Lacrosse became Quinn's passion at a very young age.  Her career began in fifth grade when a youth lacrosse program was started in her hometown of Vernon, N.J.

Around the same time, her mother started a varsity girls' lacrosse team at her high school.  While she participated with the youth lacrosse team, her mother let her come to practice with the varsity girls to gain extra experience.

During Quinn's sophomore year of high school, her team split the championship three ways in their division. By her senior year, she was the team captain and her team won the division outright that season. Quinn also broke the career points record when she was in high school. 

"My high school playing experience did most of the shaping of who I am as a player today," Quinn said. 

In her college career, Quinn was captain of the team during her sophomore and junior years.  She surpassed the 100th goal barrier and has since notched 113 total goals, with a full season left to play.

Her goal for next year's team is to improve from this year. Quinn has seen much improvement in her time at Slippery Rock, from a 0-17 record during her freshman year, to a 5-12 season in 2009, a 7-10 season in 2010 and now an 11-6 winning season.  This also marks the first winning season for the team since the program's reinstatement back in 2007.  

Although the team was unable to reach the post season this year, they were able to reach many goals that they set together at the beginning of the season.

"The biggest goal I'd love to achieve is to play in the PSAC conference tournament at the end of next season before leaving the program," Quinn said.  

 The coaching at Slippery Rock is definitely moving the lacrosse team in the right direction, Quinn said. 

"Coach Hopkins was named head coach only a year before I became a freshman here and it has been a little bit of a learning process, but she is doing big things for this program," Quinn said.  "This was also Coach Rentel's first year with us, but she has adjusted very well and become an integral part of the team very quickly.  She has been helpful, for sure."

Support from her family has been the biggest inspiration and motivation behind Quinn's lacrosse career.  

"Being that my mother was a coach all throughout high school, she knows the exact kind of player that I am," Quinn said.  "I come from a big family, with four older brothers, so there is never a dull moment.  They've all helped me keep my feet on the ground."

Quinn also attributes some of her success's to her teammates and fellow junior Emma VanDenburg said that Casey has been an excellent teammate and works very hard for the team.