After graduating from Conestoga in 2023, alumna Kate Galica brought her lacrosse talent to the University of Virginia (UVA) where she has continued to shine on the Division I field by setting records and winning awards in her freshman and sophomore years of college. A midfielder at Conestoga, Galica was a star player on the girls’ lacrosse team, winning Central League MVP in 2022 and 2023 and contributing to the team’s league, district and state wins in 2022. Galica also played on the varsity girls’ basketball team and the varsity field hockey team.
In her freshman year at UVA, Galica learned to take the draw, which is when two players battle for possession of the ball with their sticks to start or restart play. She set the UVA single-season freshman draw control record with 97. In her sophomore year, she surpassed the UVA single-season draw control record of 149 and the single-game draw control record of 15. Although Galica is now a strong draw-taker and the draw specialist of the team, it was not always easy.
“My draw record at UVA was very difficult. I pretty much learned how to take the draw last year. The technique and repetition that comes into the draw is huge. As a midfielder who isn’t a face-off and go-off, I can’t focus 100% on my draw work,” Galica said. “But that’s where my competitiveness comes in handy. Not wanting to lose drove me to work on my draw work outside of practice to become one of the best in what I do.”
Galica found that the Conestoga lacrosse program fostered a sense of competitiveness and taught her valuable lessons that have stayed with her throughout her college career. As Galica continues to excel, being named the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year, 2025 ACC Midfielder of the Year and to the 2025 Preseason All-ACC Team, she appreciates her Conestoga roots.
“Conestoga lacrosse taught me how to lead in different ways on and off the field. Overall, college lacrosse is very different,” Galica said. “But given Conestoga was such a competitive program, I was able to have a tough skin and competitive mindset going into college.”
A standout game for Galica was when No. 15 UVA played No. 13 Duke on March 15, after the Cavaliers were down six goals by the end of the first quarter, Galica rallied and scored 30 seconds into the second quarter, along with securing 11 draws and scoring another three goals. UVA went on to win 16-11. On the field, Galica is known for her speed and reliability when it comes to winning draw controls. While competing at a high level and earning accolades, Galica carries the lessons she learned at Conestoga. Along with her competitive mindset, Galica focuses on quick comebacks during long games to help her perform under pressure.
“It is important to have the mindset to move on to the next play. Lacrosse games and practices are very long. You can’t get stuck on one mistake,” Galica said. “Everyone makes mistakes. Move on to the next play and focus on improving and not repeating the same mistake.”
Continuing to improve is a strong focus for Galica. She hopes to keep perfecting her craft and growing throughout her next two years playing lacrosse at UVA.
“All of the records and awards are great and I am so proud of myself for working to get them, but I try to not think about them because there are always ways for me to improve as a player,” Galica said. “I can’t get caught up in the awards because there is always something more to work for.”
Sadie Chronister can be reached at [email protected].
