The Independent School League is known for its fierce athletic competition, and this standard remains especially high for lacrosse. Facing powerhouses such as Governors, St. Mark’s, and St. Paul’s, Groton Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse remains a competitive team in the league. The team owes their success not only to their athleticism and stick skills, but to their grit, passion, and ability to leave everything on the field. Co-Captain Marcella Flibotte ‘17 embodies all of these characteristics both as a player and team leader.

Lacrosse has been a part of Marcella’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in a family of lacrosse players, it was as if Marcella was destined to follow in her siblings’ footsteps. Marcella picked up a stick for the first time in an attempt to keep up with her older sisters and brother in family pick-up games, and instantly fell in love with the game. Marcella says that her sister Gabriella, who graduated from Groton in 2009 and subsequently played Division I lacrosse at Northwestern University, has always been her biggest role model in the sport. Beginning at age 13, Marcella begin playing for Mass Elite, a dynasty in the world of club lacrosse. Her experience, talent, and love of the sport have made Marcella a valued member of Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse.

Being the only Third Former on the lacrosse team during the 2014 season, Marcella’s playing time was limited; however, her presence on the team was valued by coaches and teammates alike. Marcella’s energy and lightheartedness helped to keep team morale high when it was falling low. As an upper schooler, Marcella became an a key member on the field for her athleticism and grit, and she been a starting midfielder for the past three seasons. “We rely on her decision-making on both attack and defense, and she has worked hard over the past few years to continue to grow her skills and poise with the ball,” says Coach Giles. Marcella’s tireless spirit is constantly praised by her teammates and envied by her competitors. She is able to come out of nowhere, pick up a ground ball and burst into a full field sprint. She almost always is able to rip a shot off of her famous break aways, and in doing so completely shift the momentum of a game. Marcella is a natural born leader through her play and encouragement of her teammates. Teammate Layne McKeown ‘18 raves, “Cella is a friend to everyone on the team, and always keeps practice fun and focused. She keeps everyone engaged during practice and striving to play their best game. Our team dynamic would be completely different without her.”

In what has been a difficult season thus far for Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse (beginning the season with a 2-5 record), Marcella has made crucial contributions on the field. Most notably, in a close three goal loss to a talented Brooks team, Marcella had her best game of the season, scoring four goals and fighting relentlessly for ground balls to keep the Zebras in the game. Off the field, Marcella’s leadership has set a tone of positivity for her teammates despite difficult losses.

Marcella’s athletic prowess extends beyond the lacrosse field. In Third Form, Marcella picked up field hockey having no experience in the sport, playing on an undefeated JV team that season. Marcella’s Fourth Form year she made varsity team, and played as a forward for two seasons. This past fall, Marcella switched to defense, a position in which she thrived, and in doing so earned a starting spot. Marcella was a tri-varsity athlete in Fifth Form, playing her only season with Girls’ Varsity Basketball that year. Whenever she hopped off the bench, Marcella was a force on the court, making steals left and right. Marcella was known for her natural athleticism by her teammates, as she continuously left them in the dust during sprints. Marcella has been an impactful member of every team she has played on during her time at Groton.

Next fall, Marcella will head down to Hartford, Connecticut to begin the next chapter of her life at Trinity College, where she will continue her lacrosse career. Trinity College’s athletics are in the highly competitive Division III NESCAC league, and lacrosse is no exception to this standard. Trinity Women’s Lacrosse is ranked third in the NESCAC, and has lost only to Middlebury and Hamilton by one goal each. Marcella’s grit and poise with ball will make her an important asset to such a strong team. Marcella has made great impact on Groton Athletics over the past four years, and she will be deeply missed on the Field of Inclusion next spring by her coaches and teammates.

Lacrosse has been a part of Marcella Flibotte’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up in a house of lacrosse players, Marcella was destined to follow in her sibling’s footsteps. She picked up a stick for the first time in attempt to keep up with her older siblings in family pick-up games, and instantly fell in love with the game. Marcella went on to play for Mass Elite, a dynasty in the world of club lacrosse.

However, her athletic career extends beyond lacrosse. After making the Varsity Field Hockey team in Fourth Form, Marcella has been an essential member of the field hockey team as well. During her Fifth Form year, Marcella was a tri-varsity athlete, with a legendary basketball career that quickly came to an end this winter.

As the only Third Former on the lacrosse team during the 2014 season, Marcella’s playing time was limited her first year. However, her energy and lightheartedness made her an essential member of the team. As an upper schooler, Marcella became an a key player on the field due to her athleticism and grit. “We rely on her decision-making on both attack and defense, and she has worked hard over the past few years to continue to grow her skills and poise with the ball,” says Coach Giles.

Marcella’s tireless spirit is constantly praised by her teammates and the ISL. She is able to come out of nowhere, picking up a ground ball and burst into a full field sprint and score a goal, and in doing so completely shifting the momentum of a game. She is a natural born leader through her play and encouragement of her teammates. “Cella is a friend to everyone on the team, and always keeps practice fun and focused,” said fellow  teammate Layne Mckeown ‘18, “She keeps everyone engaged during practice and striving to play their best game.”

In the fall, Marcella will be heading down to Hartford, Connecticut to begin at Trinity College, where she will continue her lacrosse career. A member of the NESCAC League, Trinity College’s athletics are in the highly competitive, and lacrosse is no exception. Trinity Women’s Lacrosse is ranked third in the NESCAC, and only has lost to the top two teams in the league. Marcella’s grit and poise with ball will make her an important asset to such a strong team.