The bright lights of Rossi Field are shining down on the players scrambling for the ball. It’s a dog fight, the ball still on the field. It’s picked up with 5 seconds left on the clock. No hesitation in sight, the ball is shot into past the Norwin goalie and into the net, just before the sound of the buzzer fills the air. The crowd is on their feet and the team storms the field as the announcer says, “Ainsley Novotny with the goal! The Wildcats win!”

Ainsley Novotny is a two-year letterman entering her junior season. She has been an enormous help to the lacrosse team, and plans on continuing to step up for this upcoming season. Novotny plays midfield, which has to tackle both sides of the game: offense and defense. A midfielder must be properly conditioned, having both speed and endurance. Now that she has been playing for three years, she has adapted to both of those components.

A lot of her friends were playing lacrosse freshman year, and she thought why not try it?

Novotny fell in love with the game and her team. “There’s no cliques on the team and we all treat each other as one big family,” Novotny said.

Not only is Novotny dedicated to the school team, but she also plays club for Pittsburgh True Lacrosse. Her coach, Kevin White, put her team in strongest level of competition and they play in many different places across the country. Last season, Novotny’s team played in Hershey, Virginia, and Florida for some of their tournaments.

“Between club and school, I’d say half of my time is spent at lacrosse,” Novotny said. She doesn’t have much of an off-season, but is still always putting in work. After lacrosse ends in May, she has less than a month before she is back on the field. “It’s very important to do stuff off-season. Right into June is when I start with club, and that is twice a week.”

There is never a time when she isn’t at some type of sporting event. Novotny spends her fall in the gym, where she is a member of the girls volleyball team. She continues to stay in shape throughout the year, which makes conditioning for lacrosse season much easier.

Novotny would like to continue playing in college and has looked into a few schools, but has not decided on a hard yes or no.

With game play just around the corner, Novotny is excited for what she will face on the field. “The sections were redone this year so we have a decent amount of tougher teams that we will be playing. It’s not going to be easy, but we can definitely hang in there,” she said.

With the help of senior veterans Landrey Quinn, Emily Shean, and Lauren Willner along with  junior Carlin Johns, the Cats will be able to leave their mark on the field.

“Scoring three goals against Norwin my sophomore year has to be my favorite memory,” she said. Last season, Novotny contributed to three of Latrobe’s ten goals in a last second victory over Norwin. The nail biter gave not only Novotny, but the whole team a boost of confidence.

Motivation is typically one of the hardest concepts for an athlete to develop. The mid season slump is most dreaded by athletes. The feeling of not wanting to go to practice, being too tired in school from the late bus ride the previous night, the aches and pains of sore muscles.  Novotny has figured out what keeps her going everyday.

The support of her parents and teammates is exactly what she needs. “After each goal, everyone gets hype and keeps the emotions high,” she said, “You just have to push everything behind you. You can’t dwell on anything. It takes a bit of time, but your teammates will help you get out of it.”

Novotny and the whole team is hoping for a great turnout this year. Novotny is trying to reach one hundred goals, just as a personal goal, but in no way is that her only focus. She wants the best for her team and will do that by giving her best on the field.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Western PA Sports