Lourdes’ Danielle Long to Play Division II Lacrosse

POUGHKEEPSIE – Danielle Long first picked up a lacrosse stick her freshman year of high school and has loved the sport ever since. This afternoon the Pleasant Valley resident signed her Letter of Intent to play Division II Lacrosse for Pace University.

Danielle first remembers her freshman coaches, Mike Galantich and Allie Imperati, being so welcoming and giving her all of the tools to succeed from the first practice. During her Lourdes athletic career, she received an all-league honorable mention her sophomore year and the Will-to-Win award and Elite 11 her junior year. During her sophomore year, she became a captain of the Our Lady of Lourdes team. In addition to being a Warrior, she plays for the Dutchess Monarchs, a girl’s lacrosse program out of Dutchess County.

Danielle shared one of her favorite moments during her time at Our Lady of Lourdes High School. “My favorite memory from my career so far is when we had an upset win against Clarkston South. With about four minutes left, we were down by 9 goals. We came together as a team to tie the game. We ended up winning in triple overtime. It was the best feeling ever, everyone was so happy and we all worked super hard for that win. We truly played as a team that game, and we all went to the diner to celebrate the next morning,” she said.

Varsity Coach Galantich had words of praise for Danielle at her signing, “Danielle has been relentless over the last four years in her studies, in learning the game and contributing to the team. As her coach, I am most proud of her willingness to help others learn and her inclusive attitude that has brought more girls to our team and family. I know she will be successful at the college level and beyond.”

In addition to lacrosse, the Lourdean is a member of the National Honor Society, and plays Varsity Volleyball. At Pace University, Danielle plans to study Criminal Justice with a minor in either Spanish or Psychology. She chose Pace because she believes it’s going to be challenging both academically and athletically. Danielle will join former Lourdes teammate,
Allison Brady ’18 at Pace next fall.

When asked how COVID-19 has affected her lacrosse career, she answered honestly. “I spent countless hours in the gym and on the field to prepare for my junior year, and it was very upsetting when the season was canceled,” she shared. “While I was upset about the season, what made it easier was that everyone was going through the same thing. It brought us closer together, and our coaches still gave us things to look forward to which helped everyone a lot.”

Danielle expressed her gratitude to her community. “I would not be where I am today without my coaches, teammates and family. They have truly given me all of the tools I needed to succeed. They have shaped me into the athlete and person I am today. My coaches and teammates will always hold a special place in my heart,” she shared.