In southwestern Pennsylvania, lacrosse is still relatively anonymous. While lacrosse has grown here recently, the area still lags behind the likes of Massachusetts, Upstate New York and Maryland — even eastern Pennsylvania — in terms of the sport’s popularity.

So it wouldn’t be a stretch to say it’s outside of the norm for an 8-year-old to get involved in the game.

Hempfield grad Amara Forsyth took up lacrosse in elementary school at the suggestion of a friend of her father’s who had played in college. She was involved in other activities, too: dance, gymnastics, field hockey and even horseback riding. But lacrosse stood out.

“I have always been encouraged to participate in activities,” she said. “I tried numerous sports. I come from a very active and athletic family, so trying different things allowed me to kind of feel out what I liked and did not like. I absolutely fell in love with lacrosse from the moment I picked up that stick.”

She enjoyed it so much that she has continued playing in college. Forsyth just wrapped up her sophomore season with the Seton Hill women’s lacrosse team, and she and the Griffins had a considerable amount of success.

After a freshman season during which she appeared in only eight matches and recorded three goals and an assist, Forsyth played in all but one match this past season, scoring 11 goals and handing out two assists from her midfield spot.

The Griffins, meanwhile, continued the program’s upward trajectory, finishing 13-6 overall and 11-1 in the PSAC. In the four seasons that followed the pandemic-shortened spring 2020 season, Seton Hill has gone 43-3 in conference matches.

This past season was one of significant change for Forsyth and the program. In July, Courtney Grove, who had spent 14 seasons at the helm, left to become the women’s coach at Robert Morris. Enter Dina Cifelli, a former player at West Chester whom Grove recommended for the job.

“It was definitely a quick start for me, getting here in September after school had already started,” said Cifelli, who came from Division II St. Leo, where she was an assistant. “I told everyone from the start, ‘Look, you might have been a starter in the past or played a lot in the past. I’m looking at everyone with a blank slate.’

“I’m very big on earning your spot. You might be a starter one game, but if you don’t practice well and someone else steps up, they’re going to get that fair chance.”

That was good news for Forsyth, who was hoping to make a bigger contribution after playing sparingly as a freshman. Forsyth said she believed she could be more of a factor if she moved from attack to midfield, so she approached Cifelli with the idea.

“I think this year we had some gaps in the midfield, and she knew there were spots open and she really took it and ran with it,” Cifelli said.

While she admitted the coaching change was a “shock,” Forsyth decided to look at it as an opportunity.

“I embraced it as an opportunity for growth,” she said. “I think adapting to a new coaching style requires a lot of open-mindfulness and flexibility in a way.

“Ultimately, I think the coaching change became a catalyst for me in personal development and pushing me to adapt and thrive in a new environment.”

While Forsyth served mostly as a sub — she started four of the 18 matches in which she appeared — she made the most of her minutes. She had three two-goal games, all in conference victories, and finished fifth on the team with 21 ground balls.

Cifelli said speed is what makes Forsyth so effective. It enables her to be a solid two-way player, whether it is chasing down an opposing ball-carrier or blowing past a defender to attack the net.

But what Cifelli said she found most impressive was Forsyth’s ability to do the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.

“Her stats don’t show how much more impactful to us she was this year,” Cifelli said. “Midfield stats aren’t always as glamorous as the work they really do. They’re doing the nitty-gritty back-and-forth, keeping the ball safe, running through the midfield, playing both sides of the ball.

“I know there’s so many times that she did a pick or an off-ball movement that got other people to score. You don’t get credit for those on paper, but, in our eyes, that’s why we kept her on the field as much as we did.”

And Cifelli said she aims to get Forsyth even more involved next season. Specifically, she hopes to use Forsyth’s quickness in the draw circle. She also said she would like to see Forsyth be a little more “selfish,” i.e., look for her own shot more.

Forsyth, meanwhile, said she was able to gain a lot of confidence during her second season. Being on the field more — she even battled through shin splints for much of the season — helped her to shake off any uncertainty she had. She also credited her teammates for keeping her confidence up.

“Even at the beginning of the season, I was hesitant,” she said. “I will admit that I have confidence issues at times. … (My teammates’) encouragement and excitement for my progress was invaluable. … It was my teammates who constantly challenged me at practice, those challenges during practices that I think helped my improvement.

“I definitely feel like my confidence has grown exponentially. Next year my focus is on growing even more and becoming an even stronger player.”

Cifelli, too, is eager to see what Forsyth can accomplish.

“I think Amara did a great job,” the coach said. “She’s a very coachable kid, and that’s what really sells her. … She asks the right questions, and she always asks for help.”

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