Lacrosse has been labeled the “fastest sport on two feet” and after attending a game a person can understand why, especially when watching first-year attacker E’leyna Garcia. Garcia walks the tightrope of a student-athlete, managing the steps with the gracefulness and passion reminiscent of Fred Astaire in Top Hat.

Garcia walked into the interview, sat down, exhaled and with an infectious smile stated “Whew! I am glad that the semester is almost over!”

Garcia, known on the playing field as an aggressive player, is quite the opposite when she is talking one on one. She is a very intelligent woman who uses that skill and passion to make mincemeat of opponent defenses.

At this point of the season, Garcia is leading the team with 21 points, 18 goals and is second with 3 assists.

“Those stats make me really proud, especially as a freshman,” Garcia said. “But I try not to think about them because they change daily. The drawback to having a good first half of the season is that I have noticed teams fronting me more aggressively in order to make it harder for me to score.”

Garcia said that she loathes hitting her goalie in practice so she makes each goal attempt count, as evidenced by her shooting percentage of 49% (18-37).

“I always remember what Coach Grosso has drilled into our heads daily, at practice as well as in games, ‘Juke and move the goalie!'” Garcia said. “It has become my on-field mantra, so much so, that I hear him yelling it at me in my sleep.”

“E’leyna is a very competitive and motivated player,” Head Coach Matthew Grosso said. “She loves to play lacrosse and enjoys the camaraderie of the women on the lacrosse team. She has high energy that infects everyone around her and helps lift the spirits of the team during practices and games.”

Off the field, Garcia is a Forensic Biology major, with a minor in Psychology.

“I am extremely serious when it comes to my academics and my chosen major,” Garcia said. “As a forensic biologist, I envision working in a lab using an extensive array of sciences in order to solve crimes. My parents don’t think that I have the stomach for the field but that only motivates me to be the best scientist that I can.”

Grosso mirrors that attitude.

“E’leyna is always trying to be the best that she can be, and she doesn’t like to lose,” Grosso said. “I think this translates to her challenging herself to always work hard in the classroom and be proud of her work.”

Being a focused and passionate student and athlete is not all Garcia is about. “I am a very simple person,” Garcia said. “Musicals are my secret passion. I could watch the same musical five times straight. My favorites are Dreamgirls and Grease!”

With three years remaining in her college career she is sure to live out that mantra of “moving the goalie” many more times over, as she learns and masters the “fastest sport on two feet.”