STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford lacrosse team is in its third week of training for the 2016 season and the eight-member freshman class already has acclimated itself and is blending in well with the established veterans.
As the Cardinal works to toward a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation repeat and to firmly establish itself among the nation’s top programs, these freshmen will be counted on to help Stanford achieve those goals.
Here is the Cardinal freshman class: Areta Buness, midfield (Paradise Valley, Calif.); Suzy Emerson, midfield (Bellevue, Wash.); Genesis Lucero, midfield (Encinitas, Calif.); Julia Massaro, midfield (Purchase, N.Y.); Greta Meyer, midfield (Philadelphia, Pa.); Shahpar Mirza, goalie (Alpharetta, Ga.); Molly Plasket, midfield (Columbus, Ohio); and Monika Sivilli, attack (Green Lawn, N.Y.).
The freshmen come from seven states, with two coming from New York. In all, 17 states are represented on Stanford’s 33-player roster. California can claim the most, with six. Four of those hail from the Bay Area.
The class, which features Under Armour All-Americas Genesis Lucero and Greta Meyer, will strengthen a program that is coming off its fifth NCAA tournament appearance in six years and its nine MPSF title in the past 11. Stanford went 15-3 last season and led the nation in scoring and draw controls.
Here is a closer look at the freshman class:
Areta Buness, M (Paradise Valley, Ariz./Xavier Prep): One of the greatest players in Arizona high school history, Buness holds state career records in categories such as points (407), goals (312), draw controls (429), and caused turnovers (121). She also was a three-sport athlete, winning state titles in badminton and cross country, in addition to lacrosse. In badminton, she was a two-time state singles semifinalist and played No. 1 on two state championship teams.
Suzy Emerson, M (Bellevue, Wash./Issaquah HS): Emerson led Issaquah to two Washington state championships, finishing her high school career on a 28-game winning streak. Emerson scored 77 goals as a senior, the third-highest in state history. She earned two U.S. Lacrosse All-America selections and was a three-time All-Snoqualmie Conference choice.
Genesis Lucero, M (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS): An Under Armour All-America, Lucero played on the South team in the senior All-America game. Lucero scored 36 goals, with 63 assists, and 37 groundballs as a senior, earning Nike/Lacrosse Magazine West Player of the Year and California player of the year honors. Lucero is a 1st degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and played four years of varsity soccer as well as lacrosse, winning four San Diego Section lacrosse titles, three section soccer titles, and a Southern California soccer Division II championship.
Julia Massaro, M (Purchase, N.Y./Rye Country Day School): The senior class president was a U.S. Lacrosse All-America and Academic All-America selection. She led Rye Country Day to two New York private school championships and was a three-time All-Fairchester Athletic Association choice. Massaro, captain of both the soccer and lacrosse teams, earned notice at the 2012 Stanford Winter Camp, capturing the Hustle Award.
Greta Meyer, M (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Friends School): An Under Armour All-America, Meyer played on the South team in the senior All-America game. Afterward, she reached out to ESPN about the unequal broadcasting – the boys were televised but not the girls – and received a promise for equal treatment in the future, plus a note from ESPN president John Skipper. Meyer scored 71 goals and had 45 assists as a senior. A three-sport athlete, Meyer holds four school records in indoor track and holds school soccer scoring records for a season and career. In the summer of 2013, Meyer lived in India for six weeks with a host family learning Hindi.
Shahpar Mirza, G (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton HS): Helped Milton to a Georgia 6A state title as a senior, earning a save percentage of .540 for the season. Mirza was a two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American and earned U.S. Lacrosse All-Academic honors as well. She was a two-time first-team all-state goalie and was a key figure on Milton’s No. 1 South ranking. Mirza anticipates majoring in computer science, with an interest in education.
Molly Plasket, M (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington HS): Scored 66 goals and had a school-record 62 assists as a senior, leading Upper Arlington to its sixth consecutive Ohio state Division I championship. She also set school records for season draw controls (252) and points (128) for the Golden Bears. She won state titles in all four high school seasons. Plasket, who anticipates a major of management science and engineering, was a two-time U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American, a two-time All-Ohio first-team selection and three-time all-district first-team choice, and a U.S. Lacrosse All-America.
Monika Sivilli, A (Green Lawn, N.Y./John Glenn HS): Monika is among four Sivilli sisters who have played NCAA Division I lacrosse: Mary-Kate played four seasons at Princeton, and Maddy and Mackenzie play at Davidson. Monika was a six-year varsity player at John Glenn High on Long Island, first joining the team as a seventh grader. She also earned five letters in basketball and was a three-time all-league choice in both lacrosse and basketball.
Stanford is in the midst of its fall season, having scrimmaged Cal on Sept. 25 and with an Eastern road trip ahead in two weeks, with a series of short scrimmages at Penn on Oct. 17 and Maryland on Oct. 18. The next chance for Stanford fans to see the freshmen in action will be Oct. 19 when the Cardinal hosts the New Zealand national team in a 3:30 p.m. scrimmage on the turf practice field.