2,132 miles separate New York City and Tempe, Arizona, a distance many ASU lacrosse athletes know.
One thing stands out on the Sun Devils' roster: 11 of the team's 31 players are from New York or New Jersey. The area provided ASU with some of its best players, veterans and an influx of new faces.
"From the recruiting process and where we were, well, that's where we are seeing talent, and then pulling them out here to the West Coast for us," said head coach Taryn VanThof Puls.
Stars from Long Island
Junior attacker Jordyn Behar, senior attacker Anna Thornton and senior goalkeeper Katie Vahle are three Long Islanders who stand out on the roster. The trio has provided firepower offensively and in the net for the Sun Devils.
Behar is from Mineola, New York and attended The Wheatley School before becoming a Sun Devil. Behar has had a fantastic season so far, as she is tied for first in assists in the NCAA with 51.
"Lacrosse is a hot thing in New York," Behar said. "Everyone plays and it's competitive, and I think more people make it out of New York playing lacrosse."
Thornton, hailing from Bohemia, New York, has seen the back of the net frequently this season. The Connetquot High School alumna has scored in all but two games this season and currently sits at 14 goals on the year.
Vahle, from Manorville, New York, just passed the 600 career saves mark last week and has been the backbone of the team. The Eastport South Manor High School alumna is fifth in the NCAA for saves with 138 so far this season.
For the Sun Devils, Long Island is more than just the iced tea. The area has given ASU some of its best to put on the field against some of the nation's toughest opponents.
From defending The Empire State to Tempe
Starting with the New Jerseyan, redshirt senior defender Kaitlyn Skamas hails from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. She has been a part of an improving Sun Devil defense. ASU just held Colorado to three goals in the second half last Sunday.
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Senior defender Maddelena Signorile and junior defender Angelina Longo have also been in the defensive rotation.
Signorile, from Nesconset, New York, has been solid all season and picked up four ground balls in the game against Pittsburgh. Longo, from Northport, New York, logged 78 minutes against the Sun Devils' game against Detroit Mercy.
The last returner is sophomore goalkeeper Sara Flobeck. Hailing from Mount Sinai, New York, she saw some action against Furman and tallied a lone save during her 15 minutes on the field.
New roots in the desert
The largest group from New York and New Jersey on the Sun Devils roster are the freshmen VanThof Puls brought in. The four athletes have seen some playing time and look to be the future of the team.
"You're seeing it from some of our freshmen that are stepping on the field," VanThof Puls said. "There are a handful from New York ... it's great to see."
Freshman goalkeeper Regan Spichiger and freshman defender Caroline Lyttle have been helping fortify the back line. Spichiger, from Annandale, New Jersey, had seven saves against Dartmouth and continues to see more time in net when Vahle is out.
Hailing from Canandaigua, New York, Lyttle also saw some action against Dartmouth and even tallied two caused turnovers.
The other two freshmen are midfielders who have seen extensive playing time. Rochester, New York native Alyssa Nichols has hit the field in big games versus Maryland and Colorado and picked up an assist against the Buffaloes.
Kendal Morris, the last freshman, has been a consistent starter in the ASU lineup. The Garden City, New York resident has been a goal-scoring threat for the Sun Devils as she's scored 12 so far, including a hat trick against Marquette.
ASU lacrosse brought these players from the East Coast to the desert and it seems to be working out. The Sun Devils currently sit at 8-6 with some important conference games coming up. The pipeline from the East Coast to Tempe seems to be something that won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
When it comes to the New Yorkers, Behar said they are able to do a lot more when the season ends, helping the Sun Devils improve.
"Everyone's close," Behar said. "It's definitely fun to go home with them and train with them at home for the summer."
Edited by Jack Barron, Abigail Beck and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at niall.rosenberg@gmail.com and follow @RosenbergNiall on X.
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Niall is a junior studying sports journalism. This is his first semester with The State Press. He has also worked at WCSN and Blaze Radio.
