Finding a new game
Crissman, Butler lacrosse prove solid match

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By Mike Kilroy
Eagle Staff Writer

BUTLER TWP — Becca Crissman never thought much about lacrosse.
She was a soccer play. She was a former baseball player.
But when her gym teacher and current assistant girls lacrosse coach at Butler High School, Julie Baccanti, suggested Crissman take up the sport, her response was a simple one.
Why not?
"I started when I was a freshman mostly because Julie Baccanti told me I should go out and try it," Crissman said. "I did and it's a lot of fun."
It's been an eventful two and a half seasons for the junior, who found herself ahead of the sport's learning curve as soon as she picked up a crosse.
Her background in soccer and baseball helped. Her athletic ability helped even more.
"I think for the most part, for athletes, any sport they play it comes easy to them," Crissman said.
She already has scored 18 goals in seven games for the Golden Tornado this season. Last year, she was a goal-scoring force for a 1-9 team.
The Golden Tornado are just 1-6 this season, but have been much more competitive in a section littered with strong programs.
Butler, behind three goals fromCrissman, pushed undefeated Pine-Richland to the brink before losing 11-6 Thursday night.
First-year coach Annie Succop said Crissman has just scratched the surface on her ability.
"The good thing is she is only a junior," the coach said. "And she still has so much room to improve. She's going to be amazing next year."
Crissman, who stands just 5-foot-2, but has speed and elusiveness, has already been spectacular at times this season.
She scored five goals in the season opener and also has a four-goal game this season.
"We were all actually a little surprised at how she came out," Succop said. "She scored five goals in the first game and played just as well defensively. The speed she has is just great."
Opponents are already figuring out how lethal Crissman is. Pine-Richland double- and sometimes triple-teamed her whenever she got near the goal.
Yet she is still finding ways to score.
Perhaps it is Crissman's athletic fire. She is the self-proclaimed "world's most competitive person."
That's why she fights to stay in the game even though she struggles to kick a cold that makes it hard for her to breathe on the field sometimes.
"It is (hard to keep her reined in) sometimes," Succop said. "We tell her to come out, and she eventually comes out and is coughing up a lung and she still wants to go out there and play."
Crissman's future goals are simple.
She's like to play soccer in college. She also has some desire to play lacrosse, too.
"I talked to several coaches, but right now I'm focusing on soccer," Crissman said. "But several of the (college) coaches I talked to were also interested in me playing lacrosse."
Crissman is not completely satisfied with her own play.
While she lists her play-making ability as one of her best skills on the field, she realizes she has room for improvement.
"Using my left hand," Crissman said. "I hate switching to it. I'm definitely a right-handed player."
Crissman is the cornerstone of a program that is hoping for bigger and better things at the end of this season and into next year.
"Becca is a such a strong leader," Succop said. "She's such a hard worker. The other girls see that now and want to do that also."
Crissman also can see the program making strides.
"The first few years, we accomplished some things," Crissman said. "But since Annie took over, we really picked it up. You can definitely see the difference.
"We hope to get better as the season goes."