‘Pitch’ perfect

Lacrosse goalie, coach share special connection

As goalkeeper for the Royals lacrosse team, Cristal Narciso has to be quick on her feet. The rising senior operates like a football quarterback, directing her teammates and communicating to them where the ball is. At the same time, she’s blocking shots zooming toward her at 60 to 70 mph. Many of those shots deflect off her helmet and body.

“When the ball hits you, it makes a pretty big impact,” Narciso said. “But, at the end of the day, I’d rather have a bruise than to let the ball go into the net.”

As EMU’s young lacrosse program prepares to enter its sixth season, the fearless goalie, her mentor and head coach Mikaela “Mik” Brooks, and the rest of their talented team aim to improve from previous seasons and stay competitive in conference play.

Goalie from the Golden State

Narciso, a first-team all-league athlete at her high school in Val Verde, California, hadn’t planned on playing lacrosse in college. But when a coach on her team convinced her to sign up for a recruiting site, and Narciso began hearing from interested college lacrosse coaches, she reconsidered. One of those coaches, reaching out from the opposite side of the country, was former EMU head lacrosse coach Katie Russo.

After several virtual meetings with Russo, as well as one with the rest of the team, and an in-person visit to EMU’s campus, Narciso was sold. She said the school’s close-knit community and its scenic grounds were especially alluring. It also didn’t hurt that the lacrosse program, which had only started at EMU the year prior, needed a goalkeeper.

“I liked the fact that I would be a part of building a program and could make an impact here,” said Narciso, who is majoring in social work.

Like her goalie, Brooks was drawn to EMU by its sense of belonging and the growth potential of the young lacrosse program.

“I felt like the program would take a while to grow, but I love being that gritty person who puts in the hard work to develop something and see it come to fruition,” she said.

Brooks, a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, played on the inaugural girl’s lacrosse team at her high school and was part of an effort that introduced the sport to schools in her area. She was a standout goalie for Bridgewater College women’s lacrosse from 2018-21.

While a senior at Bridgewater, Brooks led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in save percentage and was second in total saves. Her 412 career saves rank ninth in BC program history. Before graduating in 2021, the two-time All-ODAC athlete was hired by Russo, coincidentally her neighbor, as a graduate assistant for EMU. Brooks took the reins as interim head coach when Russo stepped down in October 2022 and was named head coach in June 2023. She completed her master’s degree in organizational leadership at EMU last year.

“I didn’t think I would be at EMU at 25 as a head coach,” Brooks said, “but life works in mysterious ways.”

This past spring, the team posted a 3-11 record with wins over Waynesburg University and ODAC rival Randolph College. It’s been a tall order competing against teams that have been around for a half-century, so Brooks has been hard at work. She’s focused on building up her players holistically, developing them not only as athletes but also as leaders off the field.

Home field disadvantage

One significant challenge to the team’s success has been the condition of the aging turf field that they call home. The field, which was last replaced in 2006, is now the age of two usable lifetimes and needs replacing. The suboptimal playing surface has rips and wrinkles, dips and divots, and lacks the cushion it should have.

When she’s in the goal cage, Narciso has to react quickly to incoming shots. The worn-out turf can make it difficult for her to find her footing and can make bounces unpredictable, leading to goals that she might’ve blocked on a newer field.

A new turf field would not only help athletes like Narciso perform at their best and reduce the risk of injuries, but also would aid in recruiting prospective student-athletes. Narciso said a new field would show that the school is invested in its athletics.

“We want our recruits to see that when they come to EMU, they’re entering a space that’s taken care of,” she said.

Her coach agreed, noting that a new surface would help her players recover faster between games and after injuries.

“EMU can show it has bought into its athletics department,” Brooks said. “It will be huge to show athletes that we see them, we hear their concerns, we’re supporting them in the best way we know how, and we’re going to give them the best opportunities they have to be successful here.”

The school aims to complete the much-needed Turf Field Project this summer, but it needs support from donors to make it a reality.

Support our student-athletes and a new turf field through an immediate gift or multi-year commitment. Give today at emu.edu/turf-field or contact kirk.shisler@emu.edu for more details.

Turning the corner

During her first year at EMU, Narciso battled feelings of homesickness and struggled with her studies. Lacrosse, she said, kept her focused, developed her leadership skills, and helped her grow. Now a straight-A student, Narciso serves as president of the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA). She said she can always count on her coach to help with whatever problems she might be facing.

“I feel like we both grew up together, in a way,” Narciso said. “I’ve told her, ‘I can’t believe you’ve turned into the person you’ve become,’ and she’s said the same thing to me.”