Alampi running for her future
MARS — Donning the maroon and white for the Lafayette College women’s lacrosse team isn’t a right for Bella Alampi.
Alampi, who is a senior at Oakland Catholic and Mars resident, must pass a stringent running test before she’ll get any team gear. Before becoming a Leopard, Alampi needs to run five 200-yard runs in a tight window, followed by recovery jogs and 10 100-yard runs that have to be done in 14 to 17 seconds.
Following that, there are 20 more 50-yard runs to tackle. Alampi, who signed with Lafayette two weeks ago after verbally committing as a sophomore, isn’t bracing for the challenge.
Alampi is attacking it.
She plans to run a half-marathon in the spring, despite never running more than seven or eight miles before. Alampi’s plan is to pass the test three to five times on her own.
“It’s important that we pass it,” Alampi said. “If we don’t pass it, we’re not allowed to practice. I’m going to run the Pittsburgh half-marathon in the spring to get my endurance up.”
Maintaining that level of intensity will be a must for Alampi. The Leopards, who finished 4-13 last season, compete in the Division I Patriot League. League champion Loyola (Md.) reached the NCAA quarterfinals last year before bowing out to Syracuse.
Katie Phillips, who coached Alampi for the Pittsburgh Premier Lacrosse and played collegiately at the University of New Hampshire, thinks Alampi’s athleticism will be her biggest asset in the transition.
“I think what we try to do is develop the lacrosse skills to the speed she has,” Phillips said. “We wanted her to play faster, elevate her stick skills and develop her defensive game.”
Alampi has shown plenty of efficiency with her offensive game as a midfielder. At Mars, she earned Division II All-WPIAL honors after leading the Planets with 97 goals in the program’s inaugural season. Alampi transferred back to Oakland Catholic — where she played as a freshman — for her junior year due to personal reasons and was named a captain.
She was a little nervous about playing with the Eagles, who compete in Division I.
“I didn’t know where I stood, there was a new coach,” Alampi said. “The team was accepting of me coming back, a lot of my best friends were on the team. The younger girls had never played before, I spent a lot of time instructing them and helping grow the game. We built a good relationship and it ended up working in my favor, I had a better season.”
Oakland Catholic finished the season 6-9 overall and 3-5 in Section I. Alampi finished with a team-high 55 goals and added seven assists to garner All-WPIAL honors.
Phillips thinks Alampi’s abilities opens up the field.
“She has a nose for the cage,” Phillips said. “I think the best part about Bella is when you need her to elevate to score a goal she can. She also has a unique ability to see what the defense has and she can free up a teammate to score a goal.”
Alampi picked Lafayette because she wants to get into pre-med and will major in biology or neuroscience.
But before Alampi focuses on the long term, she has to earn her colors first.
“I want to pass the test with flying colors,” Alampi said. “I don’t just want to pass it, I want to kill it.”
