Kristen Giovanniello '14 joined women's lacrosse quietly in 2010, and few could have predicted how much she would impact the team. Three years and several awards later, the seasoned veteran is one of the best goalies in the nation and a staple of the Big Green's defense.
Growing up in Old Brookville, N.Y., Giovanniello had a late introduction to the game, playing her first season in eighth grade.
"I didn't start getting serious about lacrosse until ninth grade, which is a little later than other people," she said. "I started out on the field and then I moved to goalie because no one else wanted to play there. But I started liking goalie more and more when the game became quicker and the shots were more placed."
Giovanniello visited Dartmouth as a high school junior and knew immediately she wanted to attend.
"One of the previous Dartmouth goalies saw me play and she talked to [head coach Amy Patton] about me," Giovanniello said. "Once I came up for a visit I fell in love with the school and the community, and the team was awesome."
As a freshman, Giovanniello stepped right into a starting role and played every minute of the season in net for the Big Green. She was unanimously selected as the 2011 Ivy League rookie of the year and ended the season with 138 saves, tying Devon Wills '06 for the eighth most in a single season at Dartmouth.
"She was definitely the surprise rockstar," co-captain Kelsey Johnson '13 said. "All of a sudden she was one of the top goalies in the country and she very quickly grew to have a huge role on our team."
Giovanniello attributes much of her initial success to Patton's tutelage.
"As a freshman, I wasn't expecting to play that much, I was just expecting to learn a lot," Giovanniello said."I knew Amy was one of the best goalie coaches around, and I just wanted to fulfill my potential and I think Amy really brought that out of me."
Giovanniello continued her dominance in net last season. She was named the 2012 Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player after leading the Big Green to its first-ever postseason tournament title, making eight saves against both Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania in the semifinals and finals. She led the Ivy League in save percentage with a .475 mark and was the national leader in the category for much of the season.
Giovanniello picked up right where she left off this year after a fall sports marketing internship in London. After an astounding performance against Cornell on April 6, in which she stopped 10 shots and helped Dartmouth clinch a decisive a 9-5 victory, Giovanniello was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week for the fifth time in her career and earned Northeastern Credit Union Dartmouth Athlete of the Week honors.
Giovanniello continues to work on improving, even after solidifying her critical role on the team.
"It's been great to see her improve over the years," defenseman Kyra Hansson '13 said. "She is definitely the backbone of our defense."
This season, Giovanniello, fondly called "KG" by her teammates, has stepped up as a team leader.
As a junior, Giovanniello recognizes her responsibility to take on a greater leadership role.
"As an upperclassman, I need to be someone that people look to when the game isn't going that well, so I have to be really calm and collected," she said. "Now I'm taking care of the team instead of the team taking care of me like when I was a freshman. I've started to lead a lot more and implement my voice into the defense."
Hanson has observed Giovanniello's growth on the team.
"She has really come out of her shell both on and off the field," Hansson said. "At first she came in and had this amazing talent and was a great goalie, but now as a junior she really has assumed the role of a leader on the field."
Despite her personal success, Giovanniello is humble and passionate, qualities that have left strong impressions on her teammates.
"She is really down to earth," Hansson said. "During big plays she will look at me and just smile. She maintains he sense of calm during big games. She is extremely humble and never lets anything get to her head."
Johnson pointed to Giovanniello's exceptional work ethic.
"Just talking to her, you would never know that she has won so many awards," Johnson said. "She comes to practice early every day to work with Amy and she is constantly emailing me throughout the day about the next team we are playing. She is so invested in our team and is such a team player."
Giovanniello appreciates the team's close bond.
"We are a very close team," she said. "And the chemistry off the field really translates onto the field."
Although Giovanniello generally avoids superstitions, she and Johnson share a small pre-game ritual.
"KG and I really connected during her freshmen year since we were the only underclassmen in the starting unit," Johnson said. "We wanted to do something that would remind us during the game that we were playing for each other, so we would write each other's numbers on our wrists. Now this year, before every game we do a lefty high five and I tell her that her left side is her strong side."
After a disappointing loss to Princeton University last Saturday, the Big Green (8-6, 4-2 Ivy) will get their shot at revenge in the upcoming Ivy League Tournament, when they will play the Tigers (9-5, 6-1 Ivy) in a semi-final matchup on May 3. Giovanniello is confident in her team's abilities.
"My goal would is to win the Ivy Tournament for the second year in a row," she said. "I think we have so much potential and our team is so skilled that if we win the Ivy Tournament, I think we could do some really great things in the NCAA Tournament."
The Big Green will wrap up the regular season on Friday at 7 p.m. against Harvard University at Scully-Fahey Field.
