Senior Varsity Field Hockey Captain Katherine Malloy made history this past season as she broke the all-time scoring record for Lake Forest. Malloy, who’s been playing field hockey competitively since the third grade, surpassed the record with her 74 career goals.
It’s not every day you see all-time records being broken, but Malloy’s leadership and determination displayed nothing short of stardom to those around her.
“It was the first day I met her that I could tell she was something different,” Coach Cat Catanzaro said. “Her athleticism and work ethic are elite, so as a freshman, you knew she would be something special.”
Malloy was one of the best forwards she’s ever coached due to her ability to “make something out of nothing,” Catanzaro said. Malloy’s speed and stick skills allowed for a more “open gameplan” to allow opportunities for other teammates.
To achieve an accomplishment of this stature, talent and hard work are obvious requisites. But according to Malloy’s coaches and teammates, what makes her stand out as a player is her pure selflessness and devotion to the team.
“She is the embodiment of teamwork,” teammate Kaylie Jaster said. “Katherine never cared about her individual stats, rather she always helped put her teammates in the best spot to succeed.”
If there’s any one moment that could pinpoint her true character, it was during her senior night, when the Scouts were up 5-0 against Stevenson. The games only go up to 6-0 when they are automatically finished. Malloy had already had a goal and two assists up to this point, and she ended up scoring the game-finalizer to win it.
Catanzaro said Malloy came off the field apologizing repeatedly, saying “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I really tried getting someone else a goal, but I just really wanted us to get six tonight.”
The lethal scorer will continue her journey at Georgetown University, where she committed to the D1 Field Hockey program and gets to go to a school with an emphasis on academics.
“I fell in love with the campus when I visited,” Malloy said. “I got along with the coaches really well and felt welcomed by my new teammates.”
Whatever the future may hold for Malloy, she will never forget the wonderful memories she made at Lake Forest, and her new accomplishment will only add icing on the cake.
“These past four years have been a meaningful part of my life. For me, breaking this record was a really rewarding accomplishment because it makes me feel like the work I’ve put in has really paid off,” Malloy said.
