Nikki Mennella has had a unique college lacrosse experience, to say the very least. There have been incredible highs, such as playing with her sister for her local team, and crushing lows, like a torn ACL.
Nikki Mennella’s athletic journey began just thirty miles east of Hofstra University in Smithtown, New York. She was a three-sport athlete and received All-County and All-League honors in both soccer and basketball. Despite excelling in those sports, Nikki Mennella was drawn to lacrosse thanks to her older sister: Taylor Mennella.
“Watching [Taylor Mennella] play lacrosse inspired me,” Nikki Mennella said. “You look up to your older sister and I wanted to follow what she was doing.”
The elder Mennella sister played five years for the Pride and excelled as an attacker. She was a captain and is one of only 15 Hofstra players who have scored over 100 goals in their career. Nikki Mennella relished the experience of playing with Taylor Mennella.
“It was really exciting,” Nikki Mennella said. “I played with her in high school for a year and that was awesome, and doing that with her here for two more years was fun.”
Having a familiar face in the locker room and at school also helped Nikki Mennella get acclimated not only to the team, but to college as a whole.
“It definitely helped me, having her here for my first year to guide me,” Nikki Mennella said. “It’s still lacrosse, but it’s a new atmosphere and a way higher level than I’d played before. College is a new thing obviously, so it was nice to have her in my ear to help me with things.”
Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith saw the close relationship between the sisters firsthand.
“Having your sister on the team is huge … Taylor and Nikki are very close with one another,” Smith said.
Even though Taylor Mennella graduated from the Pride, the two sisters are still as close as ever.
“I pretty much call her every day and she watches all of my games,” Nikki Mennella said. “She’ll give me feedback and tell me what she saw, with five years of experience under her belt; she’s a help there.”
While Taylor Mennella helped Nikki Mennella adjust to life as a division one student athlete, no one could have prepared her for what was in store during her first season.
“In the fifth or sixth game of my freshman year, I tore my ACL,” Nikki Mennella said. “It was a non-contact injury. I was dodging, and I planted and then I was out for the year.”
The devastating injury prematurely ended a promising season for Nikki Mennella, who had 23 goals and six assists through six games. Smith knew the uphill battle Nikki Mennella was in for with the injury.
“My heart broke for Nikki,” Smith said. “I know what the players go through in their recovery; it’s a hard injury. My heart broke for her. She loves the game … and she loves her teammates so much. For her to have to sit there and watch for the rest of that season was really tough.”
“It was definitely hard,” Nikki Mennella said. “I was having a good season, and I also got to play with my sister … To see all of that just get taken away from me was very hard emotionally and mentally.”
Nikki Mennella faced several of the mental and physical challenges that athletes deal with during a long recovery process.
“There were good days and bad days,” Nikki Mennella said. “The beginning was really hard, but as I kept going, I realized that I had to focus on the little goals. My first time walking without crutches, I had to learn to take things step-by-step because it wasn’t going to be just the blink of an eye and then I was going to be back.”
Those close to Nikki Mennella helped her through all the hardships of recovery, including her family, sisters and Smith. Smith made sure Nikki Mennella was always involved with the team. Not only did Smith keep Nikki Mennella involved with her peers, but she helped her young star gain new insight about the game.
“I was on the sidelines and [Smith] took me under her wing and taught me that I had to look at lacrosse from a different perspective to make myself better,” Nikki Mennella said. “I saw a lot of things that I didn’t see when I was on the field, and that definitely made me a better player.”
After a long recovery, Nikki Mennella made it back to the field for the start of last season. Despite some smaller injuries, including shin issues, she put up a solid season, albeit not one up to her own expectations, with 42 points in 13 games.
“There were some nerves when I came back,” Nikki Mennella said. “I was wearing a knee brace, and I wasn’t really 100% back physically.”
This year, though, Nikki Mennella feels great, and that has translated into a dynamic offensive season.
“This year I’m healthier … I have my legs underneath me more than I did in years past,” Nikki Mennella said.
Heading into this season, the Pride’s coaching staff expected Nikki Mennella to take up the mantle as the top offensive option.
“[We knew] 100% that Nikki could be this team’s best player,” Smith said. “Last year she was coming off her injury and also was struggling with another injury. She wasn’t really healthy at all last year, and she was still one of our best players.”
She worked relentlessly over the summer to prepare for her increased role.
“There was a lot of extra work and extra shooting,” Nikki Mennella said. “I was playing lacrosse every day and always had a stick in my hand.”
Nikki Mennella has scored in bunches this year, scoring six goals in three games. She leads the Pride in goals, assists and points as well as draws controls. She ranks third in the country with 6.60 points per game and collected a National Offensive Player of the Week award in February. Nikki Mennella gives credit to her teammates for her performance this season.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my teammates,” Nikki Mennella said. “On my assists, they’re scoring the goals and that’s a big part of it.”
While Smith is ecstatic with Nikki Mennella’s performance this year, her expectations for the future are even higher.
“She’s only a sophomore; she’s still got two more years, and I think there’s a whole new level to Nikki’s game that is untapped,” Smith said. “Each year we’re going to focus on that, we’re going to be like ‘Hey, this is what you did well, and here are some things that we should focus on this summer and fall.’ It’s our job as coaches to constantly challenge Nikki and to make her a better player.”
