Heading into her third year at Hofstra University, women’s lacrosse attacker Grace Langella has big plans on and off the field.

After two impressive seasons, Langella is poised to become one of Hofstra athletics’ more recognizable names. But her journey goes much further back.

The Long Island native, who learned the sport at a young age, has lacrosse running through her veins.

“When I was in the second grade, my uncle gave me a lacrosse stick for Christmas,” Langella said. “After that, I would play with my cousin a lot and we both got super into it.”

“I was a shy little girl who didn’t have much confidence. Now I’ve worked up a lot of confidence through the game of lacrosse, through my grades and all the friends that I have made.”

Her passion for the sport translated to dominance on the field during her time in high school under Smithtown West coach Carrie Bodo.

“She is an unbelievable coach,” Langella said. “She definitely set the standard for me. She used to be a coach at Hofstra before going to the high school level. She had so much experience and really helped me build my mental toughness.”

Besides being a talented player, Langella also serves as a coach for a youth lacrosse team. Along with her friends and family, the girls she coaches cheer her on in the stands when Langella plays for the Pride.

“When they are out there in the stands, I know I have to play my best and put on a show,” Langella said.

Langella has also benefited from the guidance of her fellow teammates at the collegiate level. Most notably, Alyssa Parrella has served as a formative role model.

“When I got here as a freshman, we’d have team sisters and I was her little sister,” Langella said. “She took me under her wing and would always make sure that I was okay. She would sit down with me and go over plays, and on the field, she would talk me through things.”

Hofstra head coach Shannon Smith also provides Langella with one-on-one practices, allowing her to put in the extra time she needs to be better.

“I [put in] a lot of work with Coach Smith,” Langella said. “I go with her two times a week in the morning before practice and we work on my shooting and my dodging.”

Langella has played well against some of the country’s best opponents. To start her sophomore year, she scored two goals against the No. 16-ranked University of Southern California (USC).

“I was super excited to get out there finally and showcase what I had been working on,” Langella said. “That was a big moment for me and it helped me in the games to come. USC is an amazing team and being able to perform against them like that gave me a better mindset going into the season.”

When play resumes, Langella and her teammates are eyeing that coveted Colonial Athletic Association Championship trophy. With many returning seniors, including Parella, the team has the talent to make a run.

“This coming year, whenever we get to play as a team again, I think that we have high expectations,” Langella said. “We have great chemistry, we all play really well together, we have so many amazing players out on the field.”

Off the field, Langella is a scholar by nature. She is consistently on the dean’s list at the end of each semester.

“Academics have always been a super important aspect of my life,” Langella said. “I make sure that I stay on top of my work and plan out everything. If I have an assignment due next week, I’ll do it the week before just in case other things pop up.”

Her academic focus is on the art of communication.

“I’m a public relations major and something that stands out particularly to me in that field is international public relations,” she said. “Having Spanish as a minor is very helpful for me because in that world, having the ability to speak another language really creates a lot of opportunities.”

When she is not on the field or in the classroom, Langella still makes the time to participate in academic hobbies.

“People think it’s nerdy, but I really am a big reader,” Langella said. “I love to read and write, as those are two of my two biggest hobbies outside of spending time with my friends.”

Langella demonstrates an incredible work ethic both on the field and in the classroom. She is a model student-athlete. And along with the rest of her team, Langella will attempt to guide Hofstra’s women’s lacrosse program to model status as well.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics