Guilderland star recipient of US Lacrosse award

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Rebecca Golderman of Guilderland, left, moves upfield while being pursued by Shenendehowa's Madi Shea during a game in the 2014 season.

Rebecca Golderman gave the Guilderland lacrosse team much more this season than goals, assists and possession of the ball with her excellent work on center draws.

The senior midfielder provided an encouraging voice which helped the Lady Dutch both mesh and bounce back in the toughest of times.

“She’s the next best thing to having another coach. She’s so calm. So on point,” Guilderland coach Carrie Britt said of the US Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award winner. “When you need her, she’s going to be there. Someday, she’s going to be a senator or something.”

A career high-90s student, Golderman is actually more interested in the medical field, and will head off to Binghamton University in pursuit of that. Her academic success, as well as her leadership qualities, sportsmanship, community service and skill in the game and desire to improve factored into her selection as the Adirondack Region’s recipient of the prestigious award which honors select graduating seniors.

“She’s just a special kid. You won’t find a player like that very often,” Britt said. “There are great players and there are great people, and there are a few others that are both. I hope my three-year-old daughter is like her.”

The US Lacrosse All-American and Academic All-American voluntarily took on extra responsibility in her fourth varsity season, which culminated in a Section II Class A championship for Guilderland.

“This year, I made it a point to look out more for the underclassmen, like the older girls did for me when I was younger,” Golderman said. “I tried to make sure we had the whole team collaborating. Team chemistry is important. I thought we had that.”

Guilderland’s roster included eight freshmen and sophomores.

“She’s never been arrogant or egocentric,” Britt said of the Suburban Council Excellence in Leadership Award-winner. “She stepped up and said, ‘My job is to help this team.’ ”

The team hit its low point in a three-game stretch in late April and early May when it lost to Shenendehowa 11-9 and Bethlehem 12-9. Guilderland responded with five straight wins, highlighted by its run through the sectionals.

“It’s definitely hard when you lose. You’ve got to keep harping on the fact that you can’t be perfect all the time, but you can keep working,” Golderman said. “I’d tell the girls, ‘Let’s come back to practice and let’s keep working hard. Let’s focus on the next game and get better.’ ”

Golderman had her top scoring game in a rematch with Shenendehowa, collecting six goals in a 17-7 victory that left Guilderland with its second area title in three years.

“Winning the Section II title was a very memorable moment, especially because we had lost to Shenendehowa,” Golderman said. “They’re a very good team, and we beat them by 10 the second time.

“When we lost to them we were still getting things together,” she added. “You can’t hang your head. You’ve got to keep pushing.”

Golderman always does.

“When she’s upset, she’s the kind of kid that doesn’t display frustration. She doesn’t want other people to know she’s frustrated,” Britt said. “She’s always, ‘Alright, I need to get this together.’ She holds herself accountable. She’s always double checking herself. She’s a role model on the field. You want the younger kids to follow that.”

Golderman followed — and harassed — some of Section II’s leading offensive figures this season while generating 62 goals and 21 assists herself. She was named Guilderland’s co-MVP with fellow senior Cara Quimby.

“She would mark up against the best players. I’d ask her, ‘Can you take care of this?,’ and her response was always, ‘I got it,’ ” said Britt. “Those basketball players make great defenders.”

Golderman played varsity soccer for three seasons, and varsity basketball for two, to go with her four years as a member of the Guilderland lacrosse team. She still found time for the books — and for others.

“I went over her application [for the Jackie Pitts Award],” said Britt. “Her list of community service is so long. She is the full package when it comes to a student-athlete.”

A multi Hall of Fame inductee, Jacqueline “Jackie” Pitts has spent over five decades promoting the game of women’s lacrosse as a club and national-level playing pioneer, coach, educator, camp director and administrator.

Criteria for the Jackie Pitts Award includes a resume and/or letter of recommendation referencing the athlete’s contribution(s) to lacrosse within her community; a resume and/or letter of recommendation referencing athlete’s commitment to personal development with the game; player must not exceed the allotted number of penalty points (regular season only); player is a starter or significant contributor; player has a cumulative (freshman year through application deadline) grade-point average of 3.0 or better.

Golderman is joined on the US Lacrosse All-America list by Quimby, Lexie Ball of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, Kaylee Rickert of Bethlehem and the Queensbury duo of Mary Rahal and Christie Raymond. Haley Schultz of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake was named an honorable mention All-American.