June 9, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Lofty goals for Gaiss

by Kevin Henkin/

Kaitlin Gaiss (right) did not give up when she suffered a setback as a sophomore and lost her starting position.

Kaitlin Gaiss (right) did not give up when she suffered a setback as a sophomore and lost her starting position.

Three years ago, as a sophomore at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., Kaitlin Gaiss was anointed as the sole heir to the legacy of Julie Wadland. It was Wadland who had set the standard of excellence as a goalie for the school during Gaiss’ freshman year and who would then go on to dominate the position for Dartmouth College.

Entering her sophomore season at Andover (as the school is commonly known), Gaiss (rhymes with ice) earned the starting spot at goalie but lived under the lingering shadow of Wadland. Gaiss’ play suffered and she eventually lost her starting position.

Recalled Andover coach Kate Dolan: “That year, she just put too much pressure on herself and it was counterproductive.”

Looking back, Gaiss said: “Because I was following in the footsteps of such a phenomenal goalie, I felt like I had to be Julie Wadland, be exactly like her. I eventually realized that I’m Kaitlin Gaiss. It’s OK not be Julie Wadland. And so I kind of came into my own and in a sense became more like Julie in my style of play that way.”

The following season, as a junior, the North Andover resident regained the starting spot at Andover and was later honored as a first-team All-American for her superior play.

“She really took over in her junior year,” Dolan said. “She was just dominant.”

Some of that success can be attributed to the guidance of Lukas Cash, coach of the club team Revolution Lacrosse. Perhaps no coincidence, Julie Wadland also honed her skills for Cash while playing for the Revolution.

Regarding his strategy of heightening Gaiss’ already established toughness, Cash said: “When she was younger, we tried to put her in different situations [such as subjecting her to intense shooting drills from four feet away] that would create a lot of stress and not try to break her mentally but rather build her mentally.”

Added Cash: “I think her willingness to improve and her willingness not to get down on herself are two amazing variables that have helped her become who she is. When she’s fully focused and when she’s on, she’s won games for us before, just like Julie Wadland did.”

Dolan also cited Gaiss’ contagious passion as well as her ability to orchestrate her team’s defense through superior communication skills.

“She probably leads our team in ground balls and interceptions. and she’s just the kid that’s always talking,” Dolan said. “Even when I warm her up, she’ll say, ‘Oh, good shot!’ She’s always encouraging her teammates, always just focused on the play at hand. She just has an intensity about her that very few kids have.”

Next year, Gaiss will head off to Duke University, where she will once again find herself in the familiar territory of battling uphill.

Said Cash: “The story at Duke is, they didn’t need a goalie. We were actually speaking with Duke about her for quite some time, saying, ‘You’ve got to check this kid out. We think you’ll love her personality and what she has as a player and as an academic student as well.’”

As hinted by Cash, Duke already had talented goalie Molly Mackler (Longmeadow, Mass.) waiting in the wings to take over the position next season. However, after meeting Gaiss and watching her play, the Duke coaches decided that having such depth at the goalie position was indeed a nice problem to have. Said Cash: “Who she was as a goalie and as a person convinced them that they needed her.”

Looking ahead, Gaiss appears ready to take on the challenge of playing for the vaunted Duke program.

“It’s going to take a lot of commitment on my part on just working hard and trying to get a feel for it and not getting frustrated,” she said. “Because it will happen. I am going to be shelled next year in practice by some of the best shooters in the country and I just have to not get down on myself and keep persevering.”

One person who certainly will be tracking Gaiss’ progress is her mentor, Julie Wadland.

“Kaitlin is a tenacious athlete,” Wadland said. “That was easy to see in her first year at Andover. You can tell by the way she carries herself that she brings a presence on the field that her teammates look to follow.

“Kaitlin’s confidence, not only as an athlete but as a person, will be a huge asset in her transition to college lacrosse. The transition and growing process is different for everyone. Either way, Gaiss is going to do big things for the Duke program.”

That feeling of respect is reciprocal.

Said Gaiss: “In my freshman year, Julie was my role model in every way. And she still is today. She’s definitely molded me and taught me what a leader should be like just by her behavior both on and off the field.”

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