Suffolk News-Herald

Two and a half years ago, a brand new Lady Suffolkian, having just moved to the town from New York, stepped onto the lacrosse fields of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

&uot;I’d never tried lacrosse before,&uot; recalls Madelyn Kukula. &uot;I wanted to try something new. Lacrosse is faster, and there’s more contact than most other girls sports.&uot;

She spent the year learning the basics of lacrosse defense on the NSA junior varsity squad, then moved to the highest level for her junior year. &uot;I really liked the game,&uot; she says. &uot;I never really had the knack for playing offense.&uot;

Before the 2003-4 season got started, coach Susan White, who’d helped Kukula get started on the JV squad, made her own move up to lead the varsity team. &uot;Madelyn could see the whole field on defense,&uot; White remembers. &uot;She helped the girls get into position, and she was always versatile when I needed her to play another position.&uot;

On Tuesday afternoon, Kukula, the team’s co-captain and only senior for the year, took the NSA field for the final time. &uot;I’m going to remember how fun lacrosse was to learn, and how much fun it was to play,&uot; she says. &uot;I’m really sad to say goodbye, but I had a great time. This is a great sport, and there’s great coaches. I’m definitely going to come back and watch them, because they’re really going to grow. I can’t wait to see how they do in the future.&uot; She may continue her lacrosse career at Longwood, where she hopes to study to become a pharmacist.

&uot;I’m going to miss her terribly,&uot; White said. &uot;Madelyn was a determined leader. She never gives up, and she always comes through in the clutch.&uot;