She’s a Keeper

ANYONE WHO’S DREAMED OF TESTING HERSELF against much larger competitors waving sticks and hurling balls at more than 110 miles per hour in her face can envy Wills and the next chapter of her career: In April the accomplished goalie will become the first woman to try out for a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team.

An Ivy League rookie of the year and three-time All- American at Dartmouth, Wills “fell in love with lacrosse” as an eighth-grader in Denver when a friend’s father convinced her to switch from ice hockey, which she had been playing with boys. In April the 5-foot-9-inch, 150-pound goalie will report to the New York Lizards training camp, hoping to make the roster for the 2014 season. Should she succeed, she’ll be facing attackers who outweigh her by as much as 80 pounds. “For me,” she says, “it comes down to playing the game and having faith in the coaching staff that they’ll do what’s best for the team.”

Since college Wills has been a standout U.S. national women’s team member, winning two gold medals while coaching, first at Dartmouth and since 2012 at the Univer- sity of Southern California. She will continue in both roles, she says, “but I wouldn’t be me if I turned my back on this MLL opportunity. I understand the men’s and women’s games are very different—the speed, the skill level, the way the ball is released—but I’m going into it with no regrets and will come out of it the same way.”

As for the prospect of being cheered on as a Lizard, Wills laughs: “I’ll be wearing green, my natural color.”

“Coaching has made me a smarter player,” says Wills, the first woman to try out for a Major League Lacrosse team.