St. Hubert grad
gets a double play

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

She doesn’t do it for the glory.
She doesn’t do it for the joy of victory.
She does it because . . . well, because everybody else is doing it.
And Kristen McFadden has always been a team player.
For the past four years, the 17-year-old athlete has been a regular on the soccer and lacrosse fields at St. Hubert High School.
"My favorite part of playing sports is the team aspect," said McFadden, who graduated last week. "The girls here are great and we have a fun time together. It’s a cool feeling to be a part of something where we’re all so close with each other."
Although her time with the Bambies is officially over, McFadden will still see a lot of her teammates over the summer.
"I got a shore house for the summer. A lot of my teammates are in the house, so I’m really excited," she said. "It’ll be the last time we’re all together before we all leave for college. And I love the beach. So I think it’ll be a great summer."
McFadden certainly will be able to relax and celebrate some achievements, most notably her graduation from St. Hubert. But the four-year varsity lacrosse player also was selected as a first-team All-Catholic for the second time.
"It was really exciting. Coming in as a freshman, I never thought I’d make it this far," said McFadden. "I went to St. Hubert’s lacrosse camp for a week in the seventh grade and really liked it. So when I came in as a freshman, I decided to go out for the team.
"It was really hard to pick up at first," she continued. "Learning how to play was very difficult — just getting used to the basics was hard. But it’s a lot easier now. I’m used to being out on the field."
The Bambies ended their season with a 12-7 record, concluding with a 10-7 loss to Conwell Egan in the quarterfinals.
The final game was bittersweet for the attack and D-wing player. When it was over, she was honored as the league’s most valuable player.
"It was definitely a little overwhelming," she said. "I had no idea I was going to be MVP, so I was really shocked and excited. My teammates were all there to cheer — they’ve always been very supportive. So it was a very exciting moment."
It was the second time McFadden was declared the most valuable Bambie. She received the same honor in the fall, preceding St. Hubert’s soccer season.
The center midfielder and three-year varsity soccer player had quite a season — helping St. Hubert to a third-place finish in the Catholic League.
St. Hubert is always a contender in the Northern Division. During McFadden’s sophomore year, the team advanced to the Catholic League championship game but fell to Little Flower. Last year, the Bambies made it to the semifinals — losing again to the Sentinels.
This season, however, the squad fell 1-0 in overtime to Archbishop Wood in the quarterfinals.
"It’s been a fun year," said McFadden. "Having such an older team definitely helped us on the soccer field. We were always such a young team, so this year was great."
McFadden was one of seven seniors on the Bambies’ soccer squad and one of 10 seniors on the lacrosse team. She also was team captain for both sports.
"Being captain was a lot to handle at times, but it was fun," she said. "I tried my best to get the team to unify on the field."
Most would think leading two teams and attending school would be a handful. But for McFadden, it’s no sweat.
"I really like both sports. I played soccer my whole life, but I really like lacrosse too," she said. "It’s not too tough juggling two sports . . . I kind of like being so busy.
"Playing two sports helps me continue to be in shape, and I think it helps my aggressiveness and intensity on the field," she continued. "Soccer and lacrosse are very similar, so I think playing one helped me with the other."
The honor student and student council member was a star both on and off the field. She will be attending Penn State’s main campus in the fall, but has not yet chosen a major.
"Right now I’m undecided," said McFadden. "Originally I wanted to study communications, but I switched to undecided, because I really like education too. So we’ll see what happens."
So now that the high school graduate is off college, which will be her sport of choice?
"I’d like to keep playing sports at Penn State, but I’m not sure," said McFadden. "I’ve been talking to the lacrosse coach and I’d like to try out for soccer. But nothing is definite."
McFadden has time to sort that out. For now, she’s looking forward to a summer of fun with her teammates.
"All of the teammates are very close with one another," said McFadden. "Especially this year. That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard to leave. But we’ll have a lot of fun together this summer." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com