​​In the midst of her fifth and final season with the women’s lacrosse team, senior midfielder Daniela Muscari recently reflected on her time as an athlete. 

In her freshman season Muscari learned not to take playing with her teammates for granted. Their season was cut short due to the pandemic.

“We started that season 4-0, we were doing really well,” Muscari said. “It was hard because we knew we had so much potential and that our seniors were likely not coming back for another season. You never know when it will be the last time you play with your teammates.”

During her sophomore season, she made the decision to redshirt and put her athletic career on hold, allowing her to prioritize her mental health.

“Redshirting was the best decision I have made for myself in a long time in terms of getting back to myself,” Muscari said. “Because I chose to put myself first and do what was right for me, I have had the time to focus on myself and figure out what is going on inside my head to slowly work through things and give my team the best version of myself.” 

Her teammates said she consistently prioritizes the needs of her team. 

“One thing Dani has taught me is to just keep being myself and to keep pushing through tough times, because at the end of the day it gets better,” teammate Belicia Biette Said.

Muscari said the loss of those two seasons altered her perspective.

“Since I lost out on so much time playing the sport that I love, losing those two seasons proved to me that I needed to cherish every moment with my team,” she said. “Because of this I chose to play a 5th year this season and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Muscari intends to make the most of her final season at Utica. She and her team have been giving their all and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

Not only did the team break the program record with their 10-game winning streak, but for the first time in program history, they defeated Nazareth University. 

“I hope when this season comes to an end I can leave behind the importance of supporting your teammates and making everyone feel as though they belong and matter,” Muscari said. “Always be a ‘come with me’ teammate. You never know what someone is dealing with or going through, it doesn’t hurt to be kind in everything you do.”