Episode 121- Payton Bloedow: The Passion, The Pranks, and The Path to Glory

Picture this: You're sitting with two-time state champion Payton Bloedow, as she unravels her journey from high school lacrosse to college glory, and all the fun, challenges, and pranks that come along with it. As a sophomore at Stony Brook University, Peyton gives us a rare peek into the life of an athlete, revealing the ups and downs of their season and how she navigates homesickness away from the field. 

Expect to be intrigued as Payton unfolds her experiences with the recruiting process during the pandemic, highlighting the grit required to make it in Division 1 sports. Her insights into the realities of committing to a college, the advantages of prep school, and the thrill of managing a lineup will provide young athletes with a fresh perspective on the world of college sports. Our conversation also shifts gears to discuss the rise of zone defense and the introduction of the shot clock in the college game - changes that are shaping the face of lacrosse today.

But Peyton isn't just about lacrosse. This episode explores Peyton as a person, diving into her favorite Taylor Swift song, her newfound love for needlepoint, and a surprising passion for Grey’s Anatomy. As she gears up for her upcoming season, Peyton shares her excitement, her passions, and her life beyond the game. Whether you're an athlete, a sports fan, or just someone who enjoys a good conversation, this episode is bound to offer insights and laughter in equal measure. Get ready to be entertained, informed, and motivated to chase your dreams with Payton Bloedow!

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

And welcome to Down the Alley. This is P-Mac.

Speaker 2: 0:05

And Katie.

Speaker 1: 0:07

That's it, and no TS for 80s or JP. I know you know off season we got people in, we got people out. Luckily I've been in and Katie's tagging in little WWE tagging. So, katie, welcome back. It's been a couple of few episodes. I would say how are things? What's going on in your world right now?

Speaker 2: 0:35

I don't know. It has been a few episodes, finished up Fall Ball and kind of just needed a little bit of a break before we started SDP, which started and is going awesome and the girls were buzzing, as you would say, last night, and so, yeah, and we're full swing. We're in the full swing of gear pass out which everybody loves. Everybody loves their gear Christmas and November baby.

Speaker 2: 1:04

So it's been nice. I, Ted, did all the design for it and then I kind of do all the sorting. So it's now kind of I'm doing my thing to get it all organized to the kids, and so our garage is full of sweatshirts and sweatpants. But today and yesterday actually have been super nice. It's November 14th when we're recording this and it was like 60 degrees today. So I've actually been. It's been nice to kind of just be out there and sling some sweatshirts and sweatpants and hasn't been freezing cold, so that's good.

Speaker 1: 1:37

Yeah, our guest is waiting in. So you know, I'll make it quick here, but I want to say we're starting to look like preppers because between our garage right now we're getting ready for Thanksgiving. You know, I don't know, probably in general.

Speaker 2: 1:55

Yeah, well, we meal prep and that that does. We kind of do have a lot of like storage things. We buy things in bulk.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:03

So on any given Costco run, you'd think that we were prepping for for an event.

Speaker 1: 2:10

Also speaking of of training. You know there's been, there's been murmurs out there. I hurt my foot in the 5k. I thought you were going to bring that up. We did a 5k, katie walked it.

Speaker 2: 2:20

Oh yeah, that was so fun.

Speaker 1: 2:22

I tried to run it. It was a great, amazing turnout. If anyone came because of the they heard on the podcast, thanks for coming. It was a. It was a great day for a great cause and you know I think it was. It was an awesome turnout. I hurt my foot trying to run.

Speaker 3: 2:40

I successfully ran.

Speaker 1: 2:42

I successfully ran. I was. I beat some of the players, so I was. I was happy with how I performed. A few hours after, though, you know when, maybe you know the body settled. You know, I may have a slight. I'm day to day. I'm day to day on my foot, maybe week to week.

Speaker 2: 3:01

Did we talk about my foot? Um, I feel like it was a while ago, I don't remember, yeah, but I feel like a lot of wives will resonate with us Like I feel like you're kind of stealing my thunder on the foot injury because I sprained my ankle.

Speaker 1: 3:17

Oh yeah, you did.

Speaker 2: 3:18

I was in the morning of. October and was in a boot and did I get any sympathy? Like maybe I, you brought me an ice pack and then now you hurt your foot and you're limping around.

Speaker 1: 3:30

I hurt my foot.

Speaker 2: 3:31

All of a sudden now your foot hurts when mine's not really fully healed and it's like the same thing I feel like when I get sick. If I get sick all of a sudden, the next week you're getting sick and it's more sick than I was or something, but your foot is now hurting more than my foot was, but you refuse to do anything about it.

Speaker 1: 3:49

Well, um, I'm letting the guest in. It looks like they're loading, loading up. If you're watching the YouTube, you see the name. We'd like to welcome the Peyton Bladle uh, two time state champion not a big deal, um, sophomore kind of at the Stony Brook University. University of Stony Brook, I don't know. You know the the sequence events. Peyton, welcome to down the alley.

Speaker 3: 4:16

Hello, I'm so excited.

Speaker 1: 4:19

How are you doing? I'm nervous. Um so I was trying to think, did you? Get so nervous? Have you been on the podcast before? I can't remember if you came up with.

Speaker 2: 4:30

You have a face timing oh yeah, we're basically face timing. I know nobody really listens, so just think of it as us three just face timing.

Speaker 3: 4:40

Stop, everybody listens.

Speaker 2: 4:42

I don't know about that. I don't know if Stony Brook is prestigious enough to have a V in front of it.

Speaker 3: 4:47

Is it okay? Yeah, not the, just Stony Brook University.

Speaker 1: 4:50

SBU, SBU, Stony Brook University. Yeah, we're not. We're not OSU fans here.

Speaker 3: 4:57

No, not fancy like that.

Speaker 1: 4:59

Um, speaking of, you know OSU, sbu, compare comparisons. You know football, uh, I remember getting a text in the last couple of days from you. Um, was that a facetious text about the Stony Brook University, uh, football team Was that? Was that a real story? Was that a fake story?

Speaker 3: 5:17

No, this is true, this is true, Okay, so well. I have a primary source my roommate's boyfriend is the long snapper on the football team.

Speaker 1: 5:26

Okay, okay.

Speaker 3: 5:28

And yes, after going oh and 10 this season, they will be meeting a new coach soon.

Speaker 1: 5:36

Got it, got it. So we're not. We're not breaking news, but allegedly Stony Brook has had a tough football season.

Speaker 3: 5:44

Yeah, rough, rough year for the boys.

Speaker 1: 5:47

Um, how? How about? Historically? Have they? Have they had a decent team, or or is it kind of a struggle, boss?

Speaker 3: 5:54

I think they used to be pretty good.

Speaker 1: 5:57

Okay.

Speaker 3: 5:58

Maybe you know a while ago.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Is that, uh, is that a big event? Is that, is that a big to do for the girls lacrosse players? Are you guys going out supporting the, the fellows on the football team, or are you guys going to different events around the school in your free time?

Speaker 3: 6:14

Um, I mean, I always try to go around the school support the the other teams, but no, it's not exactly a big event here to go to the football games.

Speaker 1: 6:26

To keep it loose and to stay on supporting other teams. I would love for down the alley nation to hear about your swimming prank. I think that's a good, clean prank to talk about here.

Speaker 3: 6:39

Yeah, that is, that is a good prank. Um, two of my roommates are are swimmers and we're best friends, and so for part of their preseason practices you know not, I didn't go to a real practice, I thought that would have been a little bit much, but, um, their coaches were, were there just to, you know, keep an eye on things. But I walked into the pool with them and they said, you know what, we should see how long it takes, mark, their coach, to notice that you're not on the team. So they, they put me in a swimsuit, they gave me a cap, some goggles, and I walked down to the, to the pool deck with them and was, you know, just pretending I knew anything about swimming, pretending I knew how to swim, um, and he noticed, because I have tattoos and pretty much no one else on their team does.

Speaker 3: 7:31

Um, and I didn't go into the pool or anything. That would have just been, you know, probably dangerous for everyone involved. But, yeah, then I talked to him afterwards about it. Um, he wasn't. You know, it was all in good fun.

Speaker 1: 7:46

How long? So it sounds like maybe it didn't take long, but how long until he noticed, maybe said something?

Speaker 3: 7:54

Uh, it took a couple of minutes. You know, we went down first everyone was just talking, and then we went over to the whiteboard with the day's events and, um, he saw me standing there and he asked one of the captains the captains ran on it too and he was like who is that? And I was like oh, what do you mean?

Speaker 1: 8:17

I think. I think that's hilarious. Any other?

Speaker 2: 8:20

I don't know how to like put a swim cap on. Did they like have to help you? And like what? If you had I had help I would have never worn a swim cap before I don't.

Speaker 3: 8:28

I don't think I can dive either, so I've never been able to dive. I've always been too scared.

Speaker 2: 8:33

Yeah, it's scary. It's really good, clean fun, as we like to say.

Speaker 3: 8:38

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:41

Um, so, where? Where do we want to start? Katie, any ideas where to start? I've got a few different topics I want to talk about. Um.

Speaker 2: 8:49

I think let's start with December 27th.

Speaker 1: 8:55

No, we're not talking about your y'all's birthday. You guys can talk about that off the pod.

Speaker 2: 8:59

Well, that's the day she was born, so we can take it from there.

Speaker 1: 9:02

Um.

Speaker 2: 9:03

We start playing lacrosse. That's a good place to start.

Speaker 1: 9:07

Okay, we, we, we can throw it back. Um yeah, let's throw it back. How did you get introduced to the game? Um early days of lax.

Speaker 2: 9:18

December 27th 2000.

Speaker 3: 9:20

2002, I was born. They put a stick in my hands. No, just kidding, um. I started in second grade with um. My brother, luke, on his team, was the boys three four team and my dad was the coach. Um, we didn't have a girls team yet, so they let me play. And then, um, from then on, I was on a girls team three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and then high school and now college.

Speaker 1: 9:53

Did you use the one piece green hollow stick, or was that all, luke?

Speaker 3: 9:59

Um, I don't know if I used that one, but I do remember the stick. I actually just told someone about this the other day. It was the metal shaft, the red um head, and it was bright blue mesh with like a rainbow shooting string, and it was. I called it the cotton candy stick.

Speaker 1: 10:20

I don't remember the cotton candy stick. Do we still have the stick or lying around?

Speaker 3: 10:24

Probably not, we probably don't. But yeah, I remember Luke used the green one, but I don't think I ever used that one. Okay, okay, cause we played at the same time and I probably had to get my own.

Speaker 1: 10:37

You had to get your own boy stick.

Speaker 3: 10:39

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 10:40

When did you transition to the girl stick?

Speaker 3: 10:44

Oh, I had the classic metal green head. Yeah, that is a pancake, just like everybody else did, and probably the bright pink goggles as well, eva Schultz played with her during senior night. This is funny. I'm sure she was like this is terrible. How did I ever play with this?

Speaker 2: 11:05

We all wonder that. We all wonder that when we field sticks, what was the transition?

Speaker 1: 11:12

Obviously, you went from boys to girls. You were moving up fairly quickly, at least in terms of your older brother's eyes. When did you maybe start to get decent? When were you starting to make A teams or pushing for the high school?

Speaker 3: 11:32

So our youth program. We never had an A and B team until we were in 7-8. So growing up it was always even as possible. It would split the teams and then once we made it to 7-8, it was usually A and B. Mostly it was newer girls on the B team because everybody was pretty good at our youth program. So yeah, 7-8 is when I made my first A team in lacrosse and then 8th grade I got pulled up to varsity and then was high school from there.

Speaker 1: 12:11

I still remember your first varsity game. Who did you play? How did you do? What position did you start at? What was kind of? Were you nervous? What was the vibes Kind of? The first game.

Speaker 3: 12:25

Correct me if I'm wrong. I think it was Minnetonka that we played the first game. Do you know for sure?

Speaker 1: 12:35

I'll fact check. What year was that?

Speaker 3: 12:37

It was 2017.

Speaker 3: 12:39

I don't remember it at any given time it was either Minnetonka or Chan, but I feel like it might have been Minnetonka. But yeah, I started that game at ATT&CK. I think we were all pretty surprised that I got the nod to start, but yeah, I'll never forget. First draw of the game Sarah Pearson wins. It comes down the field to me. My defender just left. I had the ball. I don't know where she went. She was gone and so I took it to the net from, did a little crease roll and scored. And it was like 10 seconds into the game and I was like, oh okay, yeah, I think, I think I might be fine.

Speaker 2: 13:17

Pretty sure your first college goal was a crease roll, so maybe it was from like the wing.

Speaker 3: 13:22

A little inside roll.

Speaker 2: 13:24

I feel like we need to backtrack and give an intro, because as much as we know Peyton, our other four listeners might not know Peyton. Okay, take it away, go ahead I don't know if she do you want to introduce yourself or do you want to me to introduce you?

Speaker 3: 13:42

You don't want to sign.

Speaker 2: 13:43

Introduce yourself. So this is just a credential resume type thing of who is an inside look, who Peyton Bladow is.

Speaker 3: 13:54

All right, my name is Peyton Bladow. I am a sophomore at Stony Brook University, so I'm technically a senior. I'm graduating this year and then I'm going to get my masters. I went to Pryor Lake High School, graduated in 2021, took a little gap year, went to prep school and now I'm here and I always say that I'm an artist and a performer, trapped in an athlete's body.

Speaker 2: 14:23

I couldn't agree more. Actually, I think my whole team would agree with that. Would you say you're actually an athlete, or do you just think you're a lacrosse player?

Speaker 3: 14:35

See, this is a hard question for me to answer because, as Alexa would say, I'm the most unathletic athlete she's ever met.

Speaker 2: 14:44

Well, I says your sister, and I agree.

Speaker 3: 14:47

She yeah. No, I'm horribly clumsy, terrible balance, not very good at lifting, not the best at running, so you know you have everything going for you to be a D1 athlete.

Speaker 2: 15:01

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 15:03

I always say, like I'm going to do lacrosse part, that's all that matters. I think.

Speaker 2: 15:07

There she is. She heard you talking. In addition to that, you got some accolades. Your senior year, which got you, had your COVID year, which was your junior year, but go off some of your resume boosters that you achieved your senior year.

Speaker 3: 15:28

Okay, my senior year. Let's see Academic. All-american, all-american. Miss Lacrosse, I hit the record at Prior Lake for most goals scored at the finish, at 209, but I think it was like 168 was the previous record, and then state champs. I think that's all the important ones. Oh, and Athena award too, and miss Lacrosse, and miss Lacrosse, yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:04

Said that. And then on to college. What made you pick Stony Brook?

Speaker 1: 16:14

Before that, because that was. That's a whole process. So I know that's why I want to go Okay, we got, we got. I know we're family, we're just chatting, let's dial. Let's dial this in now, kind of like what Katie was saying.

Speaker 3: 16:27

No, we're JP and Ted.

Speaker 1: 16:28

What.

Speaker 3: 16:29

We're JP and Ted I don't know.

Speaker 1: 16:32

I was expecting the whole crew Couldn't come. Couldn't come.

Speaker 2: 16:37

I think Ted's like gymnastics. Ted doesn't do gymnastics, the girls do gymnastics.

Speaker 1: 16:43

How much would you pay to see Ted do a car wheel?

Speaker 2: 16:47

Also. Maybe actually he's not that clumsy, I'll give him that.

Speaker 1: 16:51

Could do a car wheel.

Speaker 2: 16:52

Burides family doesn't have a lot of finesse. I was a gymnast for a long time and then I chose hockey, though, and my pediatrician was happy about that. Jp, you know, ever since he smoked that brisket, we haven't really heard from him. So this is a JP feels like he spoke one brisket and now he's on to bigger and better. Maybe start a podcast.

Speaker 1: 17:14

It's the offseason.

Speaker 2: 17:16

Maybe he's going to start a barbecue podcast now, so we haven't really heard much from him since then. He had a baby, vichela, oh my goodness, yeah, so he's busy with a puppy. He's copying me right, except he had one first growing up. Whatever, so they're not. They couldn't make it. So you can pick a bowl of them.

Speaker 1: 17:38

So to get back on the rails here, you know I had a very successful you know high school career in Minnesota. Obviously, I'm sure you know it'll probably come up. You know recruiting process was probably I won't say hindered, but everything was affected by COVID in 2020. You know what was? You know your recruiting process. You know, like, you know especially, you know, maybe initially and how did it? You know kind of take it away from there. You know, because you know taking that gap here, as you mentioned, how did you get to that decision and what transcribed before that?

Speaker 3: 18:18

Yeah. So I think you know, recruiting from the Midwest is hard enough as it is, and then you get COVID in there and I mean I think a lot of people would say junior year is kind of your breakout year. It's the most important year you can have. And so to have like not have that was really hard, especially I don't know if I should say the name of the school, but to have the school I was talking to, you know, kind of thinking that something was going to come from that, and then to have COVID hit and just have them ghost me like they did, was also really hard, because I was kind of like oh well, crap, now I have no options and so I have to credit you and Ted for the whole reclassing thing, because I was fully like okay, I guess I'm applying to colleges and kind of thought like I didn't have that chance to play college across unless I was going to be a walk on somewhere.

Speaker 1: 19:16

Yeah, and obviously you know people hear the word reclass and you know that can mean a lot of different things. In a situation like this, where you want to make a D1 push and made, it made a lot of sense, right, and with everything that was going on in the world, it just it made a lot of sense. Everything. Everybody seemed to get pushed back, with everyone getting an extra year at NCAA, you know, et cetera, et cetera. You know a lot of factors there. You know, was that? You know, obviously you ended up going to Stony Brook. You know, was that a conversation you were having with Stony Brook? Like, hey, you know, I could go here or go there or something. You know what was that conversation with Stony Brook? Like once that maybe option was on the table.

Speaker 3: 19:59

Yeah. So once I had been talking to Stony Brook and kind of decided to commit there, the next step was figuring out what I was going to be doing that extra year. And so we kind of talked to them like, oh, I could stay at home and work and try to do as much as I could, but they were. They kind of brought up the point like well, it's really important to be competing and so as much as I could like go to my old high school and practice with them or go to 36 training and stuff, they really wanted me to be competing.

Speaker 3: 20:35

So that was when prep school was brought into the conversation and it wasn't even like we think you need an extra year to get ready. It was just that we don't have enough spots for you and this is the best way for you to keep getting better until we can make room for you. So then from there I just did the best research I could found a school Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts and I picked that school just because I made a really great connection with the coach of the Girls Across program there and just felt like it was going to be the best fit for me. You know, academically I wasn't really needing anything from that school. I already had my high school diploma, but now I have two. But just seemed like it was going to be a good fit to, you know, get away from home for a year, kind of figure out what role homesickness would play and just keep playing lacrosse.

Speaker 1: 21:41

Yeah, and to those points. You know this is something more common in other sports, right, hockey players go play junior hockey. You know football players might go to Juco. You know, et cetera, et cetera and other sports. They have different versions of that. You know what were. You know some of the pros and cons of, you know, going to a prop school. You know moving away. You know some of those cons. Right, you might be able to look back and be like, oh, that was a good thing. You know I got to grow up a little bit. Or get away from home. You know what were some of the pros and cons you know, through that year.

Speaker 3: 22:19

I would say going there I definitely don't regret it. I mean I don't necessarily think, you know, I had to go there, but the situation that I was in it was like it was kind of my only option and so. But I've realized today like I don't really regret going there. It was definitely hurt the bank account a little bit, but I would say, you know, it was nice to live somewhere else. You know, I lived in Massachusetts for a year. We would never have done that if I wasn't going to prep school there. I got to meet a lot of different people and kind of learned that at least you know on the East Coast it's kind of the thing you do where you know in Minnesota it's kind of equivalent to like a banilled or a Blake type of school, you know, but out there you send your kids and they can live there. And so it was just. I mean, I got to play volleyball. I played volleyball before.

Speaker 1: 23:22

How did?

Speaker 3: 23:24

you do Not that great. I was tall, that's all I needed.

Speaker 1: 23:30

Could you did you, did you spike Were you? You know what were, why I got some blocks.

Speaker 3: 23:34

I got some, you know, hits and whatever, but you know, every time I was time to serve they would say all right, step off.

Speaker 2: 23:43

Volleyball is really fun to like play and watch like not really competitively, so yeah.

Speaker 3: 23:48

No, it was fun. I was like wait, I maybe could have been good at this If I did it from a young age. But you know, you live and you learn.

Speaker 2: 23:57

I think, too, it was just such a weird time at 2021.

Speaker 2: 24:01

Like, I mean, your senior year started with masks. So it's like to think that fall it's so crazy to think of like going to college and there's plenty of kids who did it, don't get me wrong Like going into college, that fall, like who knew what was going to happen. So I think it really was just like the like a timing thing more than anything, and it just really like was the way it was meant to be. But also it was no, no harm in that. And I feel like even now it's like kids are so young going to school and, as you know, not getting giving away too much, but freshman year at a D1 programs is awfully hard, and so it's like if you can give yourself that year to kind of get the living away from home, doing your own laundry, surviving on little money situation going, I think the better. Like, even if you're not playing sports, it's like go and go and get some more, like a you know, dip your toe in the shallow end, kind of thing.

Speaker 3: 25:12

Yeah, and I did connections at that school that followed me here that I had no idea was going to happen. You know, last year we had a goalie come in for our fifth year from temple and she went to Williston. And then this year my my roommate from Williston was from Westwood, massachusetts, and this year we got a transfer who went to my roommates high school and they played together. So it's small world.

Speaker 2: 25:39

It really is.

Speaker 3: 25:40

So it was just.

Speaker 2: 25:41

Especially the prep school world.

Speaker 3: 25:43

Yeah, for real.

Speaker 1: 25:48

As Katie alluded. Now you're obviously in college. You're two fall balls deep. Now, being just over a year in. This is the time of year People are going through that recruiting, signing for colleges, various levels, at every level. Every school is gonna offer a different experience, a different lifestyle, everything right. Every school is unique, right, which is cool. Talk about what fall ball is like at Stony Brook. What was that adjustment and learning curve right, coming from high school, mostly in the Midwest, you're right, most of your careers from the Midwest going into Long Island D1, top five, top 10 program. That's trying to make that jump to that national championship final four weekend.

Speaker 3: 26:45

Yeah, I would say last year, obviously being my freshman year, my first time being at this school was a lot harder than I expected it to be, and I think it honestly wasn't even the lacrosse piece. Obviously there's an adjustment to make there the games faster. There's a different style of play here from back from Minnesota. They even interpret the rules differently here, so there's a big adjustment just.

Speaker 1: 27:14

What's one example of that?

Speaker 3: 27:17

Oh well, when I played high school, if you had your stick horizontal in any way, it was a call every single time. But here that's the way you play your stick is horizontal every time you make contact and so even just in practice, having people play you as hard as they do here was definitely an adjustment, and the adjustment to new coaches, new teammates, new school, new everything, new city, even so it was just definitely a little bit of an adjustment. But fall ball is really nice, because the way we started here is we do captain's practices first, so that the freshmen can kind of get used to what happens, like what our usual practice will look like, kind of get to know the girls a little bit better, get to know the way people play. But then once we're in practices with coach, it's like it would be in season. He says a drill, we go right into it. So it was nice to have those captain's practices to know what we were doing, because a lot of the drills are the same or similar to what we do here. But once you're in that practice and if he says something, it's like you're right into that. You don't go get water, you don't go pick up the balls, it's like you run to the drill, and so I would say that's the biggest thing is just making that adjustment and trying to find people to help you. And I think we did a really good job of that this year being sophomores, just helping out the freshmen, letting them know where they're supposed to go, what they're supposed to do, all of that.

Speaker 3: 29:09

And then, as we got into October, that's when all of our games are, so we have fall ball games every weekend. So we played a lot of games this fall. We played, I think, quinnipiac, brown, princeton, bucknell, ums. We played twice. We played Boston College, michigan, usc and Wagner. I think that's all of them. So we had two weekends. We played three games. Two weekends I played two and then Michigan was just like a game. Just we just played one and we were out of there and I got to see Claire Nelson from Andover at that game. But yeah, it's fall is busy, as much as it's not the end season. It's very busy. You're in the weight room, you're conditioning, you're traveling, you're practicing, you're doing everything.

Speaker 1: 30:12

Well, obviously, like each team in the fall right and game to game, might be doing different things. Maybe playing their bench, not playing their bench. How did the games go? Any teams surprising? Maybe upset somebody as you guys were going, maybe a team improved anything like that as you were playing some of these different squads.

Speaker 3: 30:40

I think fall is definitely an interesting time because, like you said, everyone's trying to figure out their roster, what pieces they have, trying to get freshman time on the field to get used to the game, but also not just throwing them out to the wolves when they're not ready.

Speaker 3: 30:57

So I think it's a very delicate balance of figuring out what to do with your lineup. And so I would say you know Princeton and Brown. Those were two games. Brown, I think, was a one goal game. So like just interesting to see teams that we don't really see in the regular season in the fall and play against some new people and some good competition outside of our conference. But yeah, I would say, you know our coaches do a good job of trying to get people in there as much as they can, and I mean, you know they want to still put their best foot forward and show other teams what we've got. But they also do their best to get people time and especially, you know, those days when we have three games in a row, they try to, you know, spread the bench out a little bit, give people some time to keep their legs fresh and everything.

Speaker 1: 32:01

Is there any you know over the last year? You know, is there any different trend, style of play, differences than maybe you were used to? Or that's just changing in general in the girls game, you know, for example, on the boys game a few years ago, a handful of years ago now, you know, everyone just started doing pairs at the same time. It was pairs, offense, right, two main games. Is there anything like that? It could be something big like that. Maybe it's a small thing, but any like new trends in the girls game.

Speaker 3: 32:32

I would just say for me transitioning from high school to college, there's a lot more use of the zone defense. You know, I would see a couple teams I think Farmington would run a zone but it's completely different at the college level. You know there's the shell zone, there's backer. There's just different ways that teams will use the zone. So it's kind of interesting to see how we run our zone versus how another team will do it.

Speaker 3: 33:00

Because you know man to man is pretty simple. It's pretty easy to understand. You know they're going to stay with you the whole time but the zone is so versatile so it's just interesting to see different ways that you can try to beat the zone, different ways that the zone is run so that they can try to get the ball back. But you know we've run the zone for a number of years so it's pretty well-oiled at this point. But you know there's some teams that will run a zone and then they'll switch to man or they'll start with man and switch to zone. So I would say that's the biggest adjustment for me, just being used to man to man my whole life and then coming in to play defense in something completely different to what I've ever seen before. I think.

Speaker 2: 33:44

Just Apple Bowl, having like way more systems in place. They won the high school. But the high school level here of like I mean that command, a team who is able to like execute a zone in the high school season.

Speaker 3: 33:58

Yeah, yeah, and I think that's something that has to be like built up. So I think that's why the high school teams you know you have I don't even know a couple weeks maybe before you have your first game so kind of hard to be like, okay, we're going to learn this, but here, you know, you have the whole fall to get the freshmen integrated and get them. You know, watching the older girls that know what to do and then learning it themselves. So it's a little bit different.

Speaker 1: 34:35

How about the shot clock? How different is? You know, playing with that part of the game? You know, like you said, as it me, being more of a defensive mind, would love to be, like you know, start in a zone or end in the zone, like you said. You know, with the shot clock, you could. You know, if you throw an offense off like that, that kills an extra 20 seconds. If they have to make an adjustment, boom, there goes the shot clock. You know how big of a difference has. Have you noticed with the shot clock?

Speaker 3: 35:07

you know, being there, I think the shot clock just reinforces how important the ride is, because you know it's, it's started at 90 seconds, starts as soon as you pick up the ball, and so you know if you have a really good ride you can knock off 10, 20, 30 seconds of their time. Then it just puts a lot more pressure on the offense, gives them less time to set up and figure out what they're going to do. And so I would say, on offense, you know, when I'm out there with the shot clock it feels a lot faster than it really is. Like you know you're, you have 90 seconds, but by the time you get it to offense you might not have that much time. And so to set something up, to figure out what the defense is doing, how they're playing you, you just have to think that much more. And it's.

Speaker 3: 36:00

We've, you know, tried different things to defend that, Trying the 10 man ride, like they do in the boys. We've implemented that a little bit. Changing the way we play defense, like you said, to throw off the offense, keeping that tight pressure so they don't have anywhere to pass. Because that's what that's. The thing that kills you is those fast, quick passes down the field and you can't catch up, and then you know you have your middies running up and down the field gassed.

Speaker 2: 36:29

Do you think it's going to mean it will happen probably here? Do you think, like it's going to, the girls here are going to be able to keep up with it.

Speaker 3: 36:40

I don't know. I think you know, even in the college game sometimes you'll have a stretch where you know the shot clock will run out like three times in a row, and so I think, I think it would be for sure an adjustment, but I also think you know it helps speed up the game Spectators love it.

Speaker 2: 37:02

The couple comments I've heard is like it have been from like parents or spectators that they're like it's awesome. I think it would be. I think it's going to be interesting if they bring it down our level like the high school level.

Speaker 1: 37:15

But that won't happen.

Speaker 2: 37:18

You don't think so.

Speaker 1: 37:19

No, they're not going to bring the shot clock to youth or to youth high school.

Speaker 2: 37:23

I think the discrepancy between, like, a really really good team and a really bad team, like when you're trying not to score, that's what. It would kind of suck.

Speaker 3: 37:36

It also is nice, because I would always hate the stalls but no matter what side of it was on. It's like right play the cross.

Speaker 1: 37:44

No, I love the shot clock, but yeah, no, it's not going to.

Speaker 2: 37:48

It's too advanced.

Speaker 1: 37:49

Yeah, there's too many moving parts to it and that rule and managing that. One thing about the girls game that I have noticed that has changed and helped improve the game, I feel like, is the stick technology they used to do I think it was inside the cross did weapon of choice. What's your stick? What's the pocket? I know the stringing in the girls stick has changed a ton. What pattern or what pocket are you using? Sorry if I'm just botching this. I've learned a lot on the girls side but I still have a ton to learn. What's your weapon of choice for the young fans and the parents? Parents ask me what should I get my player equipment-wise?

Speaker 3: 38:47

Let's see, I'll try to. I'm pulling it up. We are a gate school. In high school, you guys know, I had the same stick for years. I think I had three-.

Speaker 2: 39:01

What'd you call it? Twiddle D and twiddle down.

Speaker 3: 39:04

In my life. Yes, champereo and Massimo.

Speaker 2: 39:08

Massimo.

Speaker 3: 39:09

After the Italians from kicking and screaming. But I had three sticks my entire youth. In high school career I had the beginner one I moved up to I think it was an STX stick with a terrible head. And then I got my epic. I think they call it a waterfall shaft. I had that until I graduated, played with it in prep school. When it came here it made me switch it out for a gate stick. It couldn't be seen. With the epic we all have the same shaft. It's the composite shaft, I guess is what it's called. Then it has flex mesh on the head. They give us an option between three different sticks. Usually the defenders pick the shorter, thicker ones and the midfielders in the attack have the longer, skinnier ones. Then I have my draw stick as well, which is also gate. Yeah, I was a big, big advocate for that epic stick.

Speaker 2: 40:26

They don't make it anymore, do they?

Speaker 3: 40:28

No, I had it. I found two more on eBay for like $30 and we snatched them up and I have three. Love it. I'm loyal. What can I say? I'm loyal.

Speaker 2: 40:40

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 40:41

A simple girl. I don't need the newest, greatest stick, I just need my $30 epic shaft.

Speaker 1: 40:51

Before I ask last couple Katie, do you have any questions? And or Payton, do you have any things that maybe I missed?

Speaker 3: 41:04

I'm going to look at my notes.

Speaker 2: 41:07

Katie what questions did you come with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey?

Speaker 3: 41:13

I do.

Speaker 2: 41:14

You like it, like, genuinely like it. I think they're a good match yeah. Do you think they're going to get married?

Speaker 3: 41:21

I think it's way too early for that. I saw someone comment on an Instagram.

Speaker 2: 41:24

Someone said they're going to get married in May.

Speaker 3: 41:26

May I saw that same thing and I was like whoa, it's been like two weeks, let's calm down.

Speaker 2: 41:33

I hope so too. I just, but I hope they break up kind of and then she'll make an album, so she writes her best stuff.

Speaker 3: 41:43

But maybe she can write a love album.

Speaker 2: 41:45

You're right, you're right, you're right, what's your favorite vault track from 1989?

Speaker 3: 41:50

Um, I think I'm going to have to go with. Is it over now? Yeah, it's so good. It was the little dance on TikTok going around. Yeah, it's so good. Every time I listen to that song, I think of the this one specific video of someone doing the dance.

Speaker 2: 42:03

That I saw. Learn it.

Speaker 3: 42:05

Maybe I can learn it, but yeah, it's so good.

Speaker 2: 42:09

It's so good. I don't have any other ones. Do you have any other questions? Do you have questions for us? Do you have anything you want to share about your college experience, your recruiting experience, Stony Brook University? Oh man, Do you want to ask?

Speaker 3: 42:28

I mean, I would just say, you know, I see everybody from high school committing and things, and so I would just say, you know, don't go where people want you to go or where people expect you to go. Try to find the best fit for you, and you know, whether that's D1, d2, d3 or an NAA school, just I think, just pick where you want to go, because it's about you and La Crosse isn't forever.

Speaker 1: 43:01

And you got to live through it, right. Mm, hmm, good advice. What's your favorite thing right now? Maybe a book, a song, a show, like what's or do you super into right now?

Speaker 3: 43:18

I've been working on my little artworks. I just finished this one not too long ago. I'm working on a second one. Did you make the ones behind you? I did, yes, I think I want to learn how to do it.

Speaker 2: 43:31

I'm really into butterflies right now. Is that what you do, are they? No, you use the thread. Yeah, I use, I think I want to learn how to needle point. Okay, girl, Wait, I think I is that the one where you like make the rugs?

Speaker 3: 43:42

Yeah, no, like, yeah, I think I'm going to use the thread. Yeah, no like. Yeah, I bought one of those. You can use mine, Okay like a pillow. Yeah, do it.

Speaker 2: 43:53

I think I want to needle point a pillow.

Speaker 3: 43:57

Okay, I'm really into Taylor Swift always yeah.

Speaker 2: 44:01

I sent her like three weeks Finished week. This is big A week.

Speaker 3: 44:05

I finished all 19 seasons of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix.

Speaker 2: 44:10

Okay, I hate Grey's Anatomy because the one episode I've ever seen, the first thingis the one with the deer Like the bloody deer and the tree like the tree.

Speaker 3: 44:22

I remember that one.

Speaker 2: 44:23

And I'm like this is the how is everybody so obsessed with the show and so I never watched another episode, and someone's like that's the worst one.

Speaker 1: 44:34

I probably haven't watched it in 10 years, but I do remember watching it with mom.

Speaker 3: 44:38

Yeah, that and private practice and days of our lives.

Speaker 1: 44:42

Yeah, the classics that we grew up with. No love it. And last question what is your alley? It can be serious, not serious lacrosse, not lacrosse. Something you're, in you know, passionate about this week, this month, this year. Maybe it's a lifelong thing. You can kind of take it any direction you'd like. What is your alley?

Speaker 3: 45:09

I think my alley right now is defense, because we didn't address this yet. But me, who has been an attacker or you know more offensively minded midfielder, has made the switch. I've now played every position except for goalie at Stony Brook University. I am a defender now. Who would have thought?

Speaker 2: 45:33

Who would have thought, maybe you will play goalie.

Speaker 3: 45:37

Yeah, I've thought about it, I was. I've always said I think I was born to be a goalie.

Speaker 2: 45:42

I think it would be fun. I think, I should have been a goalie. I don't know if I've been fun that's the wrong word to use but I think I would have been a good goalie.

Speaker 1: 45:52

How are you looking?

Speaker 3: 45:53

defense it's nice, honestly, like not having to run when we do continuous or full field, like kind of just getting to chill there for a minute is it's really nice after playing midfield for so long. But yeah, it's, it's cool. I never thought I would be a defender. You know, I'm always like, oh, like I should be on the offensive side and kind of was like no defense. But then, you know, as I got older, I was kind of like, okay, I need to like be a defender too. So then I started doing defensive things more and, um, you know, I have I had one practice where I was kind of killing it on defense. Um, and then you know, the next day, um, they're like we're going to try you a defense now and I was like, okay, like I'll do anything, just let me know where to be. But are you proud that I'm following your footsteps?

Speaker 1: 46:55

Um, I, I, yeah, I got, yeah, if that's what you want to do, if that's what gets you on the field, if that's what, if that's what you know ends up happening, um, yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm thrilled, um, you know, I think in boys, um, in in the boys game, um, you know, I'm, I'm definitely more pro defense because I don't want to take the wax that the attackmen have to. That's like I want to be giving it, um, but in girls, you know, at the, especially the college level, you know you can give her a little bit. So, uh, if that's what you want to do, if you want to, um, if you want to make some gals on Twitter and Instagram pissed off that you're, that you're giving it to some gals, I, I'm here for it. I'm here for it all season. You know, I got your back.

Speaker 3: 47:43

Um, yeah, I mean, we'll see if it lasts. Um, you know, and you never know if it's, they could be like, okay, this was a terrible idea, go back. But as now I'm a defender and I'm Doing it proudly, so we'll, we'll see. Maybe on the, the roster online, it'll have a D by it instead of an M.

Speaker 1: 48:06

We'll keep an eye out. We'll keep an eye out for the next few months before Uh Game start. Who's um? You know what's the what's the big? Has the schedule been released yet?

Speaker 3: 48:17

Um, not officially, at least not to us. They might want the parents, but you know we have Jen general idea.

Speaker 1: 48:25

Who's, you know, is there. Is there a team or two that you're always starring, that you're Fired up to play? Um, you know, during the, during the season.

Speaker 3: 48:35

Yeah, definitely, syracuse is always a good one. Um. We play Northwestern at home this year, so unfortunately I won't be Driving distance away, but It'll also be kind of nice to not have to fly there. Um. Make them come to us for once. Um. I think we open this season with Dartmouth Um. I know there's a Minnesota girl on that team, um, so it'll be nice to see how they are. I know they've been. I think they've been decent in the past. Um. So yeah, we've got some, some big games. You know we always try to schedule good teams for our out of conference games, um, and we have our top 10 returning scorers, so hopefully we'll be able to do some damage this year.

Speaker 1: 49:24

Yeah, this is a team right that has returned people people coming back for their extra covid years. Still right, Seems like forever ago, but really. Yeah, the last year of it. So, um, you know, is this a team that I don't want to call it the last dance, right, that might be a little, you know, uh, you know extreme, but is this a team where it's like you kind of got all the pieces, maybe to the puzzle that are needed?

Speaker 3: 49:49

Yeah, I mean, defense has been the big question mark this year. We lost. We had Hailey Dillamette backer, um. She's being replaced by Avery Hines, who's looked really good this fall. Um. Ella Whitehouse and Lindsay Rongo were our posts last year, so that's kind of the big Spot that needs to be filled, um. And then Hailey Dugnowsky was our goalie. She graduated as well. So there's a goalie battle going on, um. Shout out to my roommate, francesca Videritti goalie Um. Just like you, you had your room, your goalie roommate. Um.

Speaker 3: 50:26

So you know, defense is definitely the point of emphasis right now. But you know, we've got Claire Levy back on defense as well, um, who our coach always says is the best defender in college across. So, you know, take that, take that as you will, um. But we've got Ellie Moussaro, we've got Katelyn Hart, morgan Mitchell, jaden Hampel, we've got Alex Finn coming from UMass, who had a lot of goals last year, um. So we've got a lot of pieces coming back. Charlotte Verhal is on the draw, aaron McCrory running up and down the field 80 times a quarter. So, yeah, I think this kind of is, you know, the last dance with all those people, um, before they graduate. So it's kind of kind of the year is how everybody's looking at it.

Speaker 1: 51:23

Love it, love it. Well, welcome to the podcast world. Um, glad we could be a part of your first podcast. I thought that maybe you're the I must have. I thought you and luke kind of came on early on, but maybe I didn't get you on. So, um, yeah, uh, yeah, sorry to make you wait. Um, probably should have had you on sooner, but this seemed like a good time. Fall ball finishing up. Um, you know, we're we're excited to you know, for your sophomore year and, um, you know, thanks for thanks for taking the time with us.

Speaker 3: 52:00

Of course I'll see you guys in 31 days.

Speaker 1: 52:03

I'll see you, brother, who's counting?

Speaker 3: 52:05

Not that I'm counting.

Speaker 1: 52:08

Um yeah, no thanks for coming down the alley.

Speaker 3: 52:11

Thanks, love you guys, yay.

Speaker 1: 52:14

Love, ya Uh and thank you to Peyton Blado for coming down the alley um Shout out to stony brook university Good luck to her this season and, uh yeah, we'll be back next week.