Pottstown grad plays with Storm
Former Player of the Year competing in inaugural women’s lacrosse league
Kasey Mock has made a career out of taking the road less traveled.
A starting defender at Syracuse University following her standout career at Pottstown High School, that road has already taken her to some unforgettable places.
Last month, following the inaugural United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWLX) draft, Mock was selected among eight other players as a roster addition to the Boston Storm.
“It’s really exciting,” said Mock, “to be able to play against some of the alltime greats — some of the people I grew up watching. It’s been a surreal experience. I’m excited, not only to have the chance to play again ... but to play again with some of lacrosse’s alltime greats.”
While with the Storm, Mock will play for longtime Dartmouth head coach Amy Patton. The team will compete in the UWLX League, the first professional women’s lacrosse league of its kind.
Now undergoing its first season, the UWLX consists of four teams in Baltimore, Boston, Long Island and Philadelphia. The league is made up of all post-graduate players.
“Just getting the opportunity to compete with the Storm is really exciting,” said Mock. “Being a part of the inaugural season makes it even more special. It feels like sort of a legacy thing ... almost like we’re pioneers.”
Appropriately, throughout her time at Syracuse, Mock was tabbed with the nickname ‘Blue-Collar Worker’ because of her work ethic blended with her natural ability.
That blue-collar approach has been evident all throughout her playing career.
During her time with Pottstown, Mock set the Pioneer Athletic Conference record in goals scored (318). She was named the Pottstown Mercury’s All-Area Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year as a senior in 2010 when she scored 119 goals.
“When I started out at Pottstown as a freshman, I was a low-defender,” said Mock. “I’d secure the ball and get it upfield then let our offense take it from there.
“As time went on, though, I made the transition to one of our scorers. For me, it didn’t really matter where I was on the field. I just wanted to be out there making plays.”
Though her forte throughout her final three seasons appeared to be her offensive ability, it was Mock’s defensive prowess that always set her apart from the rest of the field.
Andrew Bachman, who spent 21 seasons coaching at Pottstown High School up until the end of the 2015 season, saw Mock’s potential from the day she stepped onto the field as a freshman.
“No matter where we had her on the field,” said Bachman, “her defensive skillset would shine. She had a knack for finding the ball and forcing the turnover.
“As a defender, your approach needs to be ‘I’m the second-to-last line of defense, but I’m also the first line of offense.’ The transition relies on the defenders. Kasey understood that. A lot of players can’t fully embrace both ends of it.”
That personal prowess faced the ultimate test during Mock’s freshman season.
Before she’d even seen the field in varsity action, Bachman completely altered the freshman’s grip in order for her to be more effective.
“She was very fundamentally skilled, but she didn’t have strong stick skills,” he said. “We had to completely reset her grip and start from scratch. I could tell it frustrated her, but she never questioned it.
“She just looked at me and said ‘Alright, I’ll do it your way.’ It was easy for her to pick up even as a freshman. That spoke volumes to who she is as a player.”
That volume only got louder and louder through the course of Mock’s career.
Mock eventually committed to Syracuse, where she would be a preferred walk-on following her de-commitment from Duquesne University. While with the Orange, Mock developed her defensive prowess even further.
Over the course of her career, Mock was a fourtime All-Academic and earned Big East Honors from 2011-2013 and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) accolades in 2014 after the Orange made the move prior to her final season. During her time at Syracuse, Mock was part of the 2013 Big East title team, appeared in the ACC title game in 2014 and was part of three NCAA Final Four teams. Following her senior season, Mock was named to the ACC All-Conference Second Team, the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association (IWLCA) All-Northeast Region First Team and the IWLCA All-American Second Team.
Following her collegiate playing career, Mock couldn’t stay away long. She temporarily traded in her stick and goggles for a clipboard and a whistle, accepting an assistant coaching job at George Washington University this past season.
“It’s a lot different than actually just playing,” she said. “Sometimes it can be frustrating, because you feel like you’d like to be on the field competing. It has definitely taught me a lot of different perspectives of the game.”
Whether standing on the sideline or in the game’s action, Mock’s blue-collar attitude is sure to take her even further.
“It’s really exciting to be able to play against some of the all-time greats — some of the people I grew up watching. It’s been a surreal experience. I’m excited, not only to have the chance to play again ... but to play again with some of lacrosse’s alltime greats.” — Kasey Mock