Pugliese is a Coach's Dream
and Much More
She's been called a "coach's dream with a positive attitude" and Emilie Pugliese is all that, but she's so much more, too. The Huntington High School senior is a determined young woman who doesn't hesitate to go hard after what she sets her sights on.
Ms. Pugliese is known for her smile and laughter and special way of caring about others. She has starred on the soccer, winter track and lacrosse teams and earned 14 varsity letters through the fall season.
The three-sport star recently will soon ink an NCAA Division I national letter of intent to attend High Point University in North Carolina and play on the women's lacrosse team there on an athletic scholarship.
Widely regarded as one of the best athletes in the Class of 2011, Ms. Pugliese has also built a strong academic record. "I was always striving to do my best, but it all came together learning how to balance my 365 day athletic-packed schedule and more yearning to strive in the academics," she said.
Earns Academic Honors
As a junior, Ms. Pugliese began to regularly earn academic honors. "My biggest inspiration came from Mr. [Edward] Florea, my chemistry teacher," she said. "He was the one who inspired me to work hard in the sciences and gave me the confidence to challenge myself and pursue science in college. He would always say to me 'Em, whatever you put your mind to, you can do.' Here I am in my senior year in Advanced Placement Bio with him always whispering in my ear to work hard and follow my dreams in college."
In each of the past two seasons, Ms. Pugliese has won All-Division honors with the Blue Devil soccer team. Her speed, athleticism and long throw-ins that sometime resemble corner kicks have served Huntington and head coach John Walsh well over the past four years.
"Coach Walsh has pushed me and given me every bit of strength to finish hard in every game," Ms. Pugliese said. Those throw-ins have been so long that teammates have sometimes had opportunities to score off of them.
Ms. Pugliese has been a top performer with Huntington's winter track and field team, too, finishing sixth in Suffolk in the 600m run last year. Blue Devil coach Debra Cheskes has had her eyes glued to the teenager's turns on the track and has unceasingly pushed Ms. Pugliese to improve her times.
Sparkles in Lax
While Ms. Pugliese has shined in soccer and track she really sparkles on the lacrosse field. She grabbed All-Division honors as a sophomore and again last spring when she tallied 32 goals and 30 assists and picked up 49 ground balls. The senior has established a strong relationship with head coach Nancy Wilson and it's made a difference in her play.
"Coach Wilson would always give me a hug after a game and tell me how great I played on the field," Ms. Pugliese said. "She would hand out bracelets with an inspirational saying to all the team members and knew just what to say when you were feeling beat up. She would be the first person to tell me that I was double-marked in a game and still came out shining like a star! She truly was an advocate for me and my style of play. I will miss her."
Ms. Pugliese played club lacrosse with the Long Island Express Blue the past two summers and was recruited heavily by Division I colleges. "I had many opportunities presented to me and had to make a verbal decision to play in 2012 by the end of August 2010," she said.
The Huntington star was recruited by UMass, Virginia Tech, Villanova, Siena College, Mount Saint Mary's, Towson, and Highpoint, plus many others. "Dowling was interested in me playing soccer and lacrosse, but I wanted the opportunity to go away down south," Ms. Pugliese said.
Visits Complete, High Point's the Choice
After visiting all of the schools and playing at the clinics, meeting the players and coaches this past summer, "I had narrowed it down to Mount Saint Mary's, Towson, and High Point University," the senior said. "I knew I wanted to play down south in the warm weather. I chose High Point University because it was a newly developed Division I team in the Big South and the coaches and team were great people."
While sports has been the defining activity of Ms. Pugliese's high school years, she has found time to delve into art and spent two years with the Highsteppers, the high school's competitive dance team.
Ms. Pugliese won a first place art show award as a junior for creating a mosaic consisting of hundreds of pieces of glass. "I love to draw as a hobby," she said. "I find it relaxing and it takes my mind off of it all."
She enjoyed her time with the Highsteppers, during which the squad won the National Dance Assn. championship. "Unfortunately, I had to decide between soccer and track or Highstepping," Ms. Pugliese said. "I was not able to do both, so I continued with my athletic strengths of soccer and track."
Internship at Woodhull
The teenager is currently participating in an internship with Woodhull School classroom teacher Jason Suarez, who is a varsity boys' soccer assistant coach. "I always wanted to be a teacher and he is such a great role model," Ms. Pugliese said. "The kids love him! He brings out the best in all and he also helped me condition for soccer over the summer. I have been learning a lot from Mr. Suarez and, hopefully, I can take his sense of humor and drive to succeed and bring the best out in all kids! He's the best."
She will graduate from Huntington with warm feelings all the way around. "The Huntington athletic program has made me into what I am," Ms. Pugliese said. "As I matured through my athletics, I became more confident and it inspired me to move onto college the skills to work at a higher level. Huntington has given me the tools to work hard, stay focused and balance my academic calendar with my athletic calendar."