Friends’ Central midfielder Lorna MacFarlane is Main Line Girls’ Athlete of the Week
The junior center mid and co-captain is averaging one point per game for the Phoenix. A second team All-Main Line soccer player last fall, MacFarlane is an all-around athlete who was a first team All-Friends’ Schools League lacrosse selection last spring. Friends’ Central girls’ soccer head coach Luke Nowell said, “Lorna has fully embraced her leadership role – setting the tone in training and helping along the younger players. Most impressive to me is her ability to completely dominate the middle of the field with her defensive play, while battling players of a similarly high caliber.” Off the pitch, MacFarlane is a member of Friends’ Central Student Council, and is on the school’s Student Admissions Committee. She is committed to the admission process at Dartmouth.
Q: Tell us about your role as an on-field leader playing center mid. What do you think are your most important responsibilities?
A: Center mid is a relatively new position for me. On my club team, I just started playing a holding mid position last year so I’m still learning how to adjust in this position. I like playing center mid because it gives me a chance to be involved in all aspects of the game. I need to communicate a lot in both defense and attack and adjust my positioning according to the game situation.
Q: You have also been lauded for your off-the-field leadership in training and helping the younger players. How do you think you can best help the younger players through off-the-field leadership?
A: One thing about playing at Friends’ Central is that there is a lot of support and inclusiveness between the younger players and the older leaders, so coming into this year I wanted to make sure the younger players felt as comfortable and accepted as I did. I really put a lot of effort into doing that by trying to stay positive and upbeat and make it fun for everybody to be playing on this team.
Q: What (to you) has been the highlight of your Friends’ Central soccer career? What is your most vivid memory of that experience?
A: Coming in with four other ninth grade classmates and winning the Friends’ Schools League Championship in our first varsity year is still the biggest highlight for me, and it was especially nice because I had my sister (Sophie) on the team as well. My most vivid memory of that game is when our goalie, Caroline Fakharzadeh, made an incredible save in the last few minutes of the game to secure our 1-0 win.
Q: You have been lauded for your defensive play, your ability to shut down high-caliber performers. What do you think has been the biggest key to your defensive play in the past year?
A: Most of my soccer career has been as a defender, so I feel comfortable in the back line. I love the feeling of shutting another player down and making a strong tackle that wins back possession.
Q: Your older sister Sophie, who graduated last spring from Friends’ Central, was an excellent defender for the Friends’ Central girls soccer team last year, receiving first team All-Main Line honors. What do you think has been the most important thing she has taught you?
A: Sophie has really taught me a lot. Her grit and determination always motivated me to put in the same amount of effort. She is so talented but most of what I have learned from her is her fearlessness and competitiveness. When we were playing together last year, she would really challenge me in practice and force me to step up my game.
Q: Who is your favorite soccer player, and why? Is there a player whose game you try to pattern your own after?
A: My favorite player is Lionel Messi. I think he is really fun to watch because he is so good and creative on the ball. A player I try to model certain aspects of my game on is Christine Sinclair, because she leaves it all out on the field and makes an impact no matter where she is playing.
Q: Who have been your top soccer mentors, and what has been the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: I’ve had many great coaches since I was little, but over the last few years I’ve been especially lucky to have a number of great club coaches at Continental FC Delco – Wes Davis, Steve Riley, Keith Cappo and Jed Fischer. They have really shaped me into the player and person I am today and have taught me so much.
Q: What attracted you to Dartmouth?
A: I’m really excited to have committed to Dartmouth. It was always a school I was interested in, and when I visited I felt that it would be a perfect fit for me. The coach, Ron Rainey, and the team were great and the school is beautiful.
Lorna MacFarlane’s top picks
Author: Shel Silverstein.
TV show: Friends.
Movie: Now You See Me.
Pre-game pump-up song: 300 violin orchestra.
Athlete: PK Subban of the Montreal Canadiens.
Historical figure (past and/or present): “Gandhi, I admire his courage, dedication to his beliefs and how humble he was.”
Team: Montreal Canadiens.
Place to visit: “Metis sur-mer in Quebec with my family.”
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
