Athlete of the Week: Jenna Amodio, Saratoga Girls Lacrosse

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs varsity girls lacrosse team beat Shaker on May 24 for its first Section 2 title since 2018, and the Blue Streaks’ sophomore goaltender played a major role in the team’s return to the top of Class A.

Jenna Amodio, Saratoga’s goalie, made 10 saves on 15 shots in the sectional championship, helping guide the Blue Streaks to an 8-5 win over the Blue Bison.

Amodio recorded 170 saves on the season, her second year as the team’s starting goaltender. Head coach Jennifer Furze said Amodio has “always been a standout.”

“She’s so quick, her instincts are just so fast,” said Furze. “She’s just an athlete, across the board.”

Amodio also plays hockey, and held an important role as a defender for the Adirondack United varsity girls hockey team in their run to the state championship game in February. She spent the previous winter playing with the Saratoga varsity boys hockey team.

“She never shuts down. Even on crease drives and things like that, she’ll come out and challenge the ball,” Furze said. “She’s not afraid of getting hit. She gets hit a lot. … She’s just an aggressive goaltender.”

Amodio has also stepped up in the postseason for the Blue Streaks on multiple occasions. In addition to this year’s sectional title game, her strong performance as a freshman helped Saratoga pull off an upset victory over top-seeded Bethlehem in triple overtime during last year’s Section 2 Class A semifinals.

“She was so instrumental in that win,” said Furze. “When we get into these high-intensity, pressured games, Jenna just comes up big for us. She thrives from it.”

Furze, who helped lead the Blue Streaks to a sectional championship in her first season as varsity coach, said the feeling is “surreal.” However, she also said that she recognized the team’s potential early on.

“From the beginning of the season, I saw the potential in this team. The connections, both on and off the field,” Furze said. “From very early on in the season, I just thought they had what it takes. … So I wasn’t entirely surprised, but just very excited for them.”

Furze said she is “so happy” she took the varsity role, saying she feels fortunate to coach the team.

“We had such a great, rewarding season,” said Furze. “It was awesome.”