Moving across the country to attend a school that’s almost 3,000 miles away from home can be a tough adjustment, but luckily for Felice Artuso, a part of home came with her: lacrosse.
Born and raised in Westminster, Maryland, Artuso, a senior midfielder for San Diego State, began her lacrosse career early. She helped lead her high school to two state championships in her sophomore and junior seasons.
This would lead to her recruitment and eventual arrival to the Mesa.
Fast-forward four years and she’s playing her last couple of lacrosse games in her collegiate career before graduating in May.
Artuso has provided a spark in her final season, recording a team-high 20 caused turnovers and 11 assists. Her play and demeanor has earned her the nickname “silent-killer” from her coaches.
“She’s the ‘do-everything player’ and she does it quietly,” assistant coach Brandi Padilla said. “She’s a quiet leader on our team. She leads in hustle plays and effort.
“She’s one of the most athletic people on the team and one of the most competitive. She’s been like that all four years.”
Artuso’s impending departure has not been lost on Padilla, who reflected on her time with the midfielder and what she’s been able to do with the program.
“It’s going to be tough losing her this year, but what’s great is that we have a bunch of freshman midfielders who she’s been able to groom,” Padilla said. “She’s done an awesome job of training our younger ones and so I’m less worried because of that, but it’s unfortunate that we only have a couple more games together.
“It’s been a pleasure to coach her and we’ve enjoyed all four years of her helping set the tone for this team and the standard for this program.”
Other than just being extremely involved with lacrosse, Artuso and her teammates give back to the community. In the offseason they participate with the Big Sister program at a local elementary school.
“We each had a little sister assigned to us at King Chavez Preparatory School and would visit them every week and help them do homework, play with them, give them life advice and just be a mentor toward them,” Artuso said.
She also loves to be active outdoors when she has down time.
“When I have free time, I really love to be outside,” Artuso said. “I surf and go on a lot of hikes. During the summer I’m a surf instructor out here and during the winter I love to go snowboarding.”
While the season is winding down, she is both sad about her collegiate career coming to an end and excited for what is to come.
Artuso left her teammates with one final message.
“Keep being a family because that’s what has kept us so closely knit,” she said. “We have always played with a lot of heart and are always relentless and that’s what we have been known for. Keep it fun.”
Artuso and the lacrosse team will play their second-to-last home game on April 22 at 7 p.m. against UC Davis on the Aztec Lacrosse Field.
