Syracuse has always been Gracie Britton’s home for lacrosse
Gracie Britton has set career highs in goals and assists as a junior. The Pennellville native's lacrosse journey is rooted in Syracuse. Leonardo Eriman | Asst. Video Editor
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
Throughout Gary Gait’s tenure as Syracuse women’s lacrosse’s head coach, Joe Bonacci — his former SU teammate and longtime girls’ lacrosse assistant coach at Christian Brothers Academy — recommended players he should recruit. One of Bonacci’s most persistent suggestions? Gracie Britton.
Gait kept a close eye on Britton from the start, watching her film and eyeing her potential during her high school career at CBA, Bonacci said. Once Britton began attending college skills camps, Gait made sure he invited her to the Orange’s.
At first, Britton said she was considering SU, Boston College and North Carolina. However, after being introduced to then-commits Carlie Desimone, Ana Horvit and Julia Basciano, Britton said their support ultimately helped pull her toward SU.
When Gait offered Britton a spot on the team, Inside Lacrosse’s No. 38 class of 2022 recruit, on Sept. 1, 2020, she didn’t hesitate.
“It wasn’t like I really needed to stay close to home. I was open to any options, but (the coaches) reaching out really just made it a lot easier,” Britton said. “That’s how I knew Syracuse was the right place.”
Like greats before her, including Kailah Kempney and Kayla Treanor, Britton’s lacrosse journey was rooted in Syracuse, growing up nearly 30 minutes away in Pennellville. Now, Britton’s amid her junior year with the Orange, where she’s notched a career-high 17 goals, eight assists and 25 points.
To hone her skills throughout her childhood, the attack frequently used her parents’ local personal training business, Britton Athletics Strength and Conditioning.
Cole Ross | Digital Design Director
Britton and her younger brother, Drew, followed Pat to every practice after school. Combined with Pat’s work as a personal trainer and assistant coach at CBA, lacrosse greats surrounded Britton. Over time, she formed close bonds with players like Treanor and Michelle Tumolo.
“She had a lot of comfortability with the biggest names in lacrosse, but she knew them as ‘Kayla’ or ‘Michelle,’” Pat said. “Nothing was ever too big for her.”
At first, she was just helping with drills or setting up goals. But gradually, Britton became drawn to the action. She soaked up everything — mimicking players, learning fundamentals and developing her love for the game.
When she wasn’t shadowing other players, Britton could be found bouncing a ball off a concrete wall with her stick for minutes on end. A simple yet effective exercise, “wall ball” was always Britton’s favorite part of each practice. When she was in elementary school, Pat said her hand-eye coordination caught the attention of CBA coaches.
“One of our assistant coaches would always stop his boys’ JV practices because Gracie would be on the wall as a 7, 8 or 9-year-old playing wall ball,” Pat said. “He’d always tell them, ‘That’s what you guys have to do.’”
Still, Britton didn’t fully commit to lacrosse until sixth grade, when she joined Ethix Lacrosse Academy. Traveling across New York for tournaments year-round, she embraced competitive play.
But she craved more.
In 2013, her parents launched Britton Athletics Strength and Conditioning in east Syracuse. With nearly 5,000 square feet dedicated to a lacrosse field, it became her sanctuary. After tough losses, she’d beg Pat to take her straight to the gym. There, she shot, dodged and trained until she released all her frustration.
“With Gracie, you had to look out of the corner of your eye because you’d walk away and she’d be putting a bar on the rack and sneaking in a set of hang cleans because she saw the high school and college kids doing it,” Pat said.
Between her Ethix tournaments and consistent trips to the gym, Britton molded herself into a threat on the attack, Bonacci said. Her stick skills and mechanics helped her stand out on the school’s junior varsity squad. Within weeks of joining the program, she received an early call-up to varsity as an eighth grader.
Following an uncharacteristic 5-3 start, Britton’s presence on the left side of the midfield helped CBA find stability. Behind her 30 points, the Brothers captured the 2018 Class A State Championship.
Gracie Britton totaled 208 goals and 71 assists throughout her career at Christian Brothers Academy. Courtesy of Roger Hagan
From there, Britton scored more goals each season than the last. Although her sophomore year season ended because of COVID-19, the time off didn’t stifle her development. Instead, she emerged as the Brothers’ most dangerous weapon as an upperclassman. During her senior season, she capped off her high school career with 73 goals. The next closest player — current Columbia commit Lilah Kirch — notched 24.
Despite racking up over 200 goals at CBA, Britton’s offensive game still had occasional shortcomings. Bonacci often called her out for not taking open shots. Playing with sharpshooters Gait and his brother, Paul, taught Bonacci that having a shoot-first mentality isn’t always bad.
“She’s a team-first person. If someone’s open, she throws them the ball automatically,” Bonacci said. “I always wanted her to be more selfish.”
While she was known as a scorer at CBA, Britton’s versatility has stood out with the Orange. Syracuse defensive coach Caitlin Defliese — the last remaining coach who recruited Britton — leans on her to challenge SU’s defenders during drills.
Sometimes, Britton will even help the defense prepare by scouting another team’s offense and mimicking their top players during practice. Britton’s two-handedness has also proven essential for SU’s backline, as she’s scooped up nine ground balls in her career.
Playing close to home means Britton rarely takes the field without her family in the stands. Aside from games at Cal and Stanford, her parents have made every trip. When her mom, Suz, found out Britton was starting the season opener against UAlbany, she cried tears of joy.
“Every role that I’ve had and every role that I will have going forward, it’s just so awesome to be here,” Britton said. “This is what I’ve wanted my whole life.”
