The Moments That Mattered for Emma LoPinto

In my room back at my parents’ house in Manhasset, N.Y., I have a cutout of a story from USA Lacrosse Magazine with Michelle Tumolo. It’s the centerpiece of my shrine.

There’s also a note she sent after I ordered a sweatshirt from her.

You’re going to do big things.

I looked up to her — the way that she played creatively and enjoyed sharing the game with others across the world. When I got the chance to do the same, I knew I had to take advantage of it.

Back in 2022 when I was at Florida, a friend texted me a link to an article about the U20 world championship. She said, “I think you’re young enough to do this,” and I was like “OK, Hong Kong. That would be amazing.”

I spoke with Nicole Levy, my assistant coach at the time, and she texted Michelle to ask if I was old enough to play. Michelle said yes and I was locked in from that point on.

In June of 2023, I came to USA Lacrosse and played on that field that I’d been dreaming about for so long. Everyone was so talented. Everything was so new.

I remember we did a drill almost like a basketball game, 5-on-5, and it was six rounds of running back and forth. Kelly Amonte Hiller was so bought into what we were doing and supportive and I figured out quickly that was the style we’d be playing in Hong Kong.

The next few months went by in a blur, through fall ball and a spring season which ended with us winning the national championship — a dream come true for me.

But just two weeks later, my mind shifted to another dream and another journey.

I had little time to rest, but I was excited to have something that I could look forward to after the excitement of the Boston College national championship.

All summer, I was thinking about Hong Kong. I had flown to Fiji and Egypt before, but not as long as 14 hours to Hong Kong. This time, I wasn’t going on vacation — I was playing the sport I love across the world for the first time. What was I going to pack? How are my sticks getting there?

As the plane neared Hong Kong, it all started to feel real. We landed, jumped on the bus and headed right to breakfast at our hotel. Lydia Colasante and I tried just about every food just to get a taste of China as quickly as we could.

We took a tour of the Sham Shui Po district along with members of the Hong Kong national team. We tried local food, wore traditional dresses and met young lacrosse players to share stories with them. It was amazing to see that they not only knew what lacrosse was, but they had been watching me and other girls on our teams.

There was a lacrosse culture there.

As we stepped into Mong Kok Stadium for opening ceremonies, it all became a reality. I thought back to a message I got on Instagram from a German player who said I was her idol. We ended up locking eyes and then the entire German team came over to say hello. It warmed my heart.

That’s what was so special about our journey to Hong Kong. As much as what we did on the field mattered — and playing on a line with Madison Taylor and Madison Alaimo was incredible — the moments that happened outside of the lines stand out the most.

Michelle spoke to us about it at our camp in Northwestern, telling us to bring extra gear because girls would want to see you and meet you. Shea Dolce and I brought Boston College shirts to give out to players from around the world. They were watching lacrosse and it felt like they knew everything about me. It’s a testament to how much this sport is growing but eye-opening to witness firsthand.

As we took the field for the gold medal game, the atmosphere was next level. Our families and friends gathered outside the tunnel to cheer us on as we walked together — making me reflect on my parents and how grateful I was for them to allow me to wear that jersey.

It was a perfectly beautiful night for a championship game. When the buzzer sounded, I grabbed Shea Dolce and we ran to Fran Argentieri in the cage — all of us together in a huddle signifying the hard work we put into this world championship.

On the flight home, it started to hit me, the magnitude of what he had accomplished. I never thought I’d play lacrosse in a place like Hong Kong. I never thought I’d be able to represent my country in this sport. I never thought we’d have the impact that we did and make friendships with players across the world.

I wish we could have had more time together. It meant the world to me.