For Sammy Dupcak, her father Neal and her mother Maureen are more than just her parents—they are also like coaches. Both Neal and Maureen were standout athletes at the University of Maryland. Neal played lacrosse for four years. And Maureen earned a spot in the school’s athletic hall of fame for stellar careers in field hockey and lacrosse.
Dupcak, a Broadneck senior, is following in their footsteps. She excelss in field hockey, and lacrosse, for which she earned U.S. Lacrosse All-American honors last year. Lacrosse is Dupcak’s best sport and she’ll play for the Penn State Nittany Lions on a scholarship.
“They are great role models,” Dupcak says of her parents. “They are very passionate about sports and that has rubbed off on me. They have given me a lot of time and have coached me in a lot of sports. They have influenced me to be the best I could at sports.”
Dupcak doubts she would be where she is without her parents coaching and prodding. “That was a huge part of my success,” Dupcak explains. “They really supported me and made sure I worked very hard and stayed on track and helped me reached my goals. They always talked about what I could do better.” Dupcak has achieved a lot in her athletic career and among her biggest accomplishments is setting a school record last spring by winning 101 draws in lacrosse from her midfield position. She’s taken the most draws on the team since her freshman year.
Dupcak hasn’t missed a game in her four years as a starter on the lacrosse team.
“I think it says a lot about her toughness and commitment,” Broadneck Girls Coach Lacrosse Katy Kelley says. “She is really doing what she needs to do to be a healthy athlete as well. I think it’s pretty amazing.”
The 5-foot-9-inch Dupcak was also aggressively recruited by The College of William & Mary, Boston University, and Arizona State University.
“[But] I love the atmosphere and the culture of the Penn State team,” says Dupcak, who carries a 4.3 weighed grade-point average. “The girls and coaches are great. They have a really good thing going on up there. I am really confident that I will have a great experience there.”
Dupcak accomplished a lot in her Broadneck career in lacrosse and made an impact early in her career. She earned Second-Team All-County honors as a freshman and First-Team All-County honors as a sophomore. Her junior year was her best. She ranked second on the team in goals (50) and (22) assists while racking up 65 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers.
“She is just a super all-round player,” Kelley says. “Her skills are phenomenal. She can read the field very well. She knows where the ball is going and where she needs to be. She has such good instincts, athleticism, speed, and drive to have the ball. It’s leads to her being a dynamic player.”
She’s a terrific defender, too. “She always guards the other team’s top scorer or biggest threat,” Kelley says. Dupcak co-captained the field hockey team this past fall and she is expected to fill that same role in 2020 for the lacrosse team.
“She is a quiet confident leader who just works so hard,” Kelley adds. Dupcak also started for three years on field hockey team and led the team in assists (9) and finished second (10) in goals this past fall while being name First-Team All-State by the Field Hockey Association of Maryland.
Dupcak had one of the biggest moments of the season, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against South River to lead to Bruins to the Class 4A state semifinals. Broadneck Field Hockey Coach Shannon Hanratty says Dupcak, who was First-Team All-County as a junior, could have played field hockey in college.
“She really had the field sense that was absolutely top level in the state,” Hanratty explains. “She was a playmaker. She is first part of the first one of offense and defense. She was the player sometimes you wondered if she had a magnet in her stick. It always seemed like she was involved in the play.”
