Emily Skarda
Lacrosse, 2006
This 2018 Danbury High School Hall of Fame inductee was a four-year starter for the varsity lacrosse team, Emily Skarda. In Emily’s four years at Danbury High School, the Women’s Lacrosse program went from a non-competitive team to a program that continuously appeared in the state tournament, making it to the semi-finals in 2006 and winning the tournament a few years later.
Aside from being a four-year varsity starter, Emily was also a team captain for three years. She was All-FCIAC for three years and a two-time All-Stater. Emily’s scoring statistics are impressive. Freshman year she scored eleven goals and had eleven assists. Sophomore year she had 40 goals and fourteen assists. Junior year, Emily had 55 goals and 48 assists, and senior year she had 70 goals with 36 assists.
After her graduation from Danbury High School, Emily earned a scholarship to Iona College and was a two-year member of the Iona Women’s Lacrosse program. Emily returned to Danbury High School to help coach after graduating from Iona. She was a two-year varsity assistant and jayvee head coach. During her time coaching, Emily helped lead the team to three consecutive state tournament appearances and one FCIAC tournament berth. Her coaching highlights include three consecutive wins over rival Ridgefield, as well as a historic win over perennial powerhouse Darien. Emily also coached club lacrosse for the Connecticut Lightening where she also assisted players in their college recruiting process.
In the words of former DHS coach and the current lacrosse coach of Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, Lauren Scott, “Emily’s role in Danbury’s success on the lacrosse field goes far beyond her statistics and accolades. Emily was a passionate player, who loved the game, loved the rivalries, and loved her school. She was in every scouting report, and drew attention from every team’s best defender. The bigger the game, the better she played. Emily Skarda should be the first girls’ lacrosse player nominated into the Danbury Athletics Hall of Fame”.