Info@NJGRITFieldHockey.com (Grace - Resilience - Integrity - Teamwork)
Carly Iacullo Commits to the Admissions Process at Tufts
2022 West Essex High School Defender
Perfect Balance/Fit
Carly Iacullo began preparing for the recruiting process her freshman year. She started looking at
a few schools as a baseline and then in her junior year of high school, she began to narrow them
down based on what fit her needs best. When Iacullo visited Tufts with her dad, she immediately knew it was the school for her. “The lively environment was what drew her the most. “I loved the people walking around, walking their dogs, and playing on the fields and dorm quads. The best way to describe it was lively; you can tell the people loved being there and there was so much going on.”
A very important aspect for Carly was the thought of loving the school regardless of field
hockey. Iacullo was immediately drawn to the field hockey team and coaching staff but was able to also get a feel for the school as a whole. “When I visited, the school had so much to offer. The buildings were beautiful, academics were put before field hockey, there was an ample amount of opportunities provided, and I just really fell in love with the school as a whole.”
Tufts is about 10 minutes outside of Boston, which is a big reason for the liveliness on campus. “I can’t stress enough how excited I am to be in Boston. It’s such a great city and area. It’s a big college town so I’m going to be by a bunch of different colleges, meeting a bunch of different people.”
When talking with the coaches what stood out to Carly the most was Coach Mattera’s maternal
instinct and personability. “She is a mom of two girls and she brings that into almost all
conversations. You can tell that she is very caring.” The coaching staff was extremely personable and energetic and really made Carly feel important. “When she calls she always catches up and asks about summer, she even recently joked about working out. As much as I was interested in Tufts, they were just as interested in me. It’s relieving because I didn’t get that response from every school.”
Following in her father’s footsteps, Carly hopes to have a career as a criminal defense attorney or
lawyer. “I really wanted to study pre-law but unfortunately, Tufts doesn’t offer that, so I plan on studying political science or psychology and maybe minor in history.” Iacullo has an up-close
understanding about what a career in law looks like from her dad. “My dad is a criminal defense
attorney and obviously his career is a challenging one but it is never boring. He always has
something going on. I want to be able to travel and not be at a desk all day long. It would be cool
to be in the courtroom or a space where it is mine and my area to work in.” Just as Iacullo
searched for a lively campus to attend, she always wants to ensure her career is lively as well. “Being in this field you meet so many interesting people. My dad is always telling me stories and it really inspires me to want to do that one day.”
Process
Iacullo was proactive and organized throughout her entire recruiting process. “I really started
getting involved in the recruiting process my freshman year by just being on a club team. It was great having Coach Cosse because she was always saying to start early, you don’t want to be
behind.” Iacullo had a lot of decisions to make and was able to think clearly with the help of her
coaches, club staff, and parents. “I kept telling myself early on, D3 is the route for me because
academically and socially, and just college in general, the whole experience of a D3 program is
balanced and the way to go.” Once Iacullo had a strong interest in Tufts she focused on being
persistent and consistent. “I updated Tufts after every tournament I went to. Cindy Zanelli (NJ GRIT Webmaster) helped me tremendously with updating my recruiting page and film. I just kept sending them my film and emailing them. Whether it was tournaments or earning National Honor Society or being named captain - I just kept them in the loop about all of my accomplishments.”
As for COVID affecting the recruiting process, Iacullo felt that although there were some
negative effects, it actually ended up being positive for her. “Even with COVID, NJ GRIT was
able to go to a lot of tournaments. I guess maybe the only downfall was that I was not able to
meet, talk to, and have the college coaches on the sideline.” However, Iacullo was sure to focus
on the things she could control. “Film became a really huge deal. I made sure I had film from
every tournament and made a highlight film for each with Cindy. I also stayed on top of updating
my Max Field Hockey profile.” As for academics, Tufts became a test optional school. “Once I
found out it was optional I just kept telling myself I need to excel in school and get my GPA up. I
knew this is what I was going to be sending to Tufts so I had to make sure I maintained a good
GPA and academic standing.”
High School/GRIT History
Carly Iacullo is a dedicated and hardworking student athlete and leader for her high school and club team. Iacullo is versatile and has great vision of the field, not only for herself but for her
teammates around her. “A lot of coaches have said this about me and I see this in myself, I see
the field really well. In middle school I was a forward, then a midfielder in the beginning of high school, and now I’m a starting defender. I’ve been at every position, I know what each person
can do on the field and I think one pass ahead.” This versatility and unique understanding of the
field is what throttles Carly and her teams to be so successful. “I am very aware of the other team
and knowing what they are going to do. I can see and guess what their next move is. Just breaking up a play or slowing down a player on the other team can give my team a chance to catch their breath. That’s an important part of the game of field hockey. I am versatile and I think
my hockey IQ is high - knowing the space around me on the field is a very important part of my
game.”
Iacullo’s leadership role is consistent on her West Essex High School team as well as her NJ GRIT
team. She is a consistent leader, always involved with her teammates both on and off the field. “I
want my teammates to know that I am 100% with you on the field, we are competitive and
tough, but off the field I am your best friend and I am here for you.” Iacullo has excelled in the
classroom, on her teams, and in her social daily life and Carly really enjoys that sports teams are
a great support. “I want to be that person that someone can veer to. Balancing everything like
school work, club, and high school can be overwhelming. I think it's important to have
teammates act as stress relievers. It’s important to remember that field hockey is just a sport and
meant to be fun. I want to be that teammate that brings fun, calming energy to the team
everyday.”
Going into her senior year Iacullo is excited to see her club and high school teams excel and have
fun. “I want to help lead West Essex to the states. We work so hard together and I want to have a
winning season but I also want a season where we make a lot of memories. It’s my senior year, I
want to have fun, it's such a great program and I want to take advantage of that!” As Iacullo begins her journey at Tufts she wants to continue to develop her confidence. ‘I have to be confident in myself and my abilities and trust myself and the player that I have become. I know that once I get more trust in myself, I’ll develop even more as a player and be able to try new things.”
“I think what I’m most excited about going to Tufts is the diverse area. It’s a big college town. I
am going to be by a bunch of different colleges, meeting a bunch of different people. I am
excited to form totally new bonds with new teammates. When being recruited I really prioritized a balanced college experience and I can't wait to get to experience that and take everything I can out of it.” Some of Carly’s club and high school teammates will be in the Boston area, so not only will she be forming new bonds with new friends but she will have the opportunity to spend time and continue growing old friendships. “I can’t wait to visit friends around me and even play with former teammates on the field. Emma Tartini, one of my West Essex teammates, will be 15 minutes away from me. I think that’s cool and I already can’t wait to visit her!”
Iacculo was extremely thankful and grateful for the people around her throughout her life who
helped her with field hockey and life beyond. “I want to thank my family first. There were alot of
times when I felt like giving up because I felt like things weren't working out for me. I thank my
parents for telling me to not give up and my sisters, Jesse and Nicole, for being great role models for me and telling me to shoot high. They instilled the importance of pushing myself and
working hard.” Carly also wants to thank her coaches and support staff. “I want to thank all of
my coaches from West Essex, Coach Cosse, Coach Durso, Coach Hagel, Coach Pezzuti and all
the amazing middle school coaches. I also want to thank the NJ GRIT Coaches including Katrina
and Rebecca. They have shown me all the amazing aspects of field hockey, not just the skills but also seeing how big field hockey really is. I also want to thank Cindy Zanelli for always helping me with my recruiting page and film and my teachers for always supporting and pushing me academically.” Finally, Carly thanks her friends, teammates, and future Tufts team. “My friends and teammates have always made field hockey so fun and well worth it. I want to also thank Tufts for being so energetic about me potentially playing for them. They made me saying I want to be a Jumbo so much easier.”
Carly, playing in her Freshman year of high school at West Essex