Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Juliani Falco, Carla
Carla Juliani Falco
- Induction:
- 2001
- Class:
- 1988
Carla (Juliani) Falco was a fiery, emotional leader that brought an intense passion to the sports of field hockey and lacrosse, a passion she shared with her teammates every time she stepped on the field. Falco excelled on both fields from the time she stepped foot on South Mountain until the time she received her diploma. She was part of a class that took both programs to the next level. Falco and her teammates established a winning standard for lacrosse and field hockey at Lehigh and let nothing stand in the way of accomplishing their goals.
“Carla was a scrappy player that never gave up and was always quick to motivate,” said coach Jackie Keeley. “She always played to the last second of every contest. She established a winning standard that Lehigh had never before experienced in lacrosse and field hockey.”
A team most valuable player and captain in both sports, Falco was a three-time regional All-American in field hockey and a two-time Brine Regional All-American in lacrosse. She was a member of the 1984 and 1986 East Coast Conference championship field hockey teams and the 1985 East Coast Conference championship lacrosse team. She was a First-Team All-ECC selection as a sophomore (lacrosse and field hockey), junior (lacrosse and field hockey) and senior (lacrosse). She collected a number of Lehigh athletic department awards including the John Steckbeck Award given to Lehigh’s most outstanding freshman female athlete and the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award in 1988. Falco set a school record for scoring in lacrosse with 167 career goals, which was later broken by All-American Jill Atlshuler. She was named South Jersey’s Women's Lacrosse Association College Player of the Year and was named to the Philadelphia All-College Team three times for lacrosse.
“Carla was not only a highly skilled player, she was also an incredible leader both on and off the field,” said Jennifer Hardie, a friend and former teammate. “She played and practiced with such intensity and focus that just watching her inspired the rest of us to work harder. She had a keen sense of what was happening on the field, identifying our opponent’s weaknesses, as well as which of our players were in need of some encouragement and positive reinforcement - which she always enthusiastically supplied. Although she was a fierce and formidable competitor, she was well-liked and respected by the officials and our opponents, to whom she could often be found chatting to after the game.”
All records and accolades aside, Falco was known for her outstanding leadership both on and off the field. She was selected several times as a candidate for the United States Women's Lacrosse Team.
“Carla is an extremely positive, outgoing and enthusiastic person,” added Hardie. “She's the kind of person you love to be around when you were having a bad day, because she almost immediately gets you laughing and changes your whole mood. Often the younger team members would come to Carla for guidance and support concerning troubles they were having with school sports or personal problems. She was always there to help and was thoughtful enough to follow up on past discussions.”
The third field hockey and lacrosse player to be inducted into the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, Falco continued to be an avid participant in the lacrosse community after her graduation. She played for the Eastern United States Club Team, which won the National Club Championship in 1995 and also coached middle school lacrosse in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania.
“Carla was a scrappy player that never gave up and was always quick to motivate,” said coach Jackie Keeley. “She always played to the last second of every contest. She established a winning standard that Lehigh had never before experienced in lacrosse and field hockey.”
A team most valuable player and captain in both sports, Falco was a three-time regional All-American in field hockey and a two-time Brine Regional All-American in lacrosse. She was a member of the 1984 and 1986 East Coast Conference championship field hockey teams and the 1985 East Coast Conference championship lacrosse team. She was a First-Team All-ECC selection as a sophomore (lacrosse and field hockey), junior (lacrosse and field hockey) and senior (lacrosse). She collected a number of Lehigh athletic department awards including the John Steckbeck Award given to Lehigh’s most outstanding freshman female athlete and the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award in 1988. Falco set a school record for scoring in lacrosse with 167 career goals, which was later broken by All-American Jill Atlshuler. She was named South Jersey’s Women's Lacrosse Association College Player of the Year and was named to the Philadelphia All-College Team three times for lacrosse.
“Carla was not only a highly skilled player, she was also an incredible leader both on and off the field,” said Jennifer Hardie, a friend and former teammate. “She played and practiced with such intensity and focus that just watching her inspired the rest of us to work harder. She had a keen sense of what was happening on the field, identifying our opponent’s weaknesses, as well as which of our players were in need of some encouragement and positive reinforcement - which she always enthusiastically supplied. Although she was a fierce and formidable competitor, she was well-liked and respected by the officials and our opponents, to whom she could often be found chatting to after the game.”
All records and accolades aside, Falco was known for her outstanding leadership both on and off the field. She was selected several times as a candidate for the United States Women's Lacrosse Team.
“Carla is an extremely positive, outgoing and enthusiastic person,” added Hardie. “She's the kind of person you love to be around when you were having a bad day, because she almost immediately gets you laughing and changes your whole mood. Often the younger team members would come to Carla for guidance and support concerning troubles they were having with school sports or personal problems. She was always there to help and was thoughtful enough to follow up on past discussions.”
The third field hockey and lacrosse player to be inducted into the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, Falco continued to be an avid participant in the lacrosse community after her graduation. She played for the Eastern United States Club Team, which won the National Club Championship in 1995 and also coached middle school lacrosse in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania.
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