Burke Sisters Power Women's Lacrosse

Colleen Burke’s first day of practice with the women’s lacrosse team this past fall was hardly typical.

She had no trouble figuring out where to go, no doubts about what to expect, and even had a close friend to rely on through the process—a friend who was none other than her older sister, Marina.

For years Colleen had watched team practices, ever since Marina, now a junior on the squad, began her recruiting process. Harvard’s coach, Lisa Miller, still remembers seeing the younger Burke sister for the first time when she was only a freshman in high school.

“I was attending of one of Marina’s soccer games—she was also great at that, by the way—and I saw one of her speedy teammates, [Colleen]... win a penalty,” Miller recalled with a chuckle. “And I watched as Marina, who was supposed to take the kick, let the freshman have it.”

In the four years since, both of the players on that field have arrived in Cambridge to suit up for the Crimson. The two are the first pair of sisters that Miller can remember coaching for Harvard, and the sisterly duo often reminds Miller of that early soccer game when she saw them both in action.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Jordan Field isn’t the first place where the Burke sisters have played together extensively. Neither is the soccer field where Miller watched them.

In fact, the two siblings have played together since elementary school, whether on the same youth, school, or club team.

“We’ve always been a big sports family,” their father, David Burke `83, explained. “We started them [Marina and Colleen] off in softball, and then later on, they were playing soccer together in the fall and lacrosse in the spring.”

From a young age, the sisters’ parents, who are former field and ice hockey players, encouraged their children to play sports. However, it was the sisters’ older brother, Brendan, who provided special motivation as the family transitioned into high school and college.

A year older than Marina, Brendan is now a senior forward for the ice hockey team at Amherst College. Both Marina and Colleen remember hanging around the rink as children and seeing the work that allowed Brendan to become the first child in the family to play college athletics, and both were inspired by his effort.

LIKE SISTERS

One of the main reasons Colleen found it easy to commit to the Crimson was that she already knew the team through Marina. Living less than 30 minutes away in Westwood, Mass., the entire family often watched Marina’s games during her freshman and sophomore years.

Colleen had the chance to meet and become friends with many of Marina’s college teammates. These bonds have helped Colleen find comfort this season and eased her transition onto the team.

“Having them around helps me stay focused but also relaxed,” Colleen said. As time has passed, Colleen’s comfort with the team has extended to her classmates as well.

“Colleen came in and became good friends with the freshman, and of course she knew a lot of the upperclassmen already,” Miller said. “Through Marina a lot of the juniors and seniors have been able to get closer to the freshmen, almost like older sisters themselves.”

Because the squad has been very young over the past two years, with only four seniors graduating during this period, most of the upperclassmen have known each other for a long time. There’s a level of familiarity among those players that has taken years to develop.

Luckily for the freshmen, one of their own has been around the team for just as long to find that familiarity herself.

“The relationship between Colleen and Marina is really cool to see,” said Nicole Baiocco, another freshman on the team. “It works great for them, and it works even better for the team.”

With two seasons to play together for Harvard, the Burkes are eager to see what they can write in yet another chapter of their partnership. The two will be working together to hold down the defense for the Crimson this year as the squad pushes for a high finish in the Ivy League.

In the meantime, they will be looking to do what they always have: play, relax, and improve side by side.

–Staff writer George Hu can be reached at yianshenhu@college.harvard.edu.