FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University women's lacrosse head coach Laura Korutz has added another key member to the team with the signing of Bella Sgritta through Team IMPACT. She is the second to sign with Team IMPACT through Sacred Heart Athletics this season. The first one was John Pinheiro who signed with men's wrestling back in October 2021.
 
"Having Bella and Team IMPACT and partnering with them has really brought a lot of things into perspective about what's really important in life," said Korutz, "We've always been a tight-knit team, but I think this has brought the team closer.
 
Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 2,000 children with 700+ colleges and universities in 48 states, impacting more than 60,000 student athletes. Team IMPACT is the only U.S. nonprofit that helps children with serious or chronic illness overcome social and emotional isolation by matching them with a college athletic team for inclusion and purpose.
 
Two years ago, Sgritta was diagnosed with epilepsy, a disorder that disturbs nerve activity and causes seizures.

To date, Sacred Heart has five teams that have signed a student through Team IMPACT: men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, wrestling, men's ice hockey and women's ice hockey. In May, Sacred Heart became the first school in Connecticut and the Northeast Conference to sign a partnership with Team Impact.
 
The two-year commitment established the long-lasting partnership and will be centered around each organization's core values and mission: promoting empathy, resilience, camaraderie and excellence, while providing a student-athlete development experience focused on the whole person. The partnership will include increased opportunities with pediatric patients and families throughout the year, and a more robust Team IMPACT presence on campus.