MEDINA — After attending one of the largest high schools in the state, Erin Stacho wanted to find a college that was the mix of a small-town school and a big-city campus.

The Medina senior found it at the University of Findlay and signed her letter of intent to play lacrosse for the Division II institution.

“With Medina being a very large high school, I didn’t want to go to a school where I would just be a number instead of a person,” Stacho said. “Findlay is the perfect size because it’s just small enough to where if you see a person one day, you’ll probably see them tomorrow in the same spot.”

The layout of the campus and her familiarity with Oilers coach Julie Duffy – who also coaches Stacho on her Midwestern Force Club team –– helped her pick Findlay over Pennsylvania’s Slippery Rock, Kutztown and IUP and West Virginia’s Alderson-Broaddus College.

“I wanted a school that I could fit into and call my home away from home,” she said. “I really do believe that I found that with Findlay.”

After Stacho orally committed to D-II Alderson-Broaddus, the program made a coaching change, leaving Stacho to evaluate her options.

“After the issues (with Alderson-Broaddus), coach Duffy helped me look at other schools and eventually her own,” Stacho said.

Following a year as a club program, the Oilers will play their first season as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this spring. The opener is March 2 in Queens, N.Y.

The 5-foot-6 attacker is excited about the opportunity.

“Coach Duffy sees me playing in the attack position and also playing right off the bat,” she said. “That’s another reason I chose Findlay because I wouldn’t have to wait a few years before I saw the field.”

As far as a major, Stacho hasn’t pinpointed a specific one yet, but has shown interest in becoming an FBI agent, a nauticar or going into the nuclear medical field.

Stacho, who had a goal and an assist in Medina’s state final win over Upper Arlington last June, can now focus on helping Medina win a fourth consecutive OSLA Division I state championship.

“To have signed before lacrosse started does take some pressure off, but I also need to stay focused and keep working to improve in any way I can,” she said. “You can never stop learning new things and techniques.”

Contact Dan Brown at sports@medina-gazette.com.