Lauren Vitkus '09 led the women's lacrosse team to a 2-1 record over spring break. The midfielder scored seven goals in the three-game stretch, including the game winner in Brown's 9-8 win over the College of the Holy Cross. She started all 16 games last season, recording six goals and two assists on the year. Vitkus scored her first collegiate game-winning goal against Ohio University in the 2006 season finale.
Herald: How did it feel to score the game-winning goal against Holy Cross?
Vitkus: It feels good, but the score wasn't tied when I scored. It was nice knowing I could contribute and help the team. Holy Cross was a really big victory, because we were down 4-2 at halftime. We sat down on the field at halftime and all of us knew we needed to turn it around. We came out strong after halftime, scoring five of the first six goals in the second half. During the last six minutes, we were able to stall.
What did the lacrosse team do over spring break?
We were very busy. We had three games. We played St. Mary's on Saturday. It was a huge win for our team especially after a tough 9-7 loss to (the University of) New Hampshire. The win against St. Mary's picked up our confidence, not only because of the score (17-6) but because a lot of people contributed. Nine different players scored goals. We also played very consistently throughout the game. As a young team with only three seniors, we need to consistently come out strong from the beginning and own the pace of the game.
Were there many other teams here during break?
We were one of the only teams on campus for some time. Baseball and softball were gone, the men's lacrosse team was also gone. It gave us a lot of time to bond as a team even though it was nine days playing six hours of lacrosse each day. We didn't have a lot of free time, but we went out to Dave and Busters as a team, which was awesome.
How long have you been playing lacrosse?
I've been playing since fourth or fifth grade. An after-school program was organized at our middle school. A gym teacher ... played in college and decided to bring lacrosse to our school, so I decided to give it a try.
Did you play other sports?
I played soccer in high school, but our lacrosse team did a lot better (than) soccer, probably due to the closeness of our lacrosse team. My best friends from high school are my teammates. Playing with people you get along with and have fun with makes the team play better. That's how we won states my senior year.
Did you start out as a midfielder?
We had to learn how to pass and catch before we could play any games. It was the first time I picked up a lacrosse stick and I needed to learn the skills to be able to play. My sister, Diane, is in eighth grade now but started playing in second grade, so the lacrosse program has come a long way at Skaneateles Middle School.
Do you have any pre-game superstitions?
No, I don't believe in superstitions. I don't believe that doing something or not doing something will change the outcome of the game. Noelle DiGioia '09 and I have a handshake before every game. It became a habit after last year, but that's it.
How can you improve as a team?
Since we only have three seniors, a lot of the underclassmen have had the opportunity to gain a lot of field time. For a young team, playing the top teams in the country like (No. 1 University of North Carolina) and (No. 3 University of) Maryland helps us get better. Although we have been making some underclassmen mistakes, playing in competitive games helps you learn so much.
How important are these next few Ivy League games?
We have seven games left, six of which are Ivy games. The Ivy League season is basically our way of getting into the NCAA tournament. The top three teams in the Ivy League usually get in. We are just hoping to come out strong and play our game.
