“Tara is also great to watch because she is absolutely in love with the game of lacrosse,” said Curtis. “It’s great to see as a teammate. She has such intensity that it’s contagious. It brings up everyone’s overall level of intensity and sets the tone.”
If Schoen gets credit for her shooting and intensity, Curtis receives acclaim for her quick feet and her ability to see the whole field—important skills for a midfielder, who must help out on both offense and defense.
“Natalie has the fastest feet I’ve ever seen,” said Hines. “She’s going to do incredible things—this is only the beginning.”
Nelson similarly lauded Curtis as a strong leader and player with unlimited potential.
“Natalie has amazing speed and excellent vision. She has incredible hustle from the first minute she steps on the field,” said Nelson. “She may not be the one with the flashiest stats, but she’ll be someone we’ll depend on as this program moves forward.”
That depends on one’s definition of “flashy.” Curtis has already picked up five goals and two assists, a testament to her speed in the midfield. She has also committed four fouls—credit to her aggressiveness.
While Curtis and Schoen have boosted the team’s scoring and intensity, the rest of the class cannot be forgotten.
Sproul has praised the recruiting class as one of the strongest in recent memory, and both coach and players recognize the freshman class’ potential to take the program to new heights.
“I feel that this whole class is filled with kids who play at the All-Ivy level,” said Nelson. “I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them was the first All-American for Harvard in over a decade. That’s the level they’re capable of.”
The ability of the freshmen class has not gone unnoticed by the older players, who find themselves being pushed to a new level by frosh who play with maturity beyond their years.
“This class has very strong leadership potential,” Sproul said. “They are the foundation of a new program that’s just taking off. It’s exciting to see such a talented class—they have such great knowledge and athleticism.”
Some would flounder under the burden of high expectations, but the team’s freshmen show no signs of backing down.
“This team has unbelievable potential,” said Hines. “We know that once it all clicks, we’ll be unstoppable. Sarah has so much confidence in us and we just can’t wait to see what we will achieve over the next four years.”
The Crimson is just opening a new chapter in its history, and its freshmen are waiting to write their own story on its pages. An Ivy League title, a top-20 ranking—these players see nothing out of reach.
“All of these girls have brought a great intensity to the team and an expectation of winning,” said Nelson. “With such a deep class, they can compete with the toughest teams in the league and the best in the country. These are all terrific kids, with great talent and character. They’re all going to have phenomenal careers.”