For any freshman, it's a difficult task to join a team with a lot of upperclassmen starters and immediately break into the lineup. With older, more experienced players ahead in the rotation, many freshmen end up waiting a season or two on the sideline until they have the skills and the awareness necessary to compete at the required level.
Freshman attackman Gabby Horner has followed the exact opposite route in the early stages of her Tufts career.
In Horner's first collegiate start on Saturday against Amherst, coach Carol Rappoli's faith in the youngster paid immediate dividends: Horner led the team with five goals, including the game−winner, en route to a thrilling 14−13 victory.
"It's a great thing, because it shows we can pass the ball to anybody," senior tri−captain goalkeeper Sara Bloom said. "We had a great contribution from everybody, and we know we have a bunch of players who can step up when they get it and score goals."
Horner is just part of the strategy Rappoli is using to combat the loss of last year's two leading goal−scorers, attackman Emily Johnson (LA '10) and midfielder Jenna Abelli (E '10), who together accounted for 41.8 percent of Tufts' goals. But with Horner and junior attackmen Lara Kozin and Kelly Hyland netting nine goals between them versus the Lord Jeffs, the team seems well on their way to filling this void.
"It was nice to make such a great debut," Horner said. "I just wanted to get off to a strong start to the year and five goals is a great way to begin."
Horner showed a penchant not just for scoring goals, but also for scoring them at critical junctures in the game. With the game tied at 10 and time ticking down in the second half, the Allentown, N.J., native scored an unassisted goal, beating freshman Amherst goalie MC McClellan and giving Tufts a season−opening win.
"I know they beat us twice last year, so it was great to avenge our losses with the tight win," Horner said. "But I really have to credit my goals to our defense, who got me the ball so many times and made it all possible."
Of course, one game, especially the first game, is not always a good indicator of performance over the whole year. But by excelling against a rival like Amherst — which knocked Tufts out of the conference tournament last year — Horner proved that she has the skills to excel in the ultra−competitive NESCAC, which this year includes seven of the country's top 20 teams.
"I do play only high attack, so I definitely plan on scoring more goals this season," Horner said. "But even though I think I can score, I also want to continue to help the midfield and the rest of the team, and not just focus on goal−scoring."
Horner credits her teammates, especially Hyland, Kozin and junior midfielders Casey Egan and Steph Perez, as well as sophomore attackman Kerry Eaton, for her quick learning curve.
"They're the ones who have made the transition from high school to college lacrosse possible," she said.
"They've given me tips at every practice. Without knowing the dynamics of the team, it would be almost impossible to score, so I owe a lot of it to my teammates."
