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11/21/2017 11:00 PMFrom the moment she started playing field hockey three years ago, Lauren Horne was intrigued by the idea of making saves in the cage. It was a fascination that wound up paying big dividends for both Lauren and the Westbrook field hockey team when she became the Knights’ goalie as a freshman this fall.
Lauren started playing field hockey in 6th grade and was a netminder from the get-go. Lauren began the recent season as Westbrook’s backup, but was thrown into the spotlight when starter Lauren Wright moved to the field to boost the Knights’ offense.
Lauren made the most of her promotion by helping Westbrook finish 8-3-5 for the regular season to secure berths in the Shoreline Conference and Class S State tournaments on her way to earning All-Shoreline Conference Honorable Mention. When all was said and done, Lauren finished with a 90.14 save percentage, allowed just 13 goals in 14 games, and posted eight shutouts, while combining with Wright on another.
“As I grew, I liked field hockey more. I played with a lot of friends, and it’s really a family,” Lauren says. “When I first started, I was really scared, because I thought I would let the team down. But my team helped me. They told me I could do it, and that the coaches wouldn’t put me in if they didn’t think I could do it. My team gave me confidence.”
Naturally, it took a couple of games before Lauren found her center in the net. However, once the adjustment period was done, it was all systems go for Lauren, who started believing in her abilities as a result of the support she received from her teammates.
“In my first game in varsity, it helped me realize that my team had my back,” says Lauren. “By the third game, I felt comfortable, because they had my back and I believed I could clear the ball. I also had lots of improvement from that first game.”
While the campaign unfolded, Lauren’s play improved as she learned to shake off any mistakes or goals allowed. She also got more into the flow of the game by constantly communicating with her fellow Knights.
“Being goalkeeper is 90 percent mental. I have to stay low, focused, and talk to my teammates when the ball comes to me. I can’t blame myself for goals. I used to always think the goals were my fault,” she says. “Physically, I got more muscle memory of what to do, like who needs to be where and who I have to watch.”
Westbrook Head Coach Janet Dickey says that Lauren is a player on the rise who will only get better as she becomes more seasoned. Dickey adds that Lauren is the type of athlete who loves to take on each and every challenge.
“Lauren has great reflexes and is strong, confident, and athletic. Her skills are rapidly increasing, and we look forward to see how much stronger she will be next year,” says Dickey. “Lauren will be a huge part of our team in the next three years, and we are very happy to have her in our net. Her teammates love to play with her and challenge her every day in practice, which only makes all of them stronger.”
With a solid rookie year in the books, Lauren has great expectations for what she and the Knights can achieve throughout the next three seasons.
“This year was really good. Lauren Wright always had my back, and next year I will have even more confidence,” Lauren says. “I now feel a lot more comfortable talking to my teammates. I feel I’ll have a lot more ability to talk to them going forward, and they’ll have confidence in me. We had a great year, and I know it can be an even better one next year.”