Colorado University Athletics
Brooks: Lautman, Buffs Eager For First MPSF Tourney
April 29, 2014 | Lacrosse, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Sarah Lautman was never really ready to put lacrosse on the backburner when she chose a college. Continuing to play would be nice and gratifying, but it was overshadowed by that other reason for settling in for four years on an American campus - academics.
Lautman chose the University of Colorado and has gotten so much more than she  bargained for - but then so has CU's fledgling lacrosse program.
Her story begins with irony and good fortune, but like many tales of personal success is braced by perseverance and hard work.
In 2012, when Lautman enrolled at CU to pursue a degree in chemical and biological engineering, the school featured club lacrosse, which offered a chance for her to continue playing one of the two sports (soccer and gymnastics were the others) she excelled in at Reading (Mass.) Memorial High School.
At the time, Lautman was content to play at the club level and at least pacify her lax passion. CU starting a Division I women's lacrosse program might have been little more than an administrative pipedream, but it was something that never cost Lautman any sleep.
At Reading Memorial, although Lautman scored 137 goals in four seasons, the only  scholarship offers that came her way were on the academic side. Playing lacrosse at a lower collegiate level was a possibility, but not a solid one. For their academic offerings, she considered the University of Massachusetts and smaller but local Stonehill College. But wanting something different and out-of-state, she made a trip to Boulder and was smitten.
The chance to play club lacrosse at CU was a bonus, and she excelled for two seasons (2012-13). Then came the school's announcement during her freshman year that women's lacrosse would be added. Lautman's first thought: "It was definitely surreal. I came because I loved the school and for the academics . . . I kind of gave up my (lacrosse) dream to go to the school I wanted to go to. I'm grateful to have this opportunity and to play from these coaches. I'm really lucky and I try to remember that every day."
Even though Lautman had CU club experience, earning a spot on CU's inaugural lax roster was not a given. Following the announcement that a lacrosse program was under construction, she stayed in close contact with coach Ann Elliott, who was open to giving almost anyone a look in open tryouts.
Elliott was building from ground zero, recruiting for 2013 and beyond. "I wanted to make sure that Sarah was a good decision," Elliott said. "I didn't want to have to invest in Sarah for a year and turn around and say this isn't going to work. But I could see the time she would put into it. We took time with that process, but when we took Sarah on the team we thought it would be a benefit to both of us. It would help us now and down the road as well.
"When our open tryouts came she continued to express interest and commitment and that was one thing we liked. This was something she really wanted to do. It's a big change from club to D-I; clubs are competitive but the daily lifestyle and obligations to the program are very different at the D-I level. Sarah wanted to do it, was very invested in it and that attracted her to us. She's worked hard and tried to prove this is where she belonged."
Oh, yes, she belongs. CU has won three overtime games this season, with Lautman scoring the game-winning goal in all three. Her latest OT-ender came last weekend at Oregon in a 10-9 CU win. Finishing the regular season 10-7 overall and 6-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Buffs are the No. 3 seed for this week's MPSF Tournament at the University of Denver and play San Diego State on Thursday at 4 p.m. The top two seeds are DU and Stanford, respectively.
On April 12 in Boulder, CU defeated San Diego State 7-6 on - what else? - Lautman's goal in OT. One of only two sophomores on a roster otherwise loaded with freshmen, Lautman has an edge - albeit it slender - in maturity and experience. In a very good way, Elliott says Lautman "can be a goof" off the field and has fun with her teammates. But on the field, and obviously in OT, Lautman is dialed in. In 17 games, she has 25 points on 24 goals and one assist, and her 70 shots are second on the team to Johnna Fusco's 85 shots. With 54 points, Fusco is CU's top scorer.
At Oregon on Sunday, Lautman's game-winner followed a missed attempt that could have ended the nearly 70-minute contest. That Lautman dismissed the miss pleased Elliott: "That's what you need - not to focus on the mistake but on the next opportunity," she said. "At the end of the day for us to win games like that, it's truly a team effort. It took everybody for us to get good opportunities, then it takes that special kid to want to take that shot.
"I think that's what's special; Sarah is the kid that wants to take that shot. It makes it that much better when you're able to play in an offensive system and get them that opportunity. I think she has the confidence that she's going to make it. She's a good kid who wants to do well. She can get down on herself quickly, but it's the one thing we've worked on and continue to talk with her about. That's the exciting part for us. I was proud of her Sunday for continuing to fight."
While Lautman believes her two seasons of club-level play at CU might have provided an edge in experience, she says her three OT goals were the result of teammates "getting the game to that point . . . we all played in the overtime and all deserved to win. (But) that experience is something you have to learn. If anything, having two years under my belt has brought me to a calm place, where with the game on the line the coaches have looked to me to make something happen. I've learned to accept it and been fortunate enough in those games to put it away."
Lautman made fast, close friends on CU's club team. They haven't forgotten her, nor she them. "I think they're happy for me, supportive of me," she said. "They keep in contact and come to our games. This has been a very exciting, very humbling experience for me."
So has Elliott's debut season as a head coach in a start-up D-I lacrosse program. Making the MPSF Tournament is a bonus, but Elliott's biggest reward has been seeing her players' overall growth as a team. The young Buffs have rallied in a large number of their 10 wins, learning the "grind it out" lessons taught by Elliott and her assistants (Colleen Magarity, Hannah Nielsen).
"I think we're surprised all the time - whether it's positive or negative," Elliott said. "There's always surprises when you're a new team, especially when you go through a first part of the season when things are so tough. It's a tough part of the season, a grind.
"My philosophy from the beginning is that we're not going to set an expectation of where we're supposed to go - how many games we think we'll win or where we're supposed to be. I don't want to limit us. I want our kids to focus on one day at a time and really feel like every time they step on the field that's their only focus."
Their focus now turns to San Diego State on Thursday afternoon and, said Lautman, "going as far as we can in this tournament . . . our success has definitely sunk in because I know how hard this team works and how hard we play. It's exciting to see that it's paid off."
It's a payoff Sarah Lautman still might have a little trouble believing, but she's liking every minute of it.
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
