Determination Has Propelled Nemirov Into Key Role For The Buffs

BOULDER - Despite her stature, it's hard to miss University of Colorado attacker Samantha Nemirov out on the field.

Standing at 5 feet even, the senior has worked her way from being a fixture on the scout team to becoming an integral part of the Buffs' offense, and she plays with a passion that is obvious to even the most casual of lacrosse fans.

"I think I kind of get angry out on the field, it's just my aggressiveness coming out," said Nemirov. "I think part of it is because I've worked so hard for everything given to me, and I'm not the biggest player out there. So my drive and competitive edge has really helped me out because I'm tiny and I've got to make up for being so small."

Nemirov came to CU as a freshman in 2015, joining a team where playing time was not guaranteed. She was placed on the scout team with the hopes of one day becoming a starter, and through her hard work and determination, she was able to achieve that goal.

Now, Nemirov has embraced her role as a leader and she hopes to serve as a good example for the young women that are in the same shoes that she once was.

"The upperclassmen in front of me were leaders for me and I've just tried to emulate that," she said. "It's tough this year especially because we have such a big team so a lot of girls don't travel ... so I kind of just reach out to the girls that don't get to travel and tell them to keep their head up and that it will only go up from there."

In 2018, Sammy recorded 39 goals and nine assists as a full-time starter, which is a trend that she carried over into her final season. She currently sits as the Buffs second leading scorer this season with 41 goals and leads the team with 13 assists, and she hopes to add more during the upcoming Pac-12 tournament, which starts on Friday for CU.

"I'm looking forward to whoever we play, somehow I always play well on the that Oregon field, rain or shine," said Nemirov. "They have all white goals which I think helps for some reason."

According to Nemirov, the key to the Buffs success is going to come from their ability to play a complete game at the level they know they're capable of, which is something they've struggled with at times during the season.

"I think we just need to be consistent," she said. "I think we either play a great second or great first half, but for this Pac-12 tournament we've got to come out and play a full 60 minutes and just really have that drive and consistency throughout the game."

As her time at CU comes to a close, the Setauket, N.Y. native says that it has not quite hit her that she will no longer be playing the sport she's loved since the second grade, however, she hopes to always keep lacrosse as a part of her life, adding that she might "go crazy" if she didn't.

Nemirov grew up in a family of lacrosse players, her mother played and was also her coach growing up, and both her brothers played lacrosse at the collegiate level, so it's no question that the sport "runs in the family", as she likes to put it.

Nemirov will graduate in May with a Bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in communications, and after spending some time interning over the summer she hopes to take some time off and travel the world.

"Come September I want to travel for a long time and kind of hop on a plane and go to Europe and see where it takes me," she said. "My friend that I'm traveling with lives in London so I'll meet her and see where it goes, and hopefully I'll get to go to New Zealand and stay with my best friend (former CU soccer player) Marty Puketapu."

Regardless of where life takes her, Nemirov will always be able to trace her roots back to the great tradition of the Colorado Buffaloes.

"The motto we've created this year is family," she said. "Every single one of those girls and coaches on the field are my family."

Determination Has Propelled Nemirov Into Key Role For The Buffs

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Samantha Nemirov

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