FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP: Freshman Finishes As Ivy Scoring Champ

When Jennifer VanderMeulen first suited up in her Crimson lacrosse uniform this February, the freshman held modest expectations—primarily to help out on her team’s attack.

But expectations changed rather quickly for the 5’8” attacker when junior Jess Halpern, the reigning Ivy League scoring champion, suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the season.

Just two hours into her collegiate career, the highly-touted recruit was now the one to shoulder Harvard’s offensive burden.

Before the Crimson’s third contest against then-No. 15 New Hampshire, Halpern took the rookie aside and told her she needed to step up.

“I kind of took that to heart,” VanderMeulen said. “She told me to take control, and that’s what I had to do.”

The rookie did not disappoint. The attacker scored five of her team’s 10 goals in its double-overtime upset of the Wildcats.

But VanderMeulen did not slow down from there. When all was said and done, the freshman finished the season with 56 goals, good for first in the Ivy League and fourth in the nation in scores per game.

After her rookie campaign, VanderMeulen was unanimously selected as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and awarded a spot on the All-Ivy First Team.

“I kind of see it as a building step,” she said. “That sets the standard for me the next three years. I just want to try to keep getting better.”

For VanderMeulen’s opponents, the thought of her improving is a frightening one.

After the attacker netted 10 goals in her team’s first three contests, opposing defenses began to focus in on the New York native by face guarding or sending double-teams.

But these strategies could not keep VanderMeulen off the scoreboard, as she managed to score in each of her team’s 15 contests.

“She’s a player that other teams are watching,” said classmate Danielle Tetreault following the Crimson’s 11-9 upset over Princeton, in which VanderMeulen finished with three scores. “Because of that, they put their best defender on her, but Jenn always finds a way around that.”

“Those kinds of situations pump her up,” junior Sam McMahon said. “She just loves proving she can do it.”

In Ancient Eight play, VanderMeulen faced special attention from opposing defenses but still averaged 3.43 goals per contest.

She also managed to step up when it mattered most.

With her team needing a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive in the conference finale against Columbia, VanderMeulen finished with five scores to help guarantee a Harvard victory. The rookie’s first goal of that contest, her 47th of the season, gave her one more than Halpern’s Ivy League-leading total 46 from a season ago.

Luckily for the Crimson, next season the team should have both scorers healthy and on the field at the same time.

“That’s just going to be amazing,” VanderMeulen said. “I think our attack is going to be phenomenal.”

—Staff writer Martin Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.