Senior midfielder Lauren Aumiller will leave Virginia with 11 school records and as the number eight all-time scorer in Division I. she became only the third player in D-I history to lead the nation in scoring in each of her final two seasons, accumulating at least 100 points in both years. Lauren is a member of the USA Elite Team and was named midfielder of the year by two publications. She was a finalist for the Tewaarton Trophy, annually awarded to the top collegiate lacrosse player in the country, and was named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary team.
Reading the above laundry list of accolades and achievements is one way to grasp Aumiller's dominance on women's lacrosse the past four years. Another way would have been to attend May 11's NCAA quarterfinal matchup between Virginia and Georgetown in Charlottesville, Va.
Determined to reach the Final Four for the first time in her college career, Aumiller played what might have been her finest of many great games. She tied an NCAA record with eight goals in a tournament game and that she did so on just eight shots clearly proved what had been known for a while: no one can stop her. On the strength of her prodigious goal-scoring effort, Virginia won, 16-9, to advance to the Final Four. The Cavaliers would ultimately lose to Princeton in overtime of the national championship game, 8-7, despite four assists from Aumiller.
But on this sunny afternoon at Klöckner Stadium -- the final home game of her career -- there was no denying Aumiller. The senior midfielder from Baltimore, Md. scored early (a hat trick just 20 minutes into the first half) and often (eight total scores with the last coming with 27 seconds left to play).
"She definitely started strong," coach Julie Myers said of Aumiller. "She played very disciplined and just went with her strengths. It was one of her best big games."
Aumiller's dominance was on display through her size and tenacity that enabled her to withstand frequent Georgetown double-teams and still put enough velocity on shots to score. Her dominance was also on display in her knack of getting open, especially by streaking down the field on odd-man rushes and filling the open lanes.
"We were able to fast break," Aumiller said. "I'm a midfielder so I get to come streaking down the middle open."
Notching eight tallies is obviously impressive and on its own merit would explain Aumiller's prowess. But this particular day epitomized her ability to impact a game in multiple facets. In addition to her prolific goal output, she also added an assist, scooped four ground balls, caused two turnovers and controlled two draws.
"We're really glad we were able to provide that for her," Georgetown coach Kim Simons said of her team's disappointing effort and Aumiller's success in capitalizing on their mistakes. "She's very opportunistic, and we provided her with many opportunities."
With the performance against the Hoyas, Aumiller cemented her legacy as a true Virginia legend and provided a perfect summary of her career.
Read More
West Coast woes strike again as men’s basketball gets hammered by Stanford
By Emory Huffman | 4 hours agoVirginia, once again in a lost season, looked aimless on the floor.
ISTVAN: Tony Bennett left Virginia in a hole
By Ben Istvan | 12 hours agoHis decision to retire doomed this men's basketball season.
