Little has changed for Ohio lacrosse player Lindsey Hart. After finishing second in the nation last season in goal scoring, she has scored 32 goals through nine games this season, good enough for third nationally as of last week. The midfielder spoke with The Post's Matt Bixenstine about her journey from Canada to Ohio, and her team's road toward establishing an elite program.
The Post: How rewarding would it be to upset Vanderbilt, Penn State or Ohio State this season to win your first game against a nationally-ranked team in the program's modern era?
Hart: That would be huge. When I came in my freshman year, I realized how big Ohio State was and I decided freshman year that (beating them) was a goal of mine. I want to beat Ohio State before I graduate, and (Vanderbilt and Penn State) joined the list. To beat them would be huge, and I 100 percent think we have the potential.
The Post: During your freshman year, the team went 3-10 and lost to Davidson 22-11. This past weekend you beat Davidson 14-5. Has the progress Ohio has made during your four years been anything short of remarkable?
Hart: It really is remarkable. People said after I played on the (Canadian) National (Under-19) Team (in 1999), "Don't you want to go to a college that's known for lacrosse or shouldn't you play for a 'better school'?" but I made the right choice to come to Ohio.
Alyssa (Trocher), Ashley (Bauer) and I have seen the team go through all the growing pains and develop into what it is now. Freshman year we had a losing season, sophomore year we went 8-8, and last year we had our first winning season. To leave with a team that I believe is top-20 caliber, I think that's so amazing, and I'm glad to be a part of that.
The Post: What has been the biggest challenge in adjusting to a coaching change this season?
Hart: There hasn't really been a big challenge. (Coach) Kate (Brew) and (assistant coach) Lisa (Givens) have both been great. At first we thought with new coaches we had to go out there and show them what the team was all about. But they just came in and said everyone's slate is clean and it's a new program. Kate has been incredible, and Lisa does a lot of one-on-one work with me.
The Post: How has the team's closeness and camaraderie this season been beneficial?
Hart: I think that definitely helps us. We have a team where every day I'm playing with my best friends in the world. It's so special to be able to share such a big part of our lives with our best friends. We always joke around. We got back Saturday from spring break after being together all week on the bus and in hotels. First thing Sunday, we all hanged out and watched movies together all day.
The Post: Why did you decide to come to the U.S. to play college lacrosse, and was there any fear in leaving Canada to come to here?
Hart: At first I wanted to go to the United States on a scholarship because we don't have athletic scholarships in Canada...I looked at a couple other schools but this is kind of where everything fell into place. As far as fear, I'm not really a homesick person but I got here freshman year and I hated it. I wanted to go home. Now I'm in my senior year, and my last day will probably be one of the worst days of my life because I don't want to leave.
The Post: What are your plans after graduation?
Hart: I'm not sure, it's kind of all up-in-the-air right now. I didn't start until January so I'll be back for the fall at least. I plan to apply to med-school. Lately I've been toying with the idea of getting into coaching but I haven't really discussed that with my parents. I'm not sure I'm ready to get out of the college lacrosse scene yet.
The Post: What do you envision for the program here in years ahead?
Hart: I think Ohio is an up-and-coming team, and I can't wait to see what happens. I think next year is going to be a huge year for us. They have so much potential, and Kate has put so much heart and sweat into recruiting. It's definitely going to be a roller coaster as we play harder teams, but I really think the program is on its way up.
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Lindsey Hart
