Freshman midfielder Tori Hampton is leading lacrosse’s offense in her first college season, ranking top four on the team in goals, assists and shots.
Hampton’s 27 goals slot her at first for the Colonials (5–11, 3–5 A-10) and her eight assists are good for fourth on the squad. She is the only freshman this season to start all 16 games for GW, positioned third in shots with 65 and first in shots on goal with 54.
“She’s extremely coachable, which I think will only open up more doors for her as she continues to improve,” head coach Tracy Coyne said. “I think with her speed and her quickness, the sky is the limit.”
Hampton started the season hot with back-to-back three-goal games against Longwood and East Carolina. She carried the momentum past the first two games, netting four goals over the squad’s next three games.
Hampton’s goalscoring has contributed to GW’s best conference record in four years, averaging 4.06 shots per game and 3.37 shots on goal. She was held scoreless in just four of the Colonials’ 16 games and is currently riding a six-game goal streak with 13 goals.
Her shot-on-goal percentage is .831, the highest of all players with 40 or more shots and higher than the team’s .757 shot-on-goal percentage.
Coyne said Hampton exhibits determination, respects her teammates and is committed to the success of the team. She added that Hampton strives to be a better player by constantly trying to improve her play in practice and on the field.
Hampton and junior midfielder Aidan Cage, sophomore midfielder Katie Quinn and sophomore attacker Ioanna Mantzouratos make up the core of GW’s offense.
With a combined 93 goals, Hampton, Cage, Quinn and Mantzouratos account for 55 percent of the team’s 168 scores this season. The four players’ 243 total shots also make up 55 percent of the team’s total.
Hampton said the team’s scoring outlets, including Cage, Quinn and Mantzouratos, open the field and make the game more difficult on the opposing team.
“There are a bunch of good drivers,” Hampton said. “If we’re not playing a driving game, we can pass to the middle and play that way.”
Coyne said Hampton doubted her ability to support the team before the season started. But she said Hampton has developed into a strong player with a large responsibility to remember offensive and defensive sets heading into the final stretch of the season.
“She’s a two-way middie as a freshman, that’s a lot of responsibility,” Coyne said. “There are a lot of things to remember with different defenses, different offenses, what are you doing on the draw. It’s just a lot to remember, so I think she’s doing really well.”
The squad has one game left this season against No. 1 Massachusetts. The Colonials are in a three-way tie for sixth in the conference, nearly securing a spot in the Atlantic 10 Championship. The top six teams in the conference advance to the tournament.
“It’s anyone’s game. It’s who shows up that day,” Cage said.
The Colonials return to action Saturday at noon in their final A-10 matchup against Massachusetts.
