MAKING STRIDES: Allison Lee sprints upfield in a game this spring during her freshman season for the Williams College women’s lacrosse team. Former Stuart Country Day School standout Lee tallied six goals and one assist to help Williams go 12-8 and advance to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. (Photo provided courtesy of Williams College Athletics)

By Bill Alden

As Allison Lee made her debut for the Williams College women’s lacrosse team this February, she was primed to apply lessons gained from the program’s fall training.

“The fall was really important for me, it gave me a chance to adjust before the actual season in the spring,” said Lee, a former Stuart Country Day School standout. “It was definitely a learning curve to see the play and getting used to a new system. I felt like every week I became a little more comfortable. Our upperclassmen were very welcoming and that made the transition a lot easier. By the end of the fall I felt like I was in a good place.”

While Lee had developed a comfort level heading into the regular season, she was ready to play a supporting role.

“As a freshman, you aren’t really expecting anything big,” said the 5’2 Lee, who played in the midfield this spring. “My focus was learning from the older players and just working hard in practice and taking advantage of whatever opportunities that came
my way.”

Lee took advantage of opportunity, tallying six goals and one assist with five ground balls and eight draw controls in her debut campaign to help Williams go 12-8 and advance to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals.

Going through the spring, Lee had to pay attention to detail to get up to speed.

“In college everyone can make plays, everyone is consistent and everyone is good,” said Lee. “You can’t take any possessions off. The pace was very fast but it was also the little things like communication, decision-making and execution that also stood out to me. It is definitely a challenge but it made me realize how much I could continue to grow throughout the season.”

Lee got off to a fast start, scoring her first career goal in her third appearance of the season as Willams topped Southern Maine 20-6.

“I remember that everyone was really excited, it was my teammates that really made it memorable,” said Lee. “It is always encouraging to see the work that you have been putting in show up in the game.”

Three games later, Lee scored two goals in a 12-10 win over Scranton.

“Our team was playing really well as a group in that game,” and Lee. “It was a close win, it was fun to contribute there.”

Williams played well collectively as it produced a superb 9-3 start. “I think we had a really good balance across the field, everyone understood their role,” said Lee. “We all trust each other, we had a lot of positive energy. It was easy to see, even as freshman, how connected our team was.”

The Ephs hit a rough patch as they lost their last three regular season games and fell 14-3 to Wesleyan in the quarterfinals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament but regrouped as they headed into the NCAA tourney after receiving an at-large bid.

“No season is going to be perfect, we learned a lot from those games which were against the top NESCAC teams who were ranked nationally as well,” said Lee. “Instead of letting those games define us, we used those as motivation. Once we got into the NCAA tournament, I think everyone had a fresh mindset. We were really focused on making the most of our opportunity.”

Displaying that focus, Williams topped Grove City 18-3 in the forest found of the NCAA tournament as Lee chipped in a goal.

“That was fun but the bigger thing was getting the win,” said Lee, reflecting on her tally. “Once you are in the tournament every game matters.”

In the second round, the Ephs pulled out an 11-10 nail-biter over William Smith.

“I think our team stayed really composed throughout the game,” said Lee. “It was close the entire way, the team handled those pressure moments really well.”

Producing some of its best moments of the spring, Williams rolled to a 16-5 win over Colorado College in the Sweet 16.

“It was one of our more complete games,” said Lee, who tallied a goal in the victory. “We were playing confidently. It was moving the ball really well. It was pretty exciting to contribute but really it was about how well everyone was playing in that game.”

In a quarterfinal rematch with NESCAC rival Tufts, the Ephs battled hard but ended up falling 16-10 to see their NCAA run come to an end.

“We knew that they were a really good team,” said Lee of Tufts who had topped Williams 17-9 in a regular season contest. “We were down three at halftime and it showed us we were right there with them the entire time. They sort of pulled away at the end. It was a good game and it showed how much we had grown throughout the season.”

While the loss stung, making it to the NCAA Elite Eight was a good sign for the
program.

“It was really special, a lot of people have worked hard to build this team,” said Lee. “It was exciting to be part of that. Once we were there, our focus shifted pretty quickly to the next game. We just felt that we had more that we wanted to accomplish. We weren’t satisfied just being there, we wanted to keep on advancing.”

Reflecting on her freshman campaign, Lee felt her game advanced as she worked with her teammates on a daily
basis.

“I think the jump from high school to college is adjusting to speed and physicality, just because everyone is very skilled and has the talent,” said Lee. “Throughout the season we scrimmaged a lot during practices and you
had to get used to that pace of play.”

Lee adjusted well to college life away from the game. “I had a great first year overall, I really enjoyed getting to know my teammates off the field,” said Lee. “I felt that made the transition to college a lot easier. Balancing school and lacrosse definitely takes some adjusting but I think it is
similar to high school in the way you have to balance
academics and athletics.”

This summer, Lee is balancing conditioning with honing her skills.

“We get a workout packet, I am also playing in a women’s summer league in Conshohocken,” said Lee. “I think getting stronger and faster are always big things and continuing to work on stick work and perfecting the little things.”

Looking ahead to her sophomore season, Lee is hop-
ing to make a stronger
contribution for the Ephs.

“I want to keep on building on what I learned this year and continue earning a bigger role on the team,” said Lee. “I think there is still a lot of room for me to grow, both technically and mentally. I am excited to keep developing. I am excited for us as a team to prove ourselves.”