Senior co-captains Lauren Morton and Molly Collins were inducted into the Boston University lacrosse program with a 14-4 win over the University of Massachusetts- Amherst at Nickerson Field in the winter of 2005.
Reserved but never timid, Morton and Collins acknowledged their supporting roles amongst a cast of aggressive, hard-nosed warriors, but never accepted it.
Vying to brand themselves with the same determination and unflappability that yielded BU pillars Mary Beth Miller, Lindsay Lewis and Alyssa Trudel two America East titles and consequent NCAA Tournament bids, Morton and Collins have brought themselves to the forefront of Terrier Lacrosse Nation.
Morton is a natural attacker and Collins a true defender, but the two have always been linked despite their positions on opposite ends of the field. The final fair of six freshmen to join the Terriers in 2005, Morton and Collins’ relationship is a direct product of what the girls have been through together.
“When you are with someone who you’ve been with every day, your relationship only grows,” Morton said. “There wouldn’t be any other person I would want to lead with. It’s worked out perfectly that we balance each other. [Collins] leads by example and I’m vocal. It means everything that it’s ended up being the two together.”
“[Our relationship] has only grown,” Collins said. “We’ve become closer each year. It started with six of us, so we really appreciate each other everyday. We are glad it’s the two of us left.”
While both attribute their individual growth to experiences and examples exhibited by upperclassmen, their footprint on BU’s program is a byproduct of their relationship and work ethic on and off the field.
“We are very similar in the way we play and what we believe teamwork and hard work are,” Collins said. “Not ever settling and going through the thick and thin, especially with losing our friends in the program, we’ve become really close.”
Offensive-minded from day one, Morton opened her career at BU with 38 goals and one assist in 2005. The Terriers’ fourth-leading scorer, Morton found herself immersed in the aggressive offense.
Diabolically opposed to the motion system that guided her at Gwynedd Mercy Academy in Southern Pennsylvania, then-BU coach Liza Kelly’s scheme gave Morton the chance to let her steady play bolster the attacking core.
“For me, coming to BU was a huge jump,” Morton said. “Lacrosse was not as established as it was in other places. I had to play 110 percent everyday and learn what the program was about. There is never an off day. The past doesn’t matter. It’s about what you’re about to do and what you can do to improve your game and the teammates around you.”
Following up her 2005 totals and America East All-Rookie team selection with 65 goals over the next two seasons, Morton’s presence in the Terrier midfield stretched beyond the restraining lines.
“With [Morton], you have a strong leader,” said BU coach Liz Robertshaw. “She is a two-time captain and knows how to lead. The girls look to her to be the leader. They say it jokingly, but she is the leader of the team and program. When she graduates, we lose a major voice and a big piece of emotion.”
Vocal and persuasive, her commitment to the norms established by Miller, Lewis and Trudel shaped her focus and drive in the locker room.
“We want to leave a legacy on the players now,” Morton said. “We pride ourselves on what the tradition has taught us. We have to teach the girls to take pride in a program that never settles. The girls that were here before taught us what it meant, and it’s our job to show how important the tradition is.”
The duo’s leadership, however, is fueled by the dedication displayed by the other at the opposite end of the field.
“We want to look into a mirror,” Collins said. “We are both looking to make the plays that fire everyone up. We have such a young team and to get them to see that fire and that aggressiveness when it matters. We know we have to be the ones to do that.”
Making her mark on teammates at practice and in the weight room, Collins single-handedly brought the Terriers’ aggressive, shut-down defense to fruition in her junior year.
Bolstering the America East’s top ranked defense with 37 ground balls and 30 forced turnovers, Collins’ contagious work ethic balanced an offensive-minded Terrier flow that yielded a dismal 9-10 record just three years prior.
“She brings a fun attitude and a killer work ethic,” Robertshaw said of Collins. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone that works as hard on and off the field, in the weight room, in [the spring season] and in conditioning. She is the one to beat. The only one that works as hard as she does is Morton, and that’s a testament to what they have brought to the program.”
Collins and Morton, simply put, are the foundation that supports the program they remodeled.
“One of the things that stands out is their commitment to the team and program,” Robertshaw said. “The two of them have stuck through it all together. They never let up how hard they work or how much they care. They are what it means to play for BU.”
With the end of the regular season fast approaching, Collins and Morton’s effect on the scorecard have taken a backseat, willingly or not, to the effect they have on the future of the program.
Walking off Nickerson Field for the last time in the regular season Saturday, the duo’s impact on the Terriers of the future has already been felt.
“They have brought the rest of the girls into their world,” Robertshaw said. “They are always looking to talk to the younger players and about the history of the program and what it means to play for BU. They show it everyday in how they work in the weight room, in the training room and on the field hustling. That’s what will stay with the girls forever.”