Thayer Academy in Massachussets has produced two of the most important elements of the Northwestern lacrosse squad – head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and freshman attack Sarah Albrecht.
Next year, Evanston’s Thayer contingent will grow by one, with the addition of recruit Laura Glassanos.
One of seven lacrosse players signed by Hiller in the fall, Glassanos, an All-New England Prep School Athletic Conference basketball player and an All-Independent School League soccer player, will enter NU next year with more than just a few lacrosse accomplishments under her belt.
Before Glassanos decided on a college, she first faced the daunting task of choosing between the three sports she loved. Though she started playing competitive lacrosse just three years ago, Glassanos decided to pursue the sport in college.
“I loved it right away,” she said. “Lacrosse is so fast. When the ball moves down the field so quickly, it’s just pretty.”
Once that decision was squared away, Glassanos switched her focus to finding a home for the next four years. Boston College, Syracuse and Holy Cross – all established lacrosse programs – dangled opportunities in front of her, but in the end, she found her place with the newly reborn Wildcats.
“I needed a change of scenery,” she said of her move to Illinois. “I have lived in Boston for my entire life.”
She met most of the NU squad for the first time this summer at Hiller’s camp, but there was one familiar face – Albrecht.
“She is a lot of the reason that I came here,” Glassanos said of Albrecht. “And (Hiller as coach) was a big help too. Everyone knows that she is awesome.”
After graduating from Thayer herself, Hiller went on to win two NCAA titles at Maryland and has become an integral part of the U.S. women’s national lacrosse team, while also coaching at NU. Albrecht’s collegiate career has just begun, but she made an immediate impact for the Cats this season as their leading scorer.
Glassanos was in a league of her own as a center at Thayer. Last season, she scored 25 goals and added 26 assists, in addition to leading the squad in ground-ball controls and draw controls.
“She’s extremely agile and assertive,” Thayer coach Laurie Geromini said. “And she’s a very outstanding defensive player even though she plays midfield.”
Even more impressive is that these numbers came in Glassanos’ first year on campus after transferring from Hingham High School.
“She was our MVP this year and is one of the best players in the Independent School League in New England,” Geromini said. “I think it is awesome that she is going to Northwestern – she looks up to Kelly as a role model. And I think that she can certainly make an impact on college lacrosse by sophomore year.”
And in stride with her humble nature, Glassanos was known for staying behind the scenes in basketball and soccer.
“She was the big playmaker on our team,” Thayer soccer coach Steve Snyder told the Boston Globe. “Her stats don’t reflect that, but if soccer had a second assist like in hockey, her stats would be through the roof. She would get the offense rolling and then get back and take care of defense.”
But stats don’t mean everything to Glassanos. Despite the fact that she will graduate from Thayer having spent two years on championship teams, she is starting to look at her future both athletically and academically. Glassanos aspires to be a teacher after her time at NU.
“I knew that I would be playing a sport (in college),” she said, “but graduating from Northwestern is just prestigious.”
