LeGrand eyeing 2 sports at IUP
BUTLER TWP — Lacrosse or hockey?
Lauren LeGrand opted for the best of both worlds.
The Butler senior recently signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and lacrosse career at Indiana (Pa.) University.
She plans on trying to make IUP’s men’s hockey team as well.
“I’ve been playing hockey since I was 8,” LeGrand said. “Almost all of those years, I’ve been playing in goal.”
So when the Golden Tornado girls lacrosse team was looking for players a few years ago, LeGrand was recruited as a goalie.
She will be a fourth-year starter at that position for Butler this spring.
“Lauren is as gritty a lacrosse goaltender as you’re going to find,” Butler assistant girls lacrosse coach Cory Hurley said. “She plays a unique style. You can tell she’s a hockey goalie because she plays the same way in lacrosse.
“She’ll stick her leg out, stop the ball with her body and that can hurt. She’s a tough kid. Lauren is one of the best goaltenders around here.”
LeGrand said Lindsay Gavula, a friend of hers who is headed to Edinboro to continue her lacrosse career, talked her into joining the Tornado lacrosse squad.
“She recruited a lot of girls currently on the team and I’m one of them,” LeGrand said. “I really enjoy the sport.”
Planning to get into pre-law, LeGrand considered numerous options before selecting IUP: Chatham, Geneva, West Virginia, Penn State, Pitt and Youngstown State. Some of those opportunities were for lacrosse, some for hockey.
At Indiana, she sees the opportunity to play both.
“Lacrosse will take priority,” LeGrand said. “The schedules of the two sports will conflict a little bit.”
The Crimson Hawks’ women’s lacrosse team is coming off a 12-6 season, 1-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Coach Brenna Gallagher is in her sixth season and is 54-36 overall, guiding IUP to the PSAC Tournament in each of the past three years.
IUP has not had a losing conference record in women’s lacrosse since 2011. The team has two sophomore goaltenders on its roster, including Maddy Schramm, who started 16 of 18 games last year as a freshman.
“I can see Lauren starting there for multiple years,” Hurley said. “I wouldn’t put anything past her. She’s athletic and she loves the challenge of playing goal in both sports.”
IUP has a women’s hockey team that LeGrand may suit up for, but her goal is to play for the men’s team. The Crimson Hawk men are coming off a 22-6 season, 11-1 in conference while winning the College Hockey Mid-America championship.
LeGrand has primarily been playing club women’s hockey.
“I believe I’m good enough to try out for the men’s team and see what happens,” she said. “The coach there said he’ll give me a tryout.”
Her goals in both sports are modest ones.
“Just have fun and help my teams win,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll get to the playoffs this spring (with Butler), too.”
