As the oldest sibling, Lindsey Harrington ’09 is a role model for her three younger brothers. However, when they began playing ice hockey, she could not help but follow them.
Harrington was introduced to the sport at the age of 12, which she admits is “pretty late” for someone who now plays ice hockey at the collegiate level. A field hockey, basketball and softball athlete, Harrington hadn’t skated much before she tried ice hockey, but her athleticism made for a smooth transition. It also didn’t hurt that she fell in love with her new sport.
“I enjoyed [ice] hockey because it was fast-paced,” she said. “It’s also more exciting [than basketball] when people score.” Before high school, Harrington played on the Assabet Valley Girls’ Club team and a local boys’ team, steadily improving her skating. In seventh grade she quit basketball to commit to ice hockey. Her high school allowed eighth graders on the girls’ ice hockey team, and so Harrington had a five-year high school career.
When it came time for college, playing ice hockey was a big part of Harrington’s decision. It was the other things she could do in college that led her to choose Amherst. “I really liked everything about Amherst,” she said. “I could play softball here, which was a plus. But I spent high school just being an athlete. I wanted to do more.”
Harrington, a psychology major, has taken advantage of the opportunities at Amherst to become more involved in the community. This year, Harrington is helping to coordinate the Change for Change program. In addition, she volunteers at the Amherst College 3-D program that creates a fun and safe environment for mentally challenged young adults, and at Horizons for Homeless Children where she spends time playing with kids in a homeless shelter.
Being a member of the women’s ice hockey team has been rewarding as well. “It’s awesome to play hockey here,” she said. It is an exciting time for the women’s ice hockey team, as Amherst has become one of the nation’s elite teams seemingly overnight. Harrington has played a big role in the Jeffs’ transition. As a first-year, she led the team in scoring, tallying 15 goals and 10 assists at a point-per-game clip.
Last year was Amherst’s breakout season as the team won the NESCAC Championship and advanced to the Div. III Final Four. Harrington and her teammates enjoyed every bit of it. “It was cool to watch it all happen,” she recalled. “My freshman year no one took us seriously. Last year we realized it was more fun to win. We had a great run. No one expected it, which was part of the appeal. We were a great team that no on believed in except ourselves and it ended up working out.”
Harrington and her young teammates provided most of the offensive power for the Jeffs last season. Harrington tied for third on the team in points as the top six point getters—all underclassmen—combined for over two-thirds of Amherst’s points. Nevertheless, Harrington cited the leadership of the team as a reason for the Jeffs’ success. “We had six seniors last year,” she said. “They were never high profile players but they played a huge part.”
Now an upperclassman herself, Harrington understands the importance of giving the youngsters a significant role on the ice. “We have eight freshmen and they are a great fit,” she said. “They are all very skilled players and we can play four full lines.”
Harrington is also pulling her weight, and her leadership shows on the ice. A perfect example was her game-winning goal against Bowdoin College in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Saturday. The Polar Bears had just tied the game and the Jeffs were whistled for a penalty. In a fantastic individual effort, Harrington stole the puck in Amherst’s defensive end, raced down the ice and deposited the short-handed goal in the Bowdoin net. It was the turning point in the game as the Jeffs went on to rout Bowdoin 5-1.
Harrington has played a number of exciting games as a Jeff, but there is one moment that particularly stands out: winning the NESCAC Championship last season. One year later, Amherst is looking for a repeat performance. With a win this Saturday against Trinity College in the NESCAC semifinals, Harrington and the Jeffs will be in position to do just that.