Babson defender Laura Lukowicz makes her mark as a freshman

Babson freshman defender Laura Lukowicz makes a pass during a game last fall. (Babson Athletics)

Laura Lukowitz entered her freshman year at Babson determined to avoid the pitfalls of her first high school season.

Lukowitz (Coventry, R.I.) recalled her anxiousness as she approached her freshman season at La Salle Academy. Her tentative approach led her to miss out on a chance to play varsity during her first season.

After a successful high school career girded her with the confidence and the maturity to make the leap, Lukowitz trusted her considerable talent and staked her claim for a spot with the Beavers from her first day on campus.

"Coming into college, I said I wasn’t going to make the same mistake, I’m going to play and not focus on my grade level or how much more experience some other players have,'" Lukowitz explained. "I’m just going to play my game, because I didn’t want to lower my abilities because I was timid or anything. It was confidence gained and my ability to reflect on myself and realize a lot of the things I did was because of my own mentality, not my physical abilities."