ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Mann Posts Shutouts In Crucial Matches

Not many Harvard athletes play every minute of every game. The women’s soccer team’s freshmen goalie, Lauren Mann, is one of the few.

Over the past two months, while most first-years were busy setting up their new dorm rooms, Mann has been making her home between the posts of the Harvard net.

And last week, after weeks of stellar play, the rookie had her breakout performance as she recorded 12 saves on the way to two shutout victories.

Against Vermont last Wednesday, Mann made five saves as the Crimson went on to drop the Catamounts, 2-0. Three of the five saves came against breakaways, often the most threatening of offensive attacks.

“Both our team and our coaching staff wanted to reward her for her amazing play when we faced Vermont,” co-captain Laura Odorczyk said. “She deserved the shutout.”

But Mann was not done. Returning to Ohiri Field on Saturday, she had what was arguably an even more impressive seven-save effort in an Ivy League tilt against Cornell.

Her progress has not gone unnoticed by teammates.

“She’s made huge saves for us each game,” Odorczyk said. “And every game, she is more confident for us in the back.”

Mann, however, is slow to credit herself.

“I had a couple of okay saves against Cornell,” Mann said. “But for the most part, the defense took care of it, so a lot of the credit goes to them.”

Her exceptional week is not a total surprise. Mann has had many impressive matches along the way, including a shutout earlier in the season against St. Mary’s. In that game in September, Mann had a spectacular diving save in the 85th minute to preserve a 0-0 tie.

Then, against Penn, Mann secured the team’s first Ivy win of the year by making what Odorczyk called “the best save I have ever seen in women’s soccer.”

“It was such an important game,” Odorczyk said. “We needed that save at that moment.”

It has not always been so natural for Mann. Early in the season, the talented freshman struggled a bit in trying to find her role on the team.

“She was a little hesitant being a freshman at the beginning,” Odorczyk said. “She felt like she had to prove herself and be a vocal leader.”

Even with Mann’s strong start to the season and her growth as a leader, it is hard to forget about recent graduate Katie Shields ’06. Shields, who tended the Harvard net before Mann, set the Harvard record for shutouts in a season, leaving a daunting legacy for Mann to follow.

“I am living in her shadow a little bit. Certainly those are big, big shoes to fill,” Mann said.

But she seems to be well on her way to filling them.