FEMALE BREAKOUT ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Baskind Dominates New Territory

When Harvard women’s lacrosse coach Lisa Miller learned in January that sophomore Melanie Baskind would be dusting off her lacrosse stick to join the Crimson squad, the third-year head coach understood the level of talent her team was gaining.

Despite having taken a nearly two-year hiatus from lacrosse to focus on soccer, Baskind—a two-time All-Ivy midfielder for the Harvard soccer team—decided she was ready to take her skills to the lacrosse field once again.

Baskind’s decision came as pleasant news for Miller, who was familiar with Baskind’s days at Framingham High School, where the 5’3” midfielder was twice named an All-American in lacrosse and was considered by some as the top lacrosse recruit from the Bay State.

But coming out of high school, Baskind made the decision to focus solely on soccer.

That all changed in January when, just weeks after completing a standout sophomore soccer season which landed Baskind a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team, she chose to join Miller’s team.

While Miller was familiar with the midfielder’s talents, few could have predicted the immediate success Baskind would have on the lacrosse field.

The sophomore picked up right where she left off, starting at midfield for the Crimson in all 15 games and finishing the season second on the team in scoring with 32 goals and first on the team in ground balls and caused turnovers.

“In the beginning, we had heard about [Baskind], but we didn’t really know who she was,” freshman Jennifer VanderMeulen said. “The second she stepped on the field, we had an instant respect for her.”

Baskind was rewarded for her strong performance with a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team, making her the only Harvard athlete this year to earn All-Ivy honors in two sports.

But notice of Baskind’s performance extended beyond the Ivy League, as the sophomore finished 21st in the nation in ground balls with 41 and 32nd in the nation in caused turnovers with 25, making her one of only four sophomores to finish in the top 35 of both categories.

While Baskind finished the season as one of the country’s top midfielders, the transition to lacrosse was not always so smooth.

With only a few times spent playing catch or practicing since her senior season of high school lacrosse, the midfielder had to fine tune her stick skills in just a few short weeks leading up to the start of the season.

“I think it was a little bit slow getting started,” she said.

In her first collegiate lacrosse match, Baskind did not exactly turn heads, finishing with no goals on two shots to go along with an assist in the Crimson’s season opener against Massachusetts.

But just over a week later, the sophomore had a breakout game.

Taking on Johns Hopkins, Baskind exploded, scoring a team-high four goals and picking up four ground balls to go along with three draw controls and four caused turnovers.

“In a month, she was back to her old self,” said junior Sam McMahon, who also played high school lacrosse in Massachusetts.

Things continued to go well for Baskind from there, as she notched the game-winning goal in double overtime three days later in Harvard’s upset win over then-No. 15 New Hampshire.

The midfielder stayed consistent over the remainder of the season but finished particularly strongly, closing out the year with back-to-back five-goal performances.

But while Baskind brought her individual talent to the lacrosse team, she also brought the experience of coming from a winning program, having captured the Ivy League soccer championship in each of her first two seasons.

“She knows what it’s like to play in big games,” freshman Danielle Tetreault said. “She’s always out there playing her hardest...It spreads throughout the team.”

Baskind’s next goal is to help bring the same success her team has experienced on the soccer field to her lacrosse squad.

“I’m just hoping that our team continues [to get better],” said the two-sport athlete, who plans on playing lacrosse again next season.

But before she can begin focusing on helping Miller and the rest of the Crimson lacrosse players win their first Ivy title, Baskind must turn her attention to the upcoming soccer season, where her team hopes to go for a three-peat.

“When I start moving again, it will probably be all about soccer,” she said.

—Staff writer Martin Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.