By Nelson Coffin
nelson@iaamsports.com
Concordia Prep midfielders Sam and Tori Lassahn eclipsed the 100-goal milestone just before Easter.
And if that’s not enough bad news for the Saints’ C Conference rivals, the fact that the twins are still juniors makes matters even worse for opponents.
Blonde (Sam) or brunette (Tori), the siblings seem to be everywhere on the field for coach John Tucker’s squad, mainly because that’s more than often the case.
Tori, who also takes most of the draws for the Saints, had 107 goals and 75 assists while Sam boasted 104 goals and 58 assists — despite missing all but three games of her freshman year with a torn ACL — before Concordia Prep’s 18-0 triumph over Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the opening round of the playoffs on Monday.
Tucker said that the Lassahns are “natural leaders” for the Saints.
“They’re driven in everything they do,” he said. “And they immerse themselves in school culture.”
The sisters, who also play soccer and basketball, have benefitted greatly by playing for Tucker, who has coached at the sport’s highest levels in the National Lacrosse League (men’s indoor) and Major League Lacrosse (men’s outdoor) and is a member of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
“Just to have that experience of playing for him,” Sam said. “You can’t just get that anywhere. He shares so much with us what he has learned.”
With Tori and Sam leading the way, the Saints have won all 15 IAAM games this season (lone loss was to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and are hoping to hoist a championship at the Towson school for the first time since 2011 and the fourth time overall.
They have had a few scares along the way, including a triple-overtime thriller against St. Timothy’s that Tori ended with a goal.
The Saints fell to Catholic High, 11-7, in last year’s C Conference finale, making their resolve all the stronger this spring.
“We have that fire from last year,” said Sam, whose seven-goal outburst during the regular-season encounter against second-round playoff foe Indian Creek was her best of the year.
Sharing team captain duties with defender Shelby Woodward and attacker/midfielder Sarah Franken has allowed the sisters to flex their leadership muscles.
“If Mr. Tucker comes late to practice, we start warmups,” Sam said about one of her duties in that regard.
As two of the most experienced lacrosse players, they also guide their teammates at times.
“We have a very young team,” Tori said. “Some of the girls have never played the sport before, and they kind of look to us for advice.”
Their ability to lead is evident when you watch the Saints play, Concordia Prep athletic director Josh Ward said.
“You can see that they’re on charge,” he said. “They feed off each other, which is awesome. They have a bright future in college lacrosse.”