Ehrlichman embodies student athlete

Every Princeton student, upon beginning classes his or her freshman year, quickly learns that managing one's time can be difficult. For full-time athletes, this task can be even more challenging. Some definitely do it better than others. One who certainly does it better than most is junior attack Lauren Ehrlichman of the field hockey team.

It seems that Ehrlichman has something against mediocrity, as she is a standout in both the classroom and on the field.

Read any article or look at any stat line of the field hockey team and one is bound to see the name Ehrlichman. She played in all 18 games in the 2003 season and helps form the backbone of this year's squad. Last season, she was one of seven players on the Princeton team to score more than five goals. This year, she has stepped it up a notch, already having netted three goals, and 10 total points, in the early season to lead the Tigers.

But statistics only tell half the story, say her teammates.

"She is the most selfless, dedicated player on the team," junior midfield Hillary Schmidt said.

Freshman Nicole Ng added "[no one] pushes harder in practice than Lauren."

This hard work and dedication doesn't get left on the field, however. Excellence is a habit that Ehrlichman carries over to her other pursuits as well, especially academics.

Ehrlichman is an anthropology major who became interested in the field after studying aboriginal culture while playing field hockey in Australia last spring. She's also following the premed path and, like many juniors in her shoes, is relieved to have just finished organic chemistry. In her "spare" time, she's also a tutor at the Writing Center.

When asked about her hectic schedule, Ehrlichman commented on the stresses of being a student athlete and her ways of keeping up with it all.

"The best way I know to keep up is to do a little bit of work every day, because it's so easy to fall behind," she said.

But Ehrlichman also commmented on the importance of relaxation.

"It's so critical to take a break and incorporate social and rest time into your day before studying," she said. "Otherwise you can lose balance and feel like you're just going through the motions."

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Besides being able to manage stress off the field, she also has a tendency to come up big in pressure situations on the field. Take, for example, last year's late-season matchup against rival Harvard.

Tied 1-1 partway through the second half, Ehrlichman got an open look at the goal and fired, only to have the attempt blocked by Harvard's goalie. She managed to control the rebound herself, however, and got off another shot. This one flew past the goalie and into the net to put Princeton up, 2-1.

The Tigers never lost the momentum from there and walked away with a victory that not only kept them undefeated in the Ivy League — a record they would protect through the end of the season — but also clinched the conference title for the 10th consecutive year.

Yes, that's right, the 10th consecutive year. While this dynasty is surely on one of the greatest success streaks in recent Princeton history, the field hockey team still gets relatively little recognition in comparison to other varsity sports.

This doesn't bother Ehrlich-man though, who fell in love with field hockey in eighth grade and has played it ever since. To her, the game and her teammates are more important than fanfare.

"The sport and the team mean everything to me," she commented, "and I couldn't be happier than I am, being on a team like this."

Besides her numerous aforementioned obligations, Ehrlich-man now feels like she has one more: one to her younger teammates.

"As an underclassman, you take your cues from the juniors and seniors," she said. "I just hope that we're setting as good an example to the younger kids as our upperclassmen did for us."

The team concept, in her mind, is probably the most important thing she has learned from athletics.

"The relationships carry over into every area of life," she said. "Being part of a team that believes in you gives you the strength and willingness to realize your potential as a person."