Lassinger commits to Lafayette
Gabi Lassinger still has her senior season on the Knoch girls soccer team to look forward to.
But even beyond that, the Penn Township resident will remain on the pitch.
Lassinger has made a verbal commitment to continue her academic and athletic careers at Lafayette College in Easton. She will sign a letter of intent in February.
Lafayette is led by veteran head coach Mick Statham. The Leopards compete in the Patriot League.
“Most Division I soccer scholarships are taken up early,” she said. “If you wait until the winter of your senior year, it may be too late.
“I wanted to go to a top-academic school,” added Lassinger, who plans to major in chemical engineering, “and I also want to play soccer at the Division I level. For me, Lafayette meets both of those goals.”
Lassinger becomes the first girls soccer player from Knoch to accept a full scholarship from a Division I program.
“I'm glad to be able to represent Knoch in that way and I'm really excited about it,” she said. “I owe it to my coaches and teammates.”
As a midfielder/forward last fall for the Knights, Lassinger scored 13 goals and added eight assists to help the team reach the WPIAL Class AA playoffs.
“She had an excellent junior season,” said Knights' coach Rich Kenzie. “I was surprised that she was not chosen all-section.
“Gabi has very good vision and is able to anticipate things on the field,” he added. “And she's able to go the entire game because she is extremely fit.”
One of the reasons for her high level of endurance is that Lassinger plays soccer outside of high school. She began playing Cup soccer at age nine and has been a member of Century United for the last three years. That season runs from November until June.
“I ran track as a freshman and sophomore,” she said, “but this past spring I did not because I wanted to focus all of my energy on soccer. When I joined Century United, my ultimate goal was to get a scholarship to play in college. My coach, Randi Scheller-Rohm, played at Notre Dame. She knows a lot about the college game and what it takes to get there.
“Between Cup (defender) and high school soccer, I have knowledge of a lot of different positions. I know the field better because of that and it helps me be a better teammate.”
Kenzie plans to have Lassinger play center midfielder this fall, when she will serve as a captain for the second straight year. Her approach to the game makes her a perfect fit for a leadership role.
“Gabi never feels she is doing enough,” Kenzie said. “When she comes off the field, she always wants to know how she can improve.”
“I'm excited about my senior season,” Lassinger said. “I'm going to focus on mentoring the younger players so that Knoch can continue to have a strong program in the years to come.”
