Lauren Smedley

Classroom

Academically, Smedley carries a 3.27 overall GPA, and has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll the last two years. She earned a 3.71 GPA in the spring of 2012 and was named to Lafayette’s Dean’s List. This fall, Smedley will serve as a teaching assistant in Dr. James Dearworth’s Neuroanatomy class. Following graduation, Smedley aspires to attend chiropractic school to obtain a doctorate degree. “I love helping people and am extremely interested in the nervous system, making chiropractics a perfect fit for me,” Smedley said. “What you eat, how you move and how you think are critical elements of health and overall wellness, and chiropractics will give me the opportunity to help people improve their lives.”

Character

Head Coach Mick Statham: “Lauren’s character is a big part of her success. She plays the game without an ACL and has battled through serious injury to become the area’s top goalkeeper. All top players have one thing in common, humility. The respect that Lauren garners from her teammates is unique as it pays tribute to her enormous talent and the humble way she presents herself every day. She has also become a force in the classroom, meeting Lafayette’s academic demands as a Dean’s List student and a Patriot League Honor Roll selection as a Neuroscience major.”

Community

Each of the last three summers, Smedley has worked respite care for Caring With Compassion where she is a personal caregiver for young adults and children with autism. During the school year, she has also participated in the mentoring program at Easton’s alternative school, in which she aids middle school children in their schoolwork and helps mentor children in after-school games and sports. Since arriving at Lafayette, Smedley has also participated in Lafayette’s SAAC (student-athlete advisory committee), in which representative athletes from each sport on campus are chosen to act as a liaison between the student-athletes and the NCAA, while also organizing charitable services. This past year, Smedley was elected to serve on the executive board for Lafayette and helped organize and run the SACC 5k, a charitable event benefitting Lauren’s First and Goal foundation, which raises money to fund pediatric brain tumor research. Additionally, over the last five years, Smedley has been a camp counselor for various sport organizations such as Peak Performance Academy, The Peddie School and Lafayette Soccer.

Competition

On the field, Smedley was a 2011 NCAA Women’s Division I All-Mid-Atlantic First Team selection and was the Patriot League’s Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010 and 2011. Smedley has posted consecutive seasons with eight shutouts and currently ranks eighth in Patriot League history with 20. In 2011, Smedley’s .887 save percentage ranked 17th nationally and she finished 41st in the country in goals-against average (0.66). Smedley also led the League in saves, turning away 86 shots while playing every minute in the Lafayette goal. Smedley backstopped Lafayette to a 9-5-2 overall record, the program’s most wins since 2001. The Leopards’ enjoyed program bests with a 6-0-0 home record as well as a Patriot League mark of 4-2-1.