Lehigh brings out the best in Beausoleil

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

Within the small world of lacrosse, connections are everywhere, which is certainly the case for Lehigh senior Lauren Beausoleil.

Beausoleil's best friend growing up encouraged Lauren to play the sport, which helped lead Beausoleil to college lacrosse where she has made the most of all the opportunities as a Lehigh student-athlete.

In the fifth grade, Beausoleil was playing basketball when one of her best friends (and current senior at archrival Lafayette) Maggie Carver, encouraged Lauren to play lacrosse.

"Maggie started a year earlier than me," said Beausoleil. "I agreed to try out. Since we were, and still are, so close, we always did everything together."

Maggie's encouragement was the springboard to Beausoleil's lacrosse career. In high school, Lauren had a decision to make… what sport to play in college.

"I love basketball, but I really found more love in lacrosse," said Beausoleil. "The recruitment process for lacrosse can be stressful because people typically start committing to schools their sophomore years of high school. It's hard to decide the best fit at such a young age."

Beausoleil ended up at Lehigh, and she's glad she did.
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"I compliment my parents for helping me with my decision," she said. "It can be easy to overlook academics and only focus on what your life as an athlete is going to be like. My parents drew my attention towards what a school without lacrosse would mean to me.

"I fell in love with Lehigh's campus right away," Beausoleil continued. "My parents also appreciated how close it was to home, knowing they'd be able to come to all my games. My parents have been my number one fans since I first started playing sports, and I didn't want that to change in college."

Lehigh felt like the perfect place for Beausoleil, a place that would bring out the best in her.

"Lehigh is known for its strong academics, flexible and innovative curriculum and post-graduation success," she said. "I loved the culture, team dynamics and family feel. Right away, the coaches got to know me as a person rather than just a lacrosse player, and I respected and appreciated that."

While a childhood connection got Beausoleil started in the sport, she has been reunited with a former high school teammate at Lehigh. Mountain Hawks' third-year assistant coach Sammy Cermack was a senior at Ridgewood High School when Beausoleil was a freshman.

"I've known Sammy growing up. She was always someone younger players idolized, so when I made varsity my freshman year, I was so excited to get the chance to play with her," said Beausoleil.

After Cermack's playing days at Johns Hopkins, she was looking for coaching opportunities and Lehigh drew her interest.

"I told her it couldn't be better timing, because Coach Jill (Redfern) was looking for an attacking coach," said Beausoleil. "I told her to please consider Lehigh. I'll never forget when she texted me that she got the job. I knew she was going to appreciate Lehigh and what the school has to offer as much as I do.

The relationship between Beausoleil and Cermack has never been stronger.

"Our relationship in high school is similar to the way it is now," said Beausoleil. "She loves pulling pranks on me, and has an energetic, positive attitude. She is also an incredible lacrosse player and is very talented. She knows how to incorporate humor, but also seriousness into the sport."

Beausoleil is very similar to Cermack in her demeanor. Others are drawn to Lauren and her vibrant energy.

"Lauren is simply fun to be around," said Lehigh head coach Jill Redfern. "Her dedication is remarkable, yet her spirit and personality outshine it every day. I am incredibly proud to have her as player and leader of our team."

Beusoleil's role as a senior leader is critically important. As a midfielder, she's a key connection between both ends of the field and has gone out of her way to build relationships with the entire team, from the freshmen all the way to the seniors.
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"I have to make sure we execute our plan, both on attack and defense, by getting our coaches' messages across to every player," said Beausoleil. "It's also important for me to take the time to understand players, and their strengths and weaknesses. I want to help people develop, just as Sammy has done with me."

"You can go to Lauren with just about anything and she'll find a way to either comfort you or help you figure out a problem," said senior classmate Allison LaBeau. "She's one of the most down-to-earth and selfless people I know."

Beausoleil's passion and love for the game that made her decide to play lacrosse in college is very much alive and well today. Beyond the field, Beausoleil is also passionate about making the most of her Lehigh student-athlete experience. The marketing major has experienced just about everything in her time at Lehigh, from a Mountaintop project last summer in LaunchBayC to working for Neely and Chloe (fashion business) in New York City.

Beausoleil has also experienced many programs through Lehigh's Baker Institute, one being traveling to San Francisco as part of Lehigh Silicon Valley. Perhaps her most impressive feat has been starting her own business.

"Bracelets 2 Benefit is a unique company that strives to find beautiful and affordable handmade bracelets from around the world," said Beausoleil. "With the purchase of each bracelet, Bracelets 2 Benefit donates 20 percent to the charity of our customers' choice. Starting a business on your own has taught me a lot about myself, and also the hard work required to be a business owner.

Beausoleil's post-graduate options are endless. She ultimately wants to work in the business world and can draw from what she's learned at Lehigh when considering her options.

"I lived in New York City for a summer and worked alongside the creative director of marketing and social media," said Beausoleil. "I really love the fashion industry just because it's so dynamic and constantly changing."

Beausoleil's life will be changing within a few months as she graduates Lehigh and takes the next step in her life. For now, she's focused on finishing her senior year well in all facets.

"On the field, I never want to be satisfied," said Beausoleil. "Each game, I need to learn and not have a mentality of knowing all the answers. Instead, I need to focus on getting better every single day and giving it everything I have."

Beausoleil has given everything she's had into every aspect of her life. She's a prime example of someone who's made the most of every opportunity, coming away with some important takeaways and lessons in the process.

"What's awesome about Lehigh is all the resources and opportunities available to us," said Beausoleil. "I've learned a lot about the types of people I want to be around and the areas I want to pursue. I think you find your passion by experiences, which is why I loved working at Mountaintop to find my strengths and weaknesses outside of a typical classroom."

16186 — Beausoleil (left) working at Mountaintop last summer

Beausoleil will always be part of the Lehigh network. As part of her independent study with Professor Dale Falcinelli this semester, she learned first-hand the power of the network.

"One of my projects was understanding millennials, how they're being hired and how they're changing the culture in today's workforce," said Beausoleil. "Dale really challenged me and said if you want to learn how millennials are being hired, you need to talk to executives at big companies.

"I went to the career center and was given a list of alumni who could help," Beausoleil continued. "I spoke to these people over the phone, they gave me feedback and most of my conversations got off topic on their past lives at Lehigh. It was so easy to connect to one another based on similar experiences and our appreciation for Lehigh."

Talking with and developing relationships with people is a big part of BeausoIeil's identity. Whether it's a childhood friend, a classmate or a current teammate, Beausoleil is a positive influence to everyone around her.

"Lauren loves to meet new people, hear their stories and learn what makes a person who she is," said LaBeau. "She also loves sharing her stories and I think because of this, Lauren easily makes connections with all different kinds of people."

"It's so important to make strong relationships with people and care most about those who care about you," said Beausoleil. "If someone were to describe me, I would want them to be able to share a funny story or experience they had with me because I developed that relationship with them."

One of Beausoleil's first relationships was with Carver. This Wednesday, the two will square off on the field when Lehigh travels to Lafayette.

"Whether it was with sports or outside of sports, Maggie and I were like a duo," said Beausoleil. "It's crazy that we ended up at rival schools, but for some reason, I'm not surprised. At first, we weren't sure how it would work out, but we talk almost every day and lacrosse is always a topic of conversation.

"Although we're rivals, we still have a strong relationship, care about each other and how we're doing. It's really unique."

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Lehigh University Athletics

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at Navy on April 27, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 19

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at Lafayette College on April 23, 2025 , Win , 17, to, 16

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus Colgate University on April 19, 2025 , Loss , 10, to, 11

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus Navy on April 16, 2025 , Loss , 5, to, 21

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at Holy Cross on April 12, 2025 , Win , 12, to, 10

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse versus Boston University on April 5, 2025 , Win , 15, to, 14

Completed Event: Women's Lacrosse at Loyola University Maryland on March 29, 2025 , Loss , 4, to, 18

Players Mentioned

Lauren Beausoleil

Allison LaBeau

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