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Top-notch Talent: Pingree's Taylor one of the nation's best seniors

Wednesday, April, 09 By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer

The cryptic message left on Bowen Holden's voicemail wasn't enough to send the Boston College women's lacrosse coach into panic mode.

But in Sam Taylor's mind, the news she was about to deliver to Holden's answering machine could be catastrophic for a newly-signed recruit.

Naturally, Taylor -- an All-American lacrosse midfielder from The Pingree School who not only returns as the North Shore's top player, but also as one of the top seniors in the country -- had some apprehension about telling Holden about a little soccer mishap she had this past fall.

Instead of leaping off the roof at Conte Forum however, Holden returned Taylor's call. The information the coach then received was a huge relief, even though it included the words "broken leg", "4-inch plate" and "eight screws".

"I had called (Holden), I think it was the day after I broke it. She didn't pick up because she was out recruiting, and I didn't want to leave it on her voicemail that I broke my leg," Taylor said. "I said, 'I need you to call me.' She (seemed) so relieved that it was just a broken leg."

Holden was never really concerned. She's grown accustomed to speaking with high school recruits during the season, so she didn't have thoughts of Taylor getting cold feet about coming to Boston College.

"From her tone (on the message), I knew something was not quite right. My immediate reaction after talking with her was simply feeling sorry," Holden said.

"Injuries don't scare me, especially with great athletes and great competitors. There was not much doubt that Sam would be back and ready to go. A broken bone is a broken bone. From what I've heard, it's healed and she's playing just as good -- if not better -- than before."

Landing Taylor, an 18-year-old Topsfield resident, was a recruiting coup for an up-and-coming program like Boston College.

Taylor began receiving interest from Division 1 powers after playing for the Lower New England Team 1 that reached the national tournament in her sophomore year. Since then, the accolades have been pouring in.

A New England Prep School All-Star in both her sophomore and junior years, Taylor was named First Team All-American last year. Earlier this year, she was also listed as one of the top 50 girls lacrosse players in the senior class by "Inside Lacrosse" magazine.

 

A complete player

The broken leg Taylor suffered during soccer season was just a minor hiccup. She couldn't play basketball this winter, but the diagonal break of the right fibula hasn't slowed her down at all this spring.

"Knock on wood, it's better than (injuring) a knee," Pingree coach Sarah Powers said. "There's a lot worse injuries that you can have. A broken leg is very rehabable with minimal complications. When you hear a broken leg it sounds bad, but for us we were thankful it happened in the fall and she had time to rehab."

Powers stresses the "team philosophy" and would never admit that the Highlanders rely on one player more than another.

Senior attack Lindsay Thompson is another college-bound Highlander. She'll play field hockey and lacrosse at Bates next year, and Powers has a host of younger players who she anticipates will continue playing at the college level down the line.

That being said, there's no denying that Taylor plays a complete game for Pingree.

Having led the Eastern Independent League with 71 points last year, Taylor is a goal scorer and a playmaker. She also handles draws for the Highlanders and is counted on in the defensive end to mark the opposition's best midfielder.

"There's a lot of things she does for us. She has great speed and is really good at dodging defenders, and she can use a change of speed to get around people," Pingree junior midfielder Michaela Colbert said. "She has a really fast and accurate shot and has a high shooting percentage. She also gets back on defense and gives us a lot of support by stopping 1-on-1s. She's a really good all-around player."

 

Realizing her own talent

Taylor's all-around talent (most notably her ability to transition from defense to offense) has been evident since she first started playing in the Topsfield Youth League in sixth grade.

Her acceptance of her talent came much later.

It's not that Taylor is a reluctant superstar -- she plays the game unselfishly, which actually what makes her a superstar in the first place. But because she is so unselfish, it took some convincing from Powers before Taylor believed she could play at a Division 1 college.

"I think it was the fall of my sophomore year when Sarah sat me down and asked if (college lacrosse) was on my radar screen," Taylor recalled. "I decided I would like to continue playing, and she told me to make a list of 50 schools that I had to visit.

"At first I just wanted Division 3 schools, and she asked me if I had considered Division 1. I didn't think I could play Division 1 and she said, 'Yes you can.' She really pushed me to reach for the stars."

Eventually, Taylor learned Division 1 lacrosse was hardly a reach.

In the end, Taylor narrowed her search down to five schools -- B.C., Dartmouth, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Syracuse. None of the schools ever measured up to B.C., though.

"B.C. was one of the first I visited and I really liked it," Taylor said. "After visiting every other college, my parents would ask me if I liked it more than B.C. Every time, I said that I didn't.

"The campus is beautiful and I knew the second I visited that I wanted to go there. There are a lot of opportunities after college because of good alumni connections. It's sort of close to home, too. It will be good to have my parents be able to come watch."

 

Reaching her potential

It's hard for all parties involved to look too far ahead. Taylor is trying to lead Pingree to a fifth straight EIL championship and, hopefully, further in the postseason.

Powers would never take for granted the time she has left with Taylor. And Holden is too busy keeping the Eagles competitive in the supremely strong Atlantic Coast Conference.

Still, Holden can't help but look forward to getting Taylor fully entrenched in the Boston College program.

"It's definitely a big deal for us to get her," Holden said. "First and foremost it's a big deal to get a kid of her character. For me, it's really important getting people that know right from wrong and know what hard work is. I want people that will do the right things when push comes to shove, and there's no doubt Sam is that type of kid.

"Above and beyond that, her talent on the field is great. I think she still hasn't even come close to reaching her potential. That's what is really exciting -- to see how far she can go."

The Taylor Timeline
Spring 2002 -- A young Sam Taylor gives up softball to play in the Topsfield Youth Lacrosse program as a 6th-grader.
Spring 2004 -- Pingree girls lacrosse coach Sarah Powers, Taylor's Topsfield Select coach, convinces her prized pupil to apply to Pingree.
Fall 2005 -- With only one year of high school lacrosse under her belt, Taylor sits down to Powers to discuss her college aspirations. Powers encourages Taylor to aim for a Division 1 program.
Fall 2006 -- Taylor begins visiting interested Division 1 colleges, a process that lasts until the summer.
Spring 2007 -- Taylor is named First Team All-American after leading the Eastern Independent League in scoring with 71 points.
Summer 2007 -- Taylor verbally commits to Boston College while at their camp. She's later named one of the Top 50 seniors by "Inside Lacrosse" magazine.
Fall 2007 -- Signs letter of intent to play at B.C. on a Wednesday, then suffers a diagonal break of her right fibula in a Pingree soccer game on the following Saturday.
Winter 2007/08 -- Sits out of the basketball season to rehab her broken right leg.
Spring 2008 -- Scores one goal in a 14-8 loss to Brooks in her first game back. Despite the loss, Taylor looks as sharp as ever.