Hope Shue ’25 is a co-captain of the Middlebury women’s lacrosse team and a neuroscience major. This spring, she set a new program record for career goals, surpassing the previous mark of 228 set by Amy DiAdamo ’97. Shue now has 272 goals and counting. Over her career, she has earned Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors three times and has been named NESCAC Player of the Week five times. In this week’s edition of Seven Questions, the standout attacker shares how she got into the sport, her inspirations and her post-grad plans.
Max Myers: Tell us your background in lacrosse. What age did you start? Did you play other sports?
Hope Shue: I started playing lacrosse around fourth or fifth grade. At the time, I was also doing gymnastics and playing soccer. Honestly, I think it can be really frustrating to play girls lacrosse at a young age because the sticks are so bad, and you can’t really catch yet. The ball is on the ground 90% of the game. So it took me a while to start to like the sport outside of playing catch with my mom and dad in the yard. But once I started playing club lacrosse in sixth grade, I started to enjoy it a lot more!
MM: Were there any coaches or mentors throughout your life that you credit with helping your success?
HS: My mom was my youth lacrosse coach for many years and was a massive part of my skill and confidence building. She made lacrosse fun for me and all of my friends. Then my club and high school coach, Erin Massimi, really shaped me into the player I am today. She is a super competitive, constructive, and passionate coach who just always pushed me to be better.
MM: As a captain on the team, what is your leadership style?
HS: I have really tried to learn from every leader that has come before me on the team. I try to lead by example as best as I can; I never want to ask things of people that I wouldn’t do myself. I think that really motivates me to come to practice and work my absolute hardest every day and earn the respect and trust of my teammates. I also try to prioritize keeping practice and games as fun and positive as possible.
MM: Looking back on your career here, are there any particular memories that stand out?
HS: All the big playoff moments over the years sort of blend together, but I’d say the close, competitive games really stand out. Our freshman year, we lost the NESCAC championship to Tufts. I had two free positions in the last 30 seconds and missed them both, so I was pretty crushed, especially as a freshman, feeling like I had let my team down. Then, a month later, we beat them in the National Championship 13–5. That was one of the best moments. I couldn’t believe we had actually won when the clock ran out.
MM: Do you have any plans to continue with the sport after graduation?
HS: I hope to play some recreational lacrosse or soccer after college when I’m living in Boston. I think I will need some sort of competitive outlet, so I might try to take up tennis!
MM: Who or what inspires you, on or off the field?
HS: I’ve recently been thinking about Amy DiAdamo Foster a lot and the legacy she has left on the Middlebury Women’s Lacrosse program. Amy was a member of the class of 1997, a three-time All-American and the 1997 Division III Attacker of the Year. She was a prolific point scorer who helped Middlebury win its first national championship in 1997. Amy tragically lost her battle with cancer in 2015. Her legacy has had a tremendous impact on our team and my personal play.
Her quote “Never be cocky, never be intimidated, just be good” is something I think about a lot. When I broke her goal-scoring record earlier this year, I was overwhelmed by how many alumni reached out to me to say how proud she would have been of me, and it was incredibly moving. Her spirit and energy just seemed magnetic, and I am very honored to share the record books with her.
MM: After playing for a good portion of your life, are you excited to finally take a break from lacrosse, or will you miss it?
HS: I don’t feel ready yet to move on from lacrosse because I am so focused on this season. But I do think I will be ready come graduation to take a break. It will be an emotional goodbye to playing the sport competitively, but I definitely see some sort of coaching in my future.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
