Never underestimate the motivational power of sibling rivalry.
It helped senior Lauren Hansen become the most prolific goal scorer – girl or boy – in Stanwood High School history.
Hansen grew up playing soccer against her older brother, Garrett Hansen, and his friends. Big brother was good. Garrett, a 2000 Stanwood graduate, helped the Spartans win a Western Conference 3A championship and is the program’s top career goal scorer (51).
He left quite a legacy for little sister to follow. But Lauren Hansen was clearly up to the task.
For a season in which she scored 23 goals, set several individual school records and helped guide Stanwood to unprecedented heights, Hansen is The Herald’s 2006 All-Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
This fall Hansen, a Utah State University-bound forward, broke the Stanwood girls single-season and career goals records (53). The previous records were 20 and 46, according to Stanwood coach Lori Stunz.
“I couldn’t have done it without my midfielders and defense. They’re the ones that give me the ball,” said Hansen, who also led Stanwood with six assists.
“She’s very deserving of everything,” Stunz said, “but she is where she is because of her teammates.”
Breaking the girls records was exciting, but the mark Hansen truly yearned to beat was her brother’s career goal total of 51, best-ever among Stanwood boys. She did it on Nov. 2, scoring Nos. 51 and 52 in a victory over Jackson in the Class 4A District 1 championship game.
On top of earning family bragging rights, Hansen won a $20 bet with her brother by surpassing his goal total. Their rivalry is a friendly one, she said, and she credited Garrett with helping her become a top-notch scorer.
By playing soccer with boys at a young age, Hansen learned to play at a faster pace, Stunz said. It paid off big for Hansen, a four-year starter who scored 53 percent of Stanwood’s goals this season to help the Spartans place second in the 4A state tournament, best in school history. Stanwood, the Wesco North co-champion, had a final record of 16-2-4, losing 1-0 against Woodinville on Saturday in the state final.
Asked why Hansen is so dominant, Stunz said the forward is an explosive, tenacious competitor. “She has such a passion for the game. She thrives on it,” said Stunz.
Defenses tried to stifle Hansen’s unique blend of skill, speed and strength, but she often found (or created) just enough of an opening to score. Two-plus years of weight training helped Hansen overpower and outrun countless opponents.
“I’m bigger than most girls and I’m still fast,” she said, “so it’s hard to push me off the ball.”
Hansen said she and her senior teammates knew this would be an exciting season; the culmination of years of hard work that saw Stanwood go from four wins in 2003 to eight in 2004 and seven in 2005. But even Hansen admitted the team’s run all the way to the state title game was somewhat surprising.
“All of our girls have wanted this (success) so bad,” she added. “I think this whole year we’ve played from our hearts a lot. We’re all just best friends … and our chemistry carries through on the field.”
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