Women’s lacrosse senior breaks program assist record

Lehigh women’s lacrosse senior attacker Gabby Schneider has offered the Mountain Hawks a big assist in their 2023 season.

Schneider broke the program’s all-time record for the most assists across a career on April 1 against Bucknell. She sits at 99 career goals and 109 career assists — seventh all-time in the Patriot League. 

Once she scores her next goal, she will become the second player in program history to have both 100 goals and 100 assists.

The groundwork for her record-breaking career started long ago.

Schneider said her love for lacrosse began when she was 5 years old, and it has only continued to grow. 

“My dad played lacrosse up until high school, and I was inspired by him to play at a very young age,” Schneider said.

From fifth grade until her senior year of high school, Schneider played competitively for the club team the Long Island Yellow Jackets.

She said the program opened up opportunities for her, including helping her get recruited at Lehigh.

When Schneider first came to Lehigh, she said she immediately felt a sense of community and admired how tight-knit the team was. 

“Having a smaller roster has helped our team chemistry grow a lot because we are all super close,” Schneider said. “It also gave me the chance to get a lot of playing time in, so I am super fortunate.” 

In her first three years, Schneider was named to the All-Patriot League team — a group composed of the 17 top players in the league over the course of the season — twice. In her junior year, she placed fifth in NCAA Division I in assists per game with 2.44.

As a senior, Schneider has made 24 goals and 19 assists and has been one of the main contributors to the teams’ success.

“Assists are the most awesome part of the game because it’s all credit to my teammates,” Schneider said. “They are the ones that are finishing the ball, so it has been super fun to be part of their success by being the one that’s passing them the ball.”

Senior attacker Katia Carnevale said the team plays better when  Schneider is on the field because of her ability to find and pass the ball to  open teammates.

Carnevale said she can always count on Schneider, and she provides the team with consistency and drive to move forward.

“It is really nice to have someone to always rely on and lean into when you need a little support,” Carnevale said.

Schneider’s consistency is apparent in her pre-game ritual, which consists of going to the field and getting in a few shots, wearing her hair in a high ponytail with the same hairband every time.

Besides being an accomplished player on the field, Schneider thrives in the classroom. In 2022, she was an academic All-League honoree, which highlights 12 players in the Patriot League.

Schneider said she believes being a student-athlete has helped her academically because it has taught her the importance of hard work and time management. 

“Having to balance practice and so many things in one day has helped me become a better student because I have learned how to prioritize my time,” Schneider said.

Outside of lacrosse and school, Schneider has a passion for cooking — she is gluten-free and runs an Instagram account called the “glutenfreekitchen_” . Schneider said she enjoys creating new recipes, especially salad bowls. 

Schneider intends on working in education after graduation. Last summer, she was in Austin, Texas, working at a camp for children with speech impediments. Though she was only there for a week, Schneider said she loved it, and it led her to pursue a career in speech pathology. 

Schneider plans to return to Lehigh in the fall for her fifth year, where she  will pursue a master’s of behavioral analysis while extending her lacrosse career another season.

Senior attacker Emma Eberhardt said Schneider is one of the hardest workers she knows — her love for lacrosse fuels Eberhardt’s motivation to succeed.

Her appreciation and dedication is apparent to all who watch her. Eberhardt said when Schneider plays, it’s all eyes on her.

“I would not want to be on the other team if I was a defender and had to guard Gabby (Schneider) because she is so quick and extremely strong in all areas of the game,”  Eberhardt said.  

Schneider will have her chance at the double 100 career goal when Lehigh faces Penn on April 4 at Ulrich Sports Complex.