By Caley Breese
Despite all of her success as an athlete, Ellie Roser gives credit to her teammates, coaches, and others rather than touting her own achievements. Now, Roser is eager to hit the lacrosse field at Furman University, where she will be playing on a scholarship.
The 18-year-old Roser excelled in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Easton. While she admits that playing field hockey and basketball was to stay in shape for lacrosse, her accomplishments would make you think otherwise.
As a four-year starting midfielder for the Warriors' field hockey team, Roser received Defensive Most Valuable Player (2016), the Alice S. Matthews Sportsmanship Award (2017), and made the Bayside Conference All-North Field Hockey First Team for midfield (2017). She was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Squad in 2017. In basketball, the 5-foot-9 guard received most improved player honors during her freshman and junior seasons, as well as an unsung hero award during her sophomore and senior years.
“She had a tremendous work ethic,” Easton Girls Basketball Head Coach Matt Griffin says. “She was always giving 110 percent. She was a strong leader and always willing to push her teammates. If you had a team full of Ellie Rosers, you know you would be successful.”
While Roser clearly worked hard in field hockey and basketball, her true passion lies on the lacrosse field. She started playing at just five years old, and soon took it to the next level when she began playing competitively as an attacker with M&D Lacrosse Club.
“In the beginning, it was something that all of my friends played and we were all just really close and had a fun time,” Roser explains. “As I got older, lacrosse was the sport I really liked playing the most and always looked forward to playing.”
A starting midfielder since her freshman year, Roser received the Warrior Award in 2015 and earned Most Valuable Offensive Player for three consecutive years. Although the All-Bayside Conference Lacrosse Team was cut the past two seasons, she was chosen for the honor as a freshman and sophomore. Additionally, she received the 2018 Girls' High School All-American award.
For Roser, however, it's not about the accolades.
“I don't know if there's one that I'm most proud of; there's not one that really sticks out to me the most,” she says. “More than anything, being able to play with the same people I've played with since I was five years old all the way through high school is really special and something I'll always be thankful for.”
While sports took up much of Roser's time in high school, she was still an all-star in the classroom. She carried a 3.92-grade point average, and took several advanced placement courses, including biology and calculus. In 2017, she was the school winner for the Wendy's High School Heisman, a program that recognizes students who excel in the classroom, as well as with their athletics and student leadership. Sophomore through senior year, Roser was a member of the National Honor Society, and served as treasurer and vice president for the Student Government Association (SGA).
Continually busy on and off the field, Roser explains that balance and sticking to a schedule is the most important thing for her to be successful in her studies and athletics, while still having time to spend with friends and family. Roser will have plenty of time to master this balance as she continues her education and lacrosse career at Furman University, located in Greenville, South Carolina, this fall. She will compete with their NCAA Division I team while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in health sciences.
Roser, who committed the fall of her junior year, considered attending Virginia Tech, but she found that her recruitment experience and the atmosphere at Furman was exactly what she was looking for in a university and athletic team.
“I got to spend the day with the girls on the team, and I went to a class with one of them, I got to see practice,” she says. “After, I looked at my mom and said, ‘I love this place.' A few weeks later, I decided that's where I wanted to go. It really just stood out to me. The people there are so friendly, the classes I got to visit were really interesting, and there's a lot to do around the area, so I thought it was a good fit.”
Rachel Whitten, head coach of the Furman University women's lacrosse team, knew right away Roser would make an impact.“Ellie is a phenomenal athlete, and that was apparent from the start in the recruiting process,” she says.
“As an attacker, her height is a huge advantage and on top of that, her vision and finishing capabilities will be a great asset to us at Furman. My hope is to always have freshmen pushing to play, and even start, and I think Ellie is going to adapt very quickly to DI lacrosse and make an impact at Furman.”
