AOTW: Aurora Cordingley

The Hopkins women’s lacrosse team traveled to Philadelphia this weekend for a matchup against the St. Joseph’s University Hawks on Sweeney Field. The Jays beat the Hawks 13-10 to capture their fourth win of the season and were led by several standout performances, but especially from junior attackman Aurora Cordingley. 

Cordingley posted a team-high five points for the Jays, scoring three goals and contributing two assists in the victory. Cordingley has scored in every game this season so far, with this game against the St. Joseph’s marking the fifth time this season that she’s had five points in one game. 

Her performance against the Hawks and this season is an extension of what Cordingley has done ever since her freshman year on campus. She has been a main fixture of the Hopkins roster starting with her freshman year and has played in every game since her first season. 

In her freshman year campaign, Cordingley led all freshmen in goals and points with 19 and 27, respectively. She followed that up with a sophomore year showing that saw strengthen her game offensively and defensively, tallying 41 goals, 22 assists, 24 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. 

Through seven games this season, Cordingley has been a force to be reckoned with. She is tied for first on the team in goals with 17, and she leads the squad in assists with 18 and points with 35. In the Big 10 Conference, she currently leads in assists per game and second in points per game.

After leading her team to victory this past weekend, Cordingley has been named The News-Letter’s athlete of the week. The News-Letter spoke with Cordingley about her performance during the game, her consistency throughout the year and the season overall. 

The News-Letter: You had five points this past game against St. Joseph’s. How were you able to create those opportunities this game?

Aurora Cordingley: My points often come from assisting teammates’ goals. I give full credit to my teammates on getting open and finishing tough shots. I just do the easy job of throwing the ball to them.

N-L: This is your fifth five-point game of the season. What’s been the driving force that’s allowed you to consistently put up these kinds of numbers?

AC: I think my confidence has blossomed this year. Being a junior now, I’m not afraid to make mistakes, and I truly believe in myself and my abilities. I couldn’t say these things the past two years, so I think this is allowing me to play at a higher and more consistent level.

N-L: How have you worked to get better this season?

AC: This season I have been moved up to play on the draw circle with Keegan [Barger] and Shelby [Harrison]. It’s something I don’t have a lot of experience with, so I’ve had to spend a lot of time learning things such as reading stances, timing my run to the ref’s whistle and even just working on my wrist strength and lower body box out. A successful draw is difficult when you’re tired, so not only have I had to work on these smaller tasks, I’ve had to work a lot on my endurance so my play at the draw doesn’t falter when fatigue hits.

N-L: What are you personally most proud of this season and why?

AC: I am personally most proud of how well my team has responded to failure and adversity this early on in the season. I think a lot of teams would have thrown in the towel after starting 3-3, but we all have used this as a learning experience. When losses happen, all you can do is accept them, regroup and learn, and plot a path forward. We still have 10 games left and have already grown.

N-L: What is your favorite moment of the season?

AC: My favorite moment is all the times I get to be in the locker room doing crazy and goofy things with my teammates. From our raffles to our dance parties, it’s the little things that seem insignificant that make up my favorite memories with them. At the end of the day, you won’t remember the wins and the losses, you will remember the people you shared the experience with and how they made you feel. I love my teammates so much!