Abby Haimson has played just over thirty games since joining the Pace Setters Women’s Lacrosse team and within that brief time, she’s become known as a powerhouse for her team.

Haimson, a Montville, NJ native, grew up under the watching eye of an older brother, Jake, who too loves lacrosse. She developed into a powerhouse for her team; with some encouragement, of course.

“My coach and my team motivate me,” said Haimson, a junior psychology major. “We all have a role to play and we push each other to keep trying even if we’re messing up or missing goals.”

The 5-foot-3-inch attacker/midfielder she started her college career at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., but the program wasn’t a fit and she needed a school close to home with a talented team.

“I felt it would be cool to be at a new program and to be with them from the start,” Haimson said. “I’m excited for the future with the lacrosse team.”

Women’s lacrosse has the distinction of being ranked eleventh of all Division II teams in the country, and Head Coach Michael Spinner feels Haimson plays a huge role in that.

“We’ve transitioned from pretty good team to a very great team and one of the reasons is Abby,” Spinner said. “She listens to the pointers we give and she embraces them. I’m proud of her 100 goals but I’m most proud of the fact that her game is still evolving, and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet.”

Haimson has scored 107 goals, has a shot percentage of .486, a shot on goal percentage of .795, and 139 points in two seasons with Pace.

Haimson also set the women’s lacrosse single-season record for most goals scored with 54 last season, which was the team’s second year as an established program. However, she has 53 goals scored as of April 27 and is on track to pass her own single-season scoring record this spring.

But Pace Lacrosse team without Haimson was almost a reality. Haimson’s enrollment came from out of the blue, according to Spinner.

“[Abby] came to the school, on her own, without calling me, it was sometime in the middle of July,” Spinner said. “I got a call that there was recruit here to see me from Sacred Heart. I wasn’t planning to meet her for more than five minutes and we ended up spending three hours together. Come to find out she was a top-notch player.

“There’s a lesson to be learned there. I will never blow off a random recruit again because you never know who that person is going to be.”

Despite being a powerhouse for her young team, they will not have the luxury of her ability forever. However, her impact on the team seems to be enduring.