Freshman Cohen Shines In Upset Win at Duke

To say that Harvard lacrosse surrounded Jeff Cohen growing up would be an understatement.

His older brothers Steve Cohen ’06 and Greg Cohen ’07 played lacrosse for the Crimson and, in their final year together in 2006, led Harvard to its first playoff appearance since 1996.

Then, when Jeff started gaining recognition as one of Long Island’s best high school lacrosse players, he had his eyes on the all-time Long Island scoring record of 236 goals shared by Crimson players Max Motschwiller ’09 and Dean Gibbons ’11.

Two U.S. Lacrosse All-American Awards and 260 career goals later, Jeff Cohen had set the bar high before stepping foot on campus. So, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Cohen led all scorers with a hat trick and threw in an assist during Harvard’s 9-6 upset win at then-No. 5 Duke on Sunday, earning him Ivy League Rookie of the Week as well as Turfer/New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Co-Player of the Week honors.

Although he is ranked as the No. 4 incoming freshman in his class by Inside Lacrosse, Crimson coach John Tillman praised Cohen for his humility and not letting his great success impede his mindset or adjustment to the college game.

“Coming into Division I lacrosse from high school takes a long time to adjust to how fast the pace is—how well-conditioned you have to be, how strong you have to be,” Tillman said. “We really challenged Jeff in the fall, and it was not easy for him…He fought through it, hung in there, and I’m really proud of him for that.”

Cohen started playing lacrosse around age five on Long Island, NY. He credits his brothers with introducing him to the game and inspiring him to achieve success.

“They definitely got me into it. I was always watching their games from the sideline, and as a younger brother, they are your heroes,” Cohen said. “You always want to fill their shoes, and they had such a huge impact on and off the field”.

Cohen followed his brothers’ example while lettering at Syosset High School. In addition to breaking the all-time Long Island scoring record, he tallied 85 career assists. He led Syosset to the 2008 Long Island Championship as well as two Nassau County Class A Championships, earning Offensive MVP of the competition in both years.

When it came time to decide where he would ply his trade next, Harvard was the clear front-runner.

“I looked at Princeton and at some of the other Ivies, but Harvard was always where I wanted to be,” Cohen said. “After coming up here to see my brothers play so often and hanging around the campus, I was really comfortable with the environment here.”

In his first game for the Crimson, Cohen got a chance to contribute after sophomore Dean Gibbons fell ill.

“When Dean came down with pneumonia, we knew were going to have a step up,” Cohen said. “We were shorthanded, and our game plan was to not have one player do too much and work together as a team.”

Tillman reiterated Cohen’s ability to succeed within a Harvard lacrosse team whose style of play favors a balanced attack with little superstar action.

“Without Dean, somebody needed to step up,” Tillman said. “No one needed to carry the load, but we needed some guys to make plays throughout the game.”

“I thought Jeff showed a lot of poise, maturity, and leadership,” Tillman added. He wasn’t trying to do too much, but he was taking what the defense gave him.”

Tillman has also noticed the impact that growing up in a lacrosse family has had on Cohen.

“He’s had a lot of experience and has terrific instincts,” Tillman said. “He really understands the game well, has good skills, and is a very quick learner.”

When asked how he would find ways to succeed after setting the bar high so early, Cohen again displayed his modesty and commitment to the team.

“No one really worries about who’s doing the scoring,” he said. “We just try to put ourselves in situations every day in practice that make us the most successful team during the game.”

While Cohen may not be watching his own stats as closely, the freshman phenom has attracted the attention of many who will be excited to see what he offers next.