ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Freshman Continues Season of Highlights

Playing attackman just reached a whole new level.

Freshman Jeff Cohen has torched opposing goalkeepers and has breathed new life into the No. 16 Harvard men’s lacrosse (3-1, 0-0 Ivy) throughout the season.

Thus far, Cohen’s innate ability to find the net has been on display throughout the Crimson’s four games, with his latest antics coming on Friday in a rebound win against Hartford.

This past weekend’s career high in points is clear proof of Cohen’s scoring capabilities. The freshman notched five goals and had one assist to lead Harvard’s 18-7 rout of Hartford. It was a great way for the Crimson to bounce back from its disappointing loss to UMass the previous weekend, after beginning the season with two victories over ranked opponents. Cohen scored once in the first half as part of a strong offensive front that kept Hartford at bay. In the second half, Cohen scored first and then kept adding to the Crimson’s growing tally throughout the period, making it impossible for the Hawks to attempt a comeback. The freshman not only scored but also shared, making several passes to teammates and acquiring an assist.

“I thought he did a nice job capitalizing on opponent’s mistakes and being at the right spot at the right time,” Harvard coach John Tillman said. “Cohen has good instincts, and when he gets a chance to score he knows how to put it at the back of the net.”

It was Cohen’s best performance of his collegiate career thus far, though he had quite an impressive start this season.

To kick off the campaign, the men’s squad faced Duke in what seemed to be a glaring mismatch. The Crimson beat all expectations, though, when the team came out victorious in a 9-6 contest that saw the beginnings of Cohen’s brilliance. Harvard was down by one when Cohen tied it up thanks to a combined effort with captain Max Motschwiller. Then the freshman put the Crimson on top on the scoreboard, igniting a run that forced the Blue Devils into an unexpected deficit. Duke threatened to make a comeback, tying it up at three, but a goal from junior Jason Duboe followed by another successfuly shot by Cohen put those worries to rest.

“He’s a good guy to be around—a very positive kid,” Motschwiller said. “He doesn’t get down on himself and he’s there to pick us up when the team is down.”

Cohen’s hat trick against the ranked Blue Devils created high expectations for the rookie, and his superb performance earned him Ivy League Rookie of the Week and Turfer/New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Co-Player of the Week. It also earned Harvard a ranking for the first time since the middle of last season.

“He’s learning to work hard every day,” Tillman said. “He is consistently working hard, and it’s hard as a freshman to play at a fast pace, but he wants to be really good so he’s working hard at that.”

Those expectations were lived up to in the following game. Cohen continued his good play with a goal and two assists against Stonybrook, showing another glimpse of his scoring prowess and illustrating his unselfishness. The Crimson outperformed another powerhouse lacrosse program, 12-4, and set up high hopes for its encounter with UMass. The Crimson’s offense couldn’t come through, although Cohen mustered an assist.

The freshman knew about the anticipation surrounding his play coming into the season. The Syosset, N.Y. native comes from a family of lacrosse players. His two older brothers, Steve Cohen ’06 and Greg Cohen ’07, played for Harvard’s varsity lacrosse program. Their influence on Cohen led to a sensational high school career full of accolades and accomplishments, acquiring two U.S. Lacrosse All-American awards and obtaining the Long Island scoring record of 260 goals. His fantastic lacrosse resumé earned him a national top -four ranking coming into the school year, and he has yet to disappoint so far. He is ready to set himself apart from the rest, and perhaps create a little bit more history on the collegiate level as well.

“With the way things are going now he’s fitting in our team real well,” Motschwiller said. “If he continues to work hard he will not only be the team’s leading scorer but he also has the capability of becoming the league’s top scorer.”