Alumna Inducted into Lacrosse Hall of Fame

While most of us were busy planning costumes for a weekend of Halloween mayhem, Francesca Den Hartog ’83 readied herself for a different sort of celebration.

Last weekend, the former Harvard women’s lacrosse captain and two-time All-America honoree was inducted, along with seven other lacrosse greats, into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

According to Lacrosse Magazine, Den Hartog played in the inaugural competition of three major lacrosse events: the Massachusetts high school state championship, the women’s NCAA national tournament, and the women’s World Cup. She led the Crimson to three Ivy League titles and is thought to be the first women’s lacrosse player to use a stick with a plastic molded head.

During Den Hartog’s time at Harvard, the Crimson went 20-3 in Ivy League play and earned a trip to the quarterfinals of the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament. Den Hartog garnered first team All-Ivy honors after each of her four seasons at Harvard, including two nods as Ivy League Player of the Year.

The former captain dominated the record book in the early 80’s for Harvard. Over the course of her career, Den Hartog tallied 249 goals and 315 points, good for all-time records in both of these categories.  She also holds the school records for goals in a single season and goals in a single game, with 83 and nine, respectively. Den Hartog currently claims the league record for most points scored in an Ivy League season with 46.