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Teigan Neukom has come a long way in her four years with the Pine Creek lacrosse team. The senior has transformed from a bench player during her freshman year to becoming one of the team's most dominant offensive threats.
Eagles head coach Lindsay Mock, who took over the program when Neukom was a freshman, has witnessed firsthand how much the athlete has grown over the years.
"She didn't get a lot of playing time freshman year, but she's worked so hard through the summers, and every day I know she goes home to practice and it's really shown on the field," Mock said. "She's a dominant player for us on the offensive side."
The limited playing time during her first year was challenging for Neukom, who describes herself as someone who thrives in action.
"That was really hard on me. I like to move, and I like to be in the action," Neukom said. "I knew I had to put the work in to be at the point where I wanted to be, so I did a lot of work with one of the boys' coaches over the summer."
Her dedication paid off. During her sophomore year, Neukom scored a career-high 29 goals. This season, she's already tallied 27 goals—the most on her team—with six regular season games still remaining.
Beyond her scoring abilities, Neukom has embraced a leadership role on the team.
"I think it's cool to help people and set an example of showing them what they need to do, like just being a leader," she said.
Coach Mock appreciates Neukom's commitment to both team success and personal excellence.
"She's here to support her teammates, but she's also here to score some goals and hopefully win some games," Mock said. "So she does whatever it takes to put the ball in the back of the net."
That determination was on full display in last week's rivalry game against Air Academy, where Neukom scored four goals, including the game-winner.
"It was breathtaking. It was an insane moment for me. Air Academy is one of the teams I have wanted to beat my entire career," Neukom recalled. "I was going in for a shot, and I made the shot, but it didn't count because we got something called shooting space. I got really nervous and started shaking, and one of my teammates calmed me down. She's like, 'just take a deep breath, you got it, place your shot,' and I made the shot, and all feeling left my body, and I just dropped to the ground. It was really breathtaking and an awesome experience."
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