Senior defender Lindsay Theofield gives back to the community when she is not on the lacrosse field. Theofield is an active member of Colleges Against Cancer, where she helps arrange Relay For Life on the Geneseo campus. (Theo Liu/assoc. photo editor)
Senior defender Lindsay Theofield plays a vital role on the Geneseo women’s lacrosse team. Theofield contributes to the defensive achievements on the field while also dedicating her time to Colleges Against Cancer.
Lacrosse was always considered a norm in Theofield’s family, as she grew up surrounded by athletes. All of her older siblings played lacrosse, and began at a young age. Theofield first became involved with lacrosse in the first grade. Her father, a Police Athletic League coach, mentored her in the sport. Since her childhood, her love of the sport has only grown stronger.
The college search can be hard for some young adults, but that was not the case for Theofield. Her older sister went to Geneseo as an education major and played for the women’s lacrosse team under head coach Carly Ritchlin.
“Coach Ritchlin is more than just a coach to me, she is like a friend,” Theofield said. “She’s a great support system.”
Theofield finds a sense of team community vital, as she sees the value in connecting as a team both on and off the field. Originally from East Northport, N.Y., Theofield now refers to Geneseo as her second home.
Theofield remembers that her teammates and coaching staff were very welcoming from the start. Additionally, knowing Ritchlin beforehand made her transition easy. Ironically enough, the assistant coach at the time of her visit—Leah Paris—was one of her sister’s best friends in college.
“Seeing many friendly faces on a day to day basis from the past are now considered to be family,” Theofield said. “It makes each day that much better.”
At first, Theofield never thought that she would go to Geneseo because of its size. After a brief visit to the campus and meeting with the coaching staff, she soon fell in love with it.
Theofield also had the opportunity to study abroad her first semester of college in Siena, Italy through the Siena Bridge Program at Geneseo.
“Having all of my classes taught in Italian for a long period of time was odd at first,” Theofield said. “But coming back in the spring, hearing English and playing lacrosse was such a great welcome home.”
Outside of lacrosse, Theofield is deeply involved within the community, as she is the athletic outreach chair for Colleges Against Cancer. The main focus of her position is to communicate to other athletic teams to get them involved in Relay For Life. Theofield is also involved with the Student Management Investment Fund, a nice compliment to her accounting major.
Theofield hopes to end her academic career on a strong note, as this is her last semester at Geneseo, She has been preparing in excitement for this summer, as she will be interning in Rochester at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
After graduation, Theofield plans to stay at Geneseo to obtain her Master’s Degree in accounting. Theofield hopes to take the Certified Public Accountant exam and to work in public accounting.