With a name like Hapgood, you've got to be good, right? Well, in the case of Big Green lacrosse star Scott Hapgood '97, he's more than just good, he's great.
In his third year donning the green jersey, Hapgood dominated the Dartmouth attack with a remarkable 48 goals in 12 games, making him the nation's top scorer in men's lacrosse this season.
With the exception of two games this year, Hapgood managed to bag at least a hat-trick each time he suited up for a contest. The stonewall defense of nationally ranked Yale (#18) and Brown (#8) checked the Big Green howitzer to one tally in their respective match-ups.
"It's comforting to have Scott out there during the close matches," co-Captain John Schneider '96 said. "This season, he regularly took it upon himself to give us that little extra effort to put us over the top."
On four separate occasions, Hapgood blasted five goals to seal the win for the Big Green. Against Ivy-rival Penn, he launched a season high of seven rockets into the back of the net.
Suffice it to say that Hapgood is no stranger to the high points game. His career numbers total a jaw-dropping 99 points with 80 goals and 19 assists in 38 games.
So what's Hapgood's secret you might ask? Some say it's his size. Others insist that it's his agility. But odds are, it's probably a combination of both.
Just think about it, how many guys do you know who are 6-3 and 210 pounds and can duck their way through swatting sticks while sprinting end to end?
"Often times, [Hapgood] will be put up against a huge defender and he'll just blow right by them," said Schneider.
But Hapgood is modest about his own strengths and attributes much of his personal success to the remainder of the Big Green's "Great Scott" offense.
"I owe a lot to my fellow attackmen, Tom Scott ['96] and Scott Watts ['97]," Hapgood said. "Tom and Scott helped me a lot on the frontline and they really set up loads of scoring opportunities for me this season."
Together, Tom Scott and Scott Watts combined for an impressive 34 assists on the season.
With the loss of eight out of this year's 11 starters, Hapgood recognizes that next season will be tough. But he remains optimistic about his final year carrying the stick.
"In the last three years, we've come really close to beating some great teams, and I'd really like to close out those deals before I graduate," he said.
During the off-season, Hapgood likes to share his talents with the football team too. During the fall, Hapgood stymied the offensive attacks against the Big Green with a chart-topping 12 sacks as the defensive end. He was named first team All-Ivy for his efforts on the gridiron.
For his performance on the lacrosse fields this season, Hapgood earned a spot on the second team All-Ivy roster. Hapgood, along with three other Big Green laxers, awaits the announcement of the All-American squad to be made later this month.
