Jessy Morgan, George Mason University women’s lacrosse coach, said there’s one thing to know right away about Patriots midfielder Chloe Chan.
“She’s an athletic freak,” Morgan said. “She’s tall and long and has a good amount of speed. Definitely one of the most athletic athletes I’ve ever coached.”
The senior economics major from Manchester (she’s a United fan) has been a high-profile athlete since age 15, when she played for her country’s under-19 national team. Last year, she won gold with England at the European women’s championship, and she’s set to play for England again this summer during a tour of Australia.
But it’s been her time at George Mason, playing in an area of the United States considered a lacrosse hotbed and against top competition in the Atlantic 10 conference, that has boosted her game to the next level.
“My understanding of the game has gotten so much better,” Chan said. “I read the game better. I couldn’t imagine where I would be without Mason. It has allowed me to go further than I would have ever imagined.”
That includes adapting to a more physical style of play.
“It’s just a different game,” Morgan said of the North American model compared to the international. “It’s trying to give that edge to a person who grows up in an environment that doesn’t have a lot of edge.”
It’s not all about athletics for Chan, who said she might pursue a master’s degree as preparation for one day taking over her mom’s accounting business back home.
But that will have to wait until after the summer tour against Australia.
“Playing international is really our professional,” Morgan said of the lacrosse world. “It’s as high as you can get. You’re playing against the best players in the world.
And they’re playing against “an athletic freak.”