There are few athletes that make an indelible mark in their time and fewer who it can be seen as difficult to replace. Ellen Colbourne may be one of those athletes. When I asked several of the returning players for next year who will be the fastest player on the team they would say, “Ellen of course…..but she won’t be back.” ” I’m not sure who could replace her.” Ellen was the person every team would have to defend in order to beat the Leopards and it was her speed that characterized her play.
I can’t remember a game where Ellen was not factor at some point breaking out from the midfield as slower opponents struggled to keep up. You could see the joy in her face as she played the game. She confided in me that she would like to somehow stay in contact with the game that gave her so much pleasure. It would be a family trait since her grandmother still officiates in Ellen’s native Canada. Rumor has it she will be headed to Germany to continue her hockey career this summer.
Ellen applied herself in every endeavor at Lafayette including the Oaks Leadership Academy where she became a mentor of others. She has spent summers here at Lafayette giving tours, but will return to Canada after graduation to move on to even more success no doubt. She returns with a plethora of all-conference, and all-region awards and was named the best female athlete in the Lehigh Valley before her recent “Pardee” success, taking home the Charles A Albert Award last Thursday. She is continues a long streak of Albert winners by field hockey athletes.
Ellen, you will be missed by this fan, and I hope you will not be a stranger. Best of luck in the future.
Lafayette College Field Hockey 