Player Profile: Clare Richards

Image Courtesy of CUA Athletics

By Eva Lynch

As one of CUA’s winningest athletic teams, the women’s lacrosse team felt special pressure to continue to perform at their historically high level during the pandemic. Critical to this success is junior midfielder Clare Richards. She is also in the middle of the busiest year for her major, nursing, and serves as co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

Richards can be found fighting for almost every draw in a given game, and out of the seven games the team has played this season, she’s controlled 36 draws. It’s hard to believe she entered the program as a freshman never having taken a draw before.

Richards has made 15 goals this season, and tournament play hasn’t even begun. She was recently named the Landmark Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after posting 13 draw controls, six ground balls, and three caused turnovers in just two games. 

While Richards’ stats are nothing short of impressive, her contribution to the team’s status as the only remaining undefeated team in the conference extends beyond her leadership on the field. Her dedication to the team’s cohesion and love of the game as well as her fellow teammates is clear in the way she talks about both.

“I play as well as I can because I know my teammates are doing the same for me. It’s obvious in everything we do. We all show up and work hard at practice, and if someone has a bad day or game, they know the team will be there to support them,” Richards said. 

Richards doesn’t take credit for the team’s success. She attributes their victorious history to the deep relationships they’ve been able to form with each other, the values ingrained in them by their coach, Meghan McDonogh, and the coffee she has before every game. 

“I think we’re successful because of how close we all are. We have such good relationships off the field so we’re able to translate that onto the field and have each others’ backs in all aspects of the game.”

“I really love the teamwork aspect of it and working with other people who share my passions toward a common goal. I also love the fast-paced nature and high-scoring aspect of the game. I love to score goals,” Richards admitted. 

Richards lacrosse career has been going strong since high school, and having grown up in Bethesda, Maryland, Catholic University was the clear choice for continuing that career. 

“I chose Catholic for lacrosse specifically because it’s a really competitive program that wins a lot of championships, which is always fun. I was also able to pursue the major I wanted, which is nursing, and I’m able to balance and prioritize both at the same time.”

Besides the COVID-related challenges of this and last year’s seasons, this aspect of balancing two time-consuming programs, women’s lacrosse and junior-year nursing, has been one of the hardest things for Richards to learn.

“I’ve learned how to manage my time and prioritize what I need to. It motivates me to know that my hard work in both areas will definitely pay off in the near future,” said Richards, who definitely doesn’t lack organizational skills, only sleep. 

Richards’ best memories from the past three years in the program are centered around the invaluable skills she’s learned, which include not only how to take and win a draw, but also how to recognize her accomplishments while maintaining humility. She has also learned and practiced extremely hard work as well as how to adapt to the many uncertain situations that have arisen, especially in this past year. 

With her senior year on the horizon, Richards has a few commendable goals in mind. 

“I want to win another Landmark Championship and take us to the NCAAs again. Especially because it will hopefully be a year without COVID-related worries, I really want to go out with a bang,” Richards said. “I’m lucky to be on a team that I know shares those same ambitions.”