College Lacrosse Player Scores A Goal In First Game Back After Losing Her Leg

WMUR- A Londonderry native who was involved in a serious moped crash made a big comeback on the lacrosse field on Saturday.

Nearly two years ago, two University of Massachusetts Lowell lacrosse players — Noelle Lambert of Londonderry and Kelly Moran of Newfields — were in a serious crash while riding a moped on Martha’s Vineyard.

Lambert, who was a star athlete at Londonderry High School, had to have her left leg amputated from the knee down, and Moran, a standout athlete at Exeter High School, was seriously injured.

Moran also had a long road to recovery, but she said seeing Lambert celebrate her goal this weekend is motivation for everyone to work harder.

Pretty cool story our of UMass Lowell today. Noelle Lambert lost her leg 2 years ago in a moped crash on Martha’s Vineyard. I hate to say it, but that’s a pretty common injury in lacrosse. As a former lax bro myself, I was always far more concerned with the potential dangers of riding mopeds on the Vineyard than I was about getting hurt on the field. I also worried a lot about overturning my kayak, drowning under a sea of twenties during an ATM malfunction, turning an ankle at a debutante ball, and having my core overheat while my arms froze because I only wore my fleece vest. Occupational hazards, I’m afraid.

But the real star here is Noelle Lambert. Great comeback, great goal, great moment. She uses the screen and times her cut perfectly for the old quickstick bottom cheese back pipe. Goalie had no chance, I say! It was the perfect way to cap off what I can only imagine was a long and difficult journey back to the field for Noelle.

I will say that women’s lacrosse players would do well to work on their team celebrations. Man alive, that was tough to watch. Half the group was doing the rabbit hop, there were hugs, people weren’t sure how to get to Noelle… I think in this situation you just need to pigpile. That goal deserves a full-team pileup. Nothing better than being at the bottom of a wriggling pigpile after scoring an overtime goal, your face bouncing off the turf as more bodies layer on top, wondering if you’ll ever make it out alive but not caring because you can die happy.

Congrats to Noelle and a speedy recovery to Kelly Moran as well. Pretty awesome stuff ladies.