PressBox recently chatted with Loyola women’s lacrosse senior Lily Osborne about why she fell in love with the school, earning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024 and more. The 5-foot-4 defender picked up 27 ground balls and caused 25 turnovers in 2024. Osborne is a native of Oxford, Md., and graduate of Easton High School.
PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Lily Osborne: I became interested in lacrosse when I moved to Easton, Md. My family was really big into soccer, but all of my best friends played lacrosse so I wanted to play lacrosse, too. I ended up falling in love with it, just the fast pace and everything that goes with it.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
LO: My biggest influence was probably my club lacrosse coach, Robert Smith. He really pushed me and he would always work with me. He was also my high school coach. He would also push me to [be my best] and really just help me in any area that I needed.
PB: Your dad, Richard, played football at Liberty University. How did having a former college athlete around help you?
LO: Knowing that he played a sport in college, that’s something that I really wanted to do, too. It was always my dream to play any sport in college, kind of like him. As a parent, he would always push me. When I was younger, he was actually one of my coaches. He just always wanted me to be my best. Before every lacrosse game — now even in college — he will text me, “Just be Lily.” He has just really inspired me to be myself. I think that really translates into the game of lacrosse because I can play how I want to play.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Loyola?
LO: I honestly fell in love with it right when I got to campus. Just meeting [coaches Jen Adams, Dana Dobbie and Caroline Hager], I fell in love with them right away. I loved their coaching style after watching practice. I loved the class style of Loyola — how small it was, knowing I would get so much help from my professors if I needed it, which I do. I really do get that help if I need it. I just love the campus, how it looks. Everything just felt like the perfect fit for me.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Loyola so far?
LO: I would say my favorite memory is probably honestly beating Navy last year in the Patriot League championship, [12-11]. We were tied, went into overtime. That feeling after Georgia Latch scored that goal in overtime was just pure happiness.
PB: You earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024. Why do you think you were able to have that kind of season?
LO: I think I just took it upon myself that I wanted to take another step forward, so kind of the natural progression of things just knowing that I wanted to be that top defender on our team. I wanted to play every best attacker in the country, so really just holding myself to that standard of trying to play the best to be the best. I just think it was a progression of wanting more than just [being] another defender on the field.
PB: Was there any coach in particular who helped you understand what it takes to defend at a high level?
LO: I would honestly say Jen and Dana really helped me be really aggressive. I think both of them always give me these little tidbits of how to just be 1 percent better. Forming all of those little tips into one big thing, they have really helped me get to where I am.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Baltimore?
LO: I would say my favorite thing about Baltimore is just all the things you can do. Me and my friends always go out to dinner together and we just always try to connect more as a team outside of lacrosse, so being able to do so many different things together is probably one of my favorite things.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
LO: I think my best friend on the team is Gabby Stapleton. Freshman year I just felt like we kind of clicked and it took off from there and our parents are very close. Once we clicked, we were also [roommates] and kind of just rode through the rest of our four years.
PB: Who was a player you looked up to when you first got to Loyola?
LO: Katie Detwiler. I just loved her style of play. Even now sometimes I think about, “Aw, Katie would get out past the [12-meter fan] to defend her girl.” I just really think she motivated me as well to be the player I am today, just always doing your best and putting your best foot forward.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players going through the recruiting process?
LO: Just be yourself. Your play on the field speaks for itself, so don’t be stressed. No matter where you go, it will be the right fit. Don’t stress about the recruiting process and hopefully you will love where you go like I did.
Photo Credit: Larry French
Issue 291: February / March 2025
Originally published Feb. 19, 2025