PROFILE: Gabby Schneider ’23 ’24G, Lehigh Women’s Lacrosse

STORY BY Editorial Services

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Christa Neu

The three-time first team All-Patriot League honoree is No. 1 all-time in assists at Lehigh and fifth on the university’s all-time point list.

A graduate student who has already surpassed 100 career goals and set the all-time school record for assists in 2023, Gabby Schneider ’23 ’24G helped Lehigh to the Patriot League Championship game in 2021 and back-to-back semifinal appearances the past two seasons. With a year of NCAA eligibility left due to the 2020 COVID-shortened season, Schneider is hoping to help her teammates do something they haven’t been able to do the past three seasons—beat Loyola in the Patriot League Tournament.

Major: Psychology

Master's program: Education and behavior analysis

Is there a difference playing a varsity sport as a grad student?
Yes, there is. I definitely am trying to cherish every moment. I obviously did that all four years undergrad, but now I know I only have one season left. I'm embracing all the small things, like early morning lifts. I’m trying to view everything as a positive because I know in a few months I'm going to be missing all of it. I’m just trying to spend as much time as I can with my teammates and coaches because the time's limited, and it feels more real now.

What is your dream job?
I'm actually going back to school for another two years to become a speech language pathologist, so that would definitely be my dream job. I also would love to coach lacrosse too.

You ran cross country and track and field in high school. What other sports have you played?
Growing up, I also played basketball, soccer, and I danced.

Is lacrosse your favorite sport?
By far. I love the team aspect of lacrosse. It's not as much pressure on just yourself. [With track] you're out there running, it's only you, you can't really lean on your teammates that much.

When did you start playing lacrosse?
I started in first grade. I've been playing for a really long time. My dad coached me when I was little and all my best friends from my hometown. We all started on the same lacrosse team.

In April 2023, Gabby Schneider ’23 ’24G recorded her 100th career goal just three days after becoming Lehigh's all-time assists leader.

What's the most challenging thing about lacrosse?
Definitely the mental aspect. It's a pretty long season. We play in the Patriot League, so it's a very tough conference. We play teams like Army and Navy and Loyola, which are all extremely physical and intense games, and I put a lot of pressure on myself and hold our team to a high standard. It's definitely hard to get out of slumps when we're not performing at the level that I think we should be. So that's something I'm definitely trying to focus on this year, just trying to stay positive and have a “next play” mentality and not get too caught up in my mistakes because I think that's definitely the hardest part of the sport.

You had quite a week last April. You became Lehigh’s all-time assists leader and then three days later scored your 100th career goal. What was that week like for you?
Yeah, the record was something that was definitely on my mind going into the season, but I try to not focus too much on the individual stats, because it really means nothing if our team doesn't do well. And at the time that the record came, and the 100th goal, we had a really big game against American, and we won, and we played really well. So it was nice that all of those things kind of came together. I was super proud of our team, and I couldn't have done that without my teammates.

Were you pretty nervous going into the game you set the record? Were you excited?
We played Army on a weekday and I tied the record. And then we were playing Bucknell on a Saturday and I needed one more to be the sole record holder. I think it came on the second play of the game. And I wasn't really thinking about it after that because Bucknell was a game we needed to win to get a home seed for the playoffs. So I was more focused on that than the record, but it was definitely nice to be recognized after the game.

Gabby Schneider ’23 ’24G has appeared in a Patriot League championship game and back-to-back league semifinals.

Was it acknowledged during the game or after?
It was after the game. Our coach gave a speech and gave me the game ball, which was nice.

Is becoming the all-time assists leader your greatest athletic achievement?
I think that that's definitely up there. Also, my sophomore year we played and beat Navy twice, which is the first time that's happened in program history, and we beat them in overtime. And then we made it to the Patriot League Championship weekend from that, and I was the one that made the winning assist [to get there]. So our team winning that game and me having a part in the winning goal was probably the most memorable thing. A big dogpile moment after that, we were all super excited.

Since the COVID-shortened season, the team has gone to the Patriot League Championship and then back-to-back league semifinals. Loyola has gotten in the way all three times. What's the goal for this year?
The goal, obviously, is to make it to the championship and win the championship because why wouldn't that be your main goal? But this year, it's a lot more real because we can feel it. We think that we have the personnel, we have the talent this year. We've said that in years past, but there's always doubt, and in the back of your mind, you're like, ‘We're probably going to lose to Loyola,’ as unfortunate as it is to say that.

We have a much more dynamic and athletic team this year, which I think is the only way that you're gonna match Loyola's caliber of play. And we also got a new assistant coach this year, a new offensive coordinator, and she's been super awesome, has brought a bunch of new ideas to our team. So we’re hoping that'll all come together later on in the season, we could make it to the championship and beat Loyola. And if that's not the case, play well enough during our out-of-conference games to get an NCAA bid and make the tournament.

What's one fact that people may not know about you?
I am very into cooking. I have an Instagram account called The Gluten Free Kitchen. That is my pride and joy.

Do you have a following on there?
About 700 maybe, which is good. I don't really network on it. It's just more for my own personal joy. And it's nice that my friends follow it. I have some friends that are also gluten free so they get some good recipe ideas and things like that. So it's fun.

What's the best thing about Lehigh as a university?
The best thing about Lehigh is that it's big enough … to meet someone new almost everywhere you go, but you're also going to see a familiar face, which is great. That's one of the main reasons why I chose Lehigh. And also, just all the opportunities that are available. You could be on a sports team, you could be involved with Greek life, you can be involved with another club. There's just a different niche for everyone, which I think is super awesome.

What's the best thing specifically about the women's lacrosse team at Lehigh?
Our team culture and how tight knit and close that we all are on an individual basis. And we treat each other like family. We all have super close relationships with each other and the coaching staff is extremely supportive—they're almost like mothers and sisters, that kind of relationship, which is great. I know I can go to them if I ever need anything, which is nice to have that relationship outside of lacrosse as well.