Left Hand Valley Courier - All Local, All The Time

In her three years as a varsity athlete, lacrosse goalie Morgan Pittser had at least one thing most other Niwot athletes didn’t -- a commute. Though girls lacrosse is the fastest growing high school sport in Colorado, there are still no teams in the St. Vrain Valley School District, so Pittser, who’s played lacrosse since grade school, had to join the team at Centaurus High in Lafayette. Late last month, Pittser capped her remarkable career with the Warriors with a CHSAA All-State Honorable Mention selection for 2017.

Pittser led her team to a 28-19 record and two playoff appearances in three seasons as starting goalie for Centaurus, including a trip to the state championship semi-finals 2015. In 2017, the Warriors were 11-5, and Pittser’s save percentage (.617) was good for third best overall in the state, while her 4.9 goals-against average was good for fourth best overall.

“It’s been a fantastic season for the whole team,” she said in reaction to the All-State award. “I couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

When not minding the net for the Warriors, Pittser was heavily involved in Niwot High’s art scene. She took IB Studio Art for two years, as well as several AP classes. She credits athletics with helping her balance the social and academic pressures of high school, especially during challenging times, and for “providing a place to call home, away from home.”

“I couldn’t have made it through junior year and all of high school without my teammates helping me out along the way,” she said. “They encouraged me to do better in school and on the field.”

Late last year, Pittser signed a letter of intent to play lacrosse at Wofford College in South Carolina, where she plans to major in art history with a concentration in studio art. She eventually hopes to become a high school art teacher and coach, an ambition she said was encouraged by her teachers at Niwot.

“I love working with kids and I would love to inspire them,” she said, “just as my coaches and teachers have inspired me. So thank you Ms. Collier, Mr. Watkins, and Mrs. Feiran.”