Lexi Hasbrouck helped the William Smith College soccer team reach the national championship game. PHOTO/WILLIAM SMITH ATHLETICS

As with many graduates in the high school class of 2020, the start of Lexi Hasbrouck’s college soccer career was anything but normal. After a Hopkinton High School career that included all-league and all-state honors, a state final appearance in 2018 and a national club championship in 2019, Hasbrouck started her time at Trinity College without a season and having to stay 6 feet away from teammates during drills.

But Hasbrouck made the most of her chance to enter the transfer portal at the end of her career, and this past season, she helped William Smith College to an appearance in the national championship game.

“I had not thought about the extra year of eligibility much until my senior year,” Hasbrouck said after helping Trinity to a spot in the NCAA tournament and earning a spot as a starter for three years.

“I loved Trinity, it was so much fun,” she added. “The atmosphere, everything about it. But, at that point, it didn’t make a lot of sense for me to stay there.”

Hasbrouck noted that Trinity did not have a graduate student program that was a great fit for her, and there figured to be a lot of roster turnover on the field.

“Change is scary, it’s intimidating,” she said. “But I entered the transfer portal.”

On the other side of the portal was William Smith and its legendary coach, Aliceann Wilber. The only coach in program history to that point (she retired after the season), Wilber won more than 600 games and two national championships. Hasbrouck had a resume that included all-NESCAC honors, but she knew she would have to earn a spot with the Herons, who she said were run like a Division 1 program from top to bottom.

“You have two options,” Hasbrouck said. “You either give up, or keep working hard and trust that it is going to get you somewhere.”

Hasbrouck battled through an early season injury, and the team struggled with some tough losses against powerhouse teams, but did more than enough to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, Hasbrouck became a starter at outside back. She helped the Herons to four early wins in the tournament and, eventually, a 1-0 victory over Trinity University of Texas on Nov. 24 to send William Smith to the Final Four in Las Vegas.

“That moment was crazy,” Hasbrouck said. “They brought out a huge ticket and we were going to Vegas. It was so exciting because that was the goal, the Final Four.”

It was a business trip for the Herons. Hasbrouck said they did not see the Las Vegas Strip until they were done playing. But the glitz and glam of Vegas still was on full display, right down to the fact that their games were played with the skyline and the now iconic arena known as The Sphere in full view.

“None of it felt real in the moment,” Hasbrouck said.

William Smith knocked off Emory University, 2-0, in the semifinals but ultimately fell just short of a national title, losing the final game to top-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, 3-0, on Dec. 8.

Hasbrouck bounced back from the disappointment and now is working on finishing her master’s degree and a new job with a medical device sales company that focuses on women’s health. She made an impact on the pitch right up to the end of her career, being named to the all-tournament team and as the tournament’s most outstanding defensive player.

“We gave it everything we had, knowing that, no matter what, it was going to be our last game,” Hasbrouck said. “At the end of the day, they were just the better team. But I was happy to be there. It’s something I will never forget and a great way to end my college experience.”